10/31/06 Algebra 1

We started class by going over and grading the homework assignment due for today.

I explained today's lesson, graphing equations with x & y intercepts by working through a few examples on the board. Today's objectives are:

1) Find x & y intercepts given a graph 2) Find x & y intercepts given an equation 3) Use x & y intercepts to graph an equation
See video demonstrations here.

Students practiced on a worksheet, then worked on their graded assignment.

Homework: page 221-2 #'s 14-54 even

Graph paper can be printed here.

10/31/06 Algebra 2

Today we continued studying matrices and their uses. Today we will be using determinants to solve systems of equations using a process called Cramer's Rule.

Follow this link to see video demonstrations of both.

Students practiced on this worksheet, then did a graded assignment.

Homework:
page 218-9 #'s 12-28 even, 36, 40, 44, 52

10/30/06 Pre Algebra

Students will work on the Chapter 4 Review Packet today in class and we will have a test on Wednesday.

10/30/06 Applied Geometry

We began Chapter 5 today with a lesson focusing on two things:
1) The perpendicular bisector of a segement
2) The angle bisector

The Perpendicular Bisector & Angle Bisector Theorems were introduced to the students. All the practice & homework probelms involve some algebra and solving related to the 2 ideas.

Homework:
page 304
2-17 all

10/27/06 Algebra 1

We began class with a review activity, students took a graph with points and gave their coordiantes (x,y). We went over the homework assignment due for today & graded it in class. I did some examples of problems relating to our learning objectives:

1) Give solutions of an equation given a graph
2) Use a table to graph an equation
3) Solve an equation for y
4) Graph horizontal lines of the form y=b, where b is a number
5) Graph vertical lines of the form x=a, where a is a number

We practiced on a worksheet and then students worked on the graded assignment.

Homework:
p. 214 #'s 12-39 every 3rd problem

10/27/06 Algebra 2

Today's lesson continues our focus on matrices. Today we will be multiplying matrices together. There is a good video demonstration here. After some examples on the board, students practiced multiplying matrices together on this worksheet and then did a short graded assignment from the textbook.

Homework:
p. 211 22-32 even

10/26/06 Pre Algebra

We started today's class with a review of solving equations. It is a worksheet where students give the step by step process to solving equations. After that, I took questions on the homework due for today and we graded it.

Next students got into groups and worked on solving equations from today's lesson. Today's objective is to solve equations with variables on both sides of the equation. In groups they completed a worksheet that illustrates the solving process visually with algebra tiles.

Next, they practiced the new skill with worksheet, which we went through as a class when everyone was finished.

Homework:
page 180, #'s 7-23

10/26/06 Applied Geometry

Chapter 4 Test Today

10/25/06 Algebra 1

Chapter 3 Test today

Homework:
page 206 #'s 10-26 all

10/25/06 Algebra 2

Today we began Chapter 4, which focuses on matrices (plural of matrix). Today's lesson focuses on matrix operations (addition, subtraction & scalar multiplication). Students learning objectives for the day are as follows:

1) Add & subtract matrices
2) Multiply a matrix by a scalar
3) Solve matrix equations where a matrix entry is a variable

Students practiced these objectives on a worksheet in class, then some work out of the book. Both assignments were graded.

Homework:
page 203 #'s 16-36 even, 37,38,42

10/24/06 Pre Algebra

Today we continued with our work solving equations. Today's equations look like the following:

3(x - 2) = 9

We will do the distributive property, which we talked about in a previous chapter, then solve using methods from this chapter.

3(x - 2) = 9 -> 3(x) + 3(-2) = 9 -> 3x - 6 = 9 -> add 6 to each side -> 3x = 15 ->
divide each side by 3 -> x = 5

After working through some examples on the board, students practiced solving on this worksheet. We went through it together, then students worked on the graded assignment.

Homework:
p. 174 #'s 5-23

10/24/06 Applied Geometry

Students worked on the Chapter 4 Review Packet today & they will be taking the Chapter 4 Test on Thursday.

10/23/06 Algebra 1

Students began class with a review activity, page 190-192, #'s 1-22, 25-27 & 32-34.

We went over the homework assigned Thursday.

Students worked on the Chapter 3 Review Packet & the Chapter 3 Test is on Wednesday,

10/23/06 Algebra 2

Today students took the Chapter 3 Test.

10/20/06 Applied Geometry

Today we finished the movie we started watching last week, A Beautiful Mind. We will review Chapter 4 on Tuesday & take the test on Thursday.

10/19/06 Algebra 1

We began class with a review assignment over our previous lesson, which we graded in class. Today's lesson focuses on rates and percents. Our objectives are:

1) Find the unit rate given the total cost
2) Find the average speed
3) Convert units of measure given the unit rate
4) Write fractions and decimals as percents
5) Find percentages given a part of the whole

We worked through some example problems on the board, then the class practiced solving these problems on this worksheet.

Homework: p. 183 11-18, 23-27, 33-35

Note: Google has a nice feature on their search site that does conversions for you. Simply type your conversion into the search bar and it will convert it for you. Click here for demonstration.

10/19/06 Algebra 2

Students worked on the Chapter 3 Review Packet, and there is a Test over Chapter 3 on Monday, October 23rd.

10/18/06 Pre Algebra

We continue our discussion of solving equations today. Today's equations are one step longer than the previous section. An example of the previous equations follows:

2x - 1 = 15 -> add 1 to each side -> 2x = 16 -> divide each side by 2 -> x = 8

Today's look like this:

4x - 2x - 5 = 7 -> combine 4x and -2x -> 2x - 5 = 7 -> add 5 to each side -> 2x = 12 -> divide each side by 2 -> x = 6

We practiced solving these on a worksheet, which we went over in class, then students worked on the graded assignment.

Homework:
page 164 #'s 4-21

10/18/06 Applied Geometry

We continued our discussion of triangles today, focusing on isosceles and equilateral triangles. Our two main points today are:

If two sides of a triangle are congruent to one another, then the angles opposite the sides are congruent to one another as well, and vice versa. (Show at left).

An equilateral triangle is equiangular, and vice versa.

We practiced using these ideas to solve for angles and sides on a worksheet, then students completed a graded assignment.

Homework:
p. 276 #'s 3-10,13-20, 22-25, 33-34, 42-43

10/17/06 Algebra 1

Today we are solving equations using the same steps and procedures as before, but are dealing with equations that contain decimals.

We reviewed the steps to solve equations with a worksheet to begin class, then did some examples of solving decimal equations on the board. Students practiced on a worksheet and then worked on the graded assignment.

Homework:
p. 169 20 - 38 even

10/17/06 Algebra 2

We began class with a review of solving systems of equations. View the worksheet here.

Our next lesson focuses on solving systems of inequalities, whose solutions are expressed as graphs, shown at the left. The solution to a system of inequalities is the area shaded twice in the graph. After viewing some examples on the board, students worked on the graded assignment out of the book.

Homework:
p. 159-160 #'s 12-14, 27-32, 34, 36, 40, 49
If you need some extra graph paper, click here, or some video examples and demonstrations, click here.

10/16/06 Pre Algebra

We began Chpater 4 today, our focus on solving equations that require more than one step. Today's lesson focuses on 2 step equations that involve adding or subtratcing along with multiplying or dividing. For example:

2x - 5 = 7

To solve this particular equation, you would first add 5 (the opposite of subtracting 5) to each side, leaving 2x = 12. Then you would divide each side by 2 (the opposite of multiplying by 2) and get x = 6.

We started class with some group work solving these equations with algebra tiles, then students practiced with a worksheet before doing the graded assignment.

Homework:
page 721 (Section 4.1) #'s 1-10

10/16/06 Applied Geometry

Today we finished with our congruence postulates adding the following:
ASA (Angle Side Angle)
AAS (Angle Angle Side)
HL (Hypotenuse Leg)

We are focusing on being able to show that 2 triangles are congruent using given information and one of the above three congruence postulates. We also tie in some algebra, solving for pieces of triangles using the fact that the triangles are congruent.

We did a worksheet packet in class to practice, then students worked on the assignment.

Homework:
pages 256-259 #'s 4,5,11,12,14,15,26-29 & page 263 17,18,24-27

It's a girl!

Cassidy Marie, born October 10th, 2006, 2:56 PM. 7 pounds, 5 ounces, 20 inches. Everybody is happy & healthy! I'll be back at school Friday.

10/6/06 Algebra 1

We began class with a review activity from Wednesday's lesson, page 799 #16-21,24. We graded the homework assignment that was due and then I did examples of solving today's equations on the board. See some more examples here. Our goal today is to solve equations with variables on both sides of the equation. We will use the same techniques that we used in the previous sections. 3rd period class does not have a homework assignment, 4th period must compete page 157, #'s 18-41.

10/6/06 Algebra 2

Today's lesson focused on solving systems of equations with 3 variables. Methods of solving are similar to Wednesday's lesson. We did a worksheet in class and went over the answers.


Homework:
none

10/5/06 Pre Algebra

Chapter 3 Test Today

10/5/06 Applied Geometry

Students began class by copying some notes on our 3 main ideas today:

1) Congruent Triangles
2) SAS Congruence Theorem
3) SSS Congruence Theorem



I illustrated some examples of what it means to be congruent triangles and what we can do with it. Students completed a worksheet packet for practice, which we went over at the end of class. Here are some homework examples for section 3 & section 4 .

Homework:
pages 234-235 #'s 3-10, 13-18, 23-24 & pages 246-248 #'s 7-9, 11-17, 28-29

10/4/06 Algebra 1

We began class with a review of the last 2 lessons, solving 1 step equations with addition, subtraction, multiplication & division. The new lesson focuses on solving multiple step equations. I did some example exercises from the book on the board. You can see some more examples solved in the videos presented here. We practiced solving these equations, which use a series of steps that have made up the first few weeks of class, on this worksheet. We went through it together in class afterwards, then students worked on their homework assignment.

Homework:
page 148, #'s 16-36 all, 50,51,54

10/4/06 Algebra 2

Today in class we reviewed solving systems of equations by the substitution method, and I introduced the new method of solving, the linear combination method. I explained a few examples and then student spracticed on a worksheet. For demonstration of this method, follow this link and click the 'Video" button next to the second example.

Homework:
page 152-153 #'s 28,30,32,38

Website mention

There is a mention of our website on another blog. It was posted by my storage provider, eggdisk.com. It is the site that allows for the free storage of my worksheets so you can download them at home. Here is the link.

10/3/06 Pre Algebra

Students began class with a review activity, pages 147-149, #'s 1-15. Today's lesson focused on the coordinate plane, shown at left. Today students need to be able to:

1) Plot ordered pairs in the coordinate plane
2) Tell which quadrant an ordered pair is in
3) Plot 4 ordered pairs that create a rectangle and find its area
4) Give examples of ordered pairs that will work in an equation


We practiced the objectives on a worksheet, then students completed a graded assignment, page 144, #'s 11-29. We will be taking a test on Thursday, and the homework assignment is a review for the test.

Homework:
page 150, #'s 1-18 & page 152 #'s 30-40 even,52-66 even
*Test Thursday

10/3/06 Applied Geometry

We began today with a worksheet reviewing Friday's lesson. We went over the homework that was due for today together and then moved onto our new lesson. Today's focus is on the Triangle Sum Theorem, which states that the interior angles of a triangle add up to be 180 degrees. Our objectives are:

1) Give the Triangle Sum Theorem
2) Give the Third Angle theorem
3) Give the Exterior Angle Theorem
4) Find the measures of interior and exterior angles in a triangle

We completed a worksheet in class for practice, then students worked on our graded assignment. Video demonstartions and step by step solutions can be found here.

Homework:
page 227-230, #'s 6-14, 16-23, 29-34 & 41-43

10/2/06 Algebra 1

Today we began class with a review activity from the first section, page 799, #'s 1-8. I answered questions over the homework that was due today and then we graded both assignments in class. We went over the day's objectives, which were:

1) State the inverse operation
2) Tell what step you would use to solve an equation using multiplication or division
3) Solve one step equations involving multiplication or division

Students did this worksheet in class, then worked on the graded assginment in the book, page 142, #'s 14-19 and 24-47.

Homework:
none, graded assignment done in class

10/2/06 Algebra 2

We began our work in Chapter 3 today. Chapter 3 deals with systems of equations, also called 2 equations, 2 unknowns. We will take 2 (or more) equations involving 2 variables and solve for both. To introduce the idea today, I will show students how to find the solution by graphing and how to check whether an ordered pair is a solution. I will introduce one of the algebraic methods of solving to them today, the substitution method. After today students should be able to:
1) Check ordered pairs to see if they are solutions to systems of equations
2) Solve a system of equations by graphing both equations
3) Give the number of solutions to a system of equations from the graph
4) Use the substitution method to solve a system of equations

Students will practice in class with this worksheet. Here is a link for a video demonstration of the substitution method.

Homework:
page 143 #'s 32-40 all & page 153 #'s 11-13,16,18,19,22