Reversing the Process from Chapter 7 and Focusing on Factoring in Chapter 8

Home Nugget #24
Assigned Monday February 27, 2012
Due on Thursday March 2, 2012

In Algebra I text,

Page 423

# 17, 18

# 19 - 27 odds

# 28, 31, 33

Today in class, we put chapter 7 to bed (in reviewing Form 3 Practice Test and further discussing special products) and dug into lesson 8-1 on finding the GCF of monomials. Over the next two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, I will leave a study guide for you that along with the textbook, will help you both extract the relevant content and focus on certain problem sets.

When I return on Thursday, the remainder of the 3rd term journal will be due and we will grade it as a class. Furthermore, while I can fill in any content gaps you may have, I will expect you to have figured out the main themes of lessons 8-2 and 8-3. I reserve the right to collect any problems assigned over these two days.

3rd Term Math Journal is Assigned

Home Nugget #23
Assigned on Monday February 13, 2012
One due date is Friday February 17 while the other is Tuesday February 28

Questions 1 - 6 from the 3rd term math journal are due this Friday. I will be responsible for grading these six myself. The remaining questions will be self-assessed when we return from the February break.

Once More, Excessive BPS Testing Interferes with Our Content Explorations

No Home Nugget for the weekend or for Monday evening, thanks to the Boston Public School-mandated predictive assessments in Mathematics and English. Students spent a double-period taking the English portion today and will be subjected to the math portion on Monday.

Learning to Find Shortcuts to the Distributive Property

Home Nugget #22
Assigned on Thursday February 9, 2012
Due on Friday February 10, 2012

In Algebra I text,

Read pages 404 - 406 on special products and make the connection with multiplying polynomials.

The Distributive Property Delivers in th Clutch! We Can Find Products of Polynomials no Matter the Number of Terms

Home Nugget #21
Assigned on Wednesday February 8, 2012
Due on Thursday February 9, 2012

In Algebra I text,

Page 402

# 34 - 42 and 45 - 47

No Surprise, Having Added and Subtracted, We Now Set to Multiplying Our Beloved Polynomials

Home Nugget #20
Assigned on Monday February 6, 2012
Due on Tuesday February 7, 2012

In Algebra I text,

Page 393

# 36 - 50 even and 53

Setting the Bar for Problems Higher as We Get Better at Higher-Order Thinking

Home Nugget #19
Assigned on Friday February 3, 2012
Due on Monday February 6, 2012

Formally write up your solutions and thought process for the six AMC problems we tackled as teams in class today. Every opportunity you get to think through these types of problem sets is a chance to strengthen your grip on the content.

Identifying a Need for Combining Polynomials via Addition and Subtraction

Home Nugget #18
Assigned on Thursday February 2, 2012
Due on Friday February 3, 2012

In Algebra I text,

Page 380 # 54, 58

Page 386 # 17 - 24

Spending Time Focusing on Our Recent Math Olympiads

Home Nugget #17
Assigned on Wednesday February 1, 2012
Due on Thursday February 2, 2012

Now is the time to get a handle on Olympiads 11 - 15 in anticipation of an eventual assessment. As we have in the past, the best preparation strategy is to reinvent and solve problems to get an 'insider's' perspective on how these problems can change while staying the same content-wise.