Equivalent Equations

1.) Same assignment as yesterday - Chapter 5, Lesson 3.

Over the holidays:

2.) Complete all missing homework and pows (have parent sign the hw slip)

3.) Optional extra credit project - Book report. See entry below for details.

Holiday Extra Credit

Holiday Extra Credit Opportunity

Here’s your chance to get some extra credit (up to 4% of your grade) over the holiday break. Pick one of the following books and read the entire book. Then, write a book report, explaining in detail each of the math concepts described. Provide examples whenever you can. Remember QUALITY is more important than QUANTITY, but your book report should be at least 2 pages so that you can cover the parts. See rubric for details.

Due: Tuesday January 8, 2008.


1.) The Number Devil, by Hans Magnus Enzenberger
One of my personal favorites. You will learn about many interesting mathematical concepts in this easy-to-read, comical dream world.

2.) The Man Who Counted: A Collection of Mathematical Adventures, by Malba Tahan, Patricia Reid Baquero
A beautifully written set of mathematical and philosophical adventures, sited by many as the book that turned them on to math.

3.) Flatland, by Edwin Abbott
A delightful classic written a long time ago which explores dimensionality: l-D, 2-D, 3-D, 4-D. It also has some outdated social commentary. Great if you like stretching your brain to think about really weird ideas. There are a large number of take-offs on Flatland, including Sphereland, Flatterland, and The Planiverse by various authors.

4.) The Boy Who Reversed Himself, by William Sleator
A novel (for kids) about worlds in 4 and more dimensions.

5.) In Code: A Mathematical Journey, by Sarah Flannery with David Flannery
An engaging autobiography about a young woman’s breakthrough discoveries in cryptography.

Equivalent Equations

1. Chapter 5, Lesson 3. Set II and II - due tomorrow!

2. Bring your homework slip signed by your parents.

Inverse Operations Continued

Set II page 189-190 Due tomorrow!

Inverse Operations

We will continue this lesson on Monday.

Homework: Set 1 page 186

Equations

Due Friday:

1.) Chapter 5, Lesson 1. Do Set I and II.

2.) POW

Finish Test

1.) Finish Chapter 4 test and return to me by tomorrow

2.) Test Prep Packet - Complete pages 73-86 by Wednesday. Read each section and complete each drill.

3.) POW due Friday

This week's POW options

Here are this week's POW options. Choose 1. Due Friday.

POW – due December 14

Option 1. When I was going to St Ives I met a man with seven wives. Each wife had seven sacks and each sack had seven cats. How many legs were there in the group of people and cats that I encountered on my trip to St. Ives? Assume that no one in the group is missing any limbs.

Option 2: When Cinderella’s fairy godmother sent her off to the ball to meet the prince, she had one stipulation: Cinderella had to leave by the stroke of midnight. By the time Cinderella got to the castle, moved through the crowd and met the prince, it was 10:30pm when she finally had her first dance with the prince. If each song lasted 3.5 minutes and they danced the rest of the evening, except for a 20-minute walk they took outside, how many songs did they dance to between 10:30pm and midnight?

Option 3: When the students in Harry Potter’s Spells class at Hogwarts started the year, they knew an average of 10 spells each. Hermione knew the most, 19, and Ron knew the least, 7. If Harry knew 12 spells, what was the average number of spells that each of Hermione, Ron and Harry’s 21 classmates knew at the start of the year? Express your answer as a decimal to the nearest hundredth.

Test Prep

We will finish up the chapter 4 test on Monday.

Homework for the weekend - pages 73-78 in test prep packet. Read each section carefully and complete the drills.

Review and Study

Chapter 4 Review and study:

Hw - Set II on page 178-179. Check answers after you finish to see what concepts you need to review.

Chapter 4 Test on Friday!

Graphing more functions

1.) Complete chapter 4 Lesson 5 (page 172-173), set I and II.

2.) Study for the chapter 4 test.

Approximations

Due Monday:

1. Chapter 4, lesson 4 - Read the lesson, take notes, and complete Set I and II.

2. POW

Have a good weekend :)

Approximations

Due Monday:

1. Chapter 4, lesson 4 - Read the lesson, take notes, and complete Set I and II.

2. POW

Have a good weekend :)

Chapter 4, Lessons 2 and 3

Due Friday

1. Absolute Value and Operations - pages 152 and 153 Set I and II AND pages 158-159, Set 1 and II


2. POW

MATH SEMINAR

There is still time to join math seminar. We will have our second meeting tomorrow during lunch time. Bring your lunch to the math room. It's not too late to join!

Description:

Math Investigation Seminar Description


Who? Math Investigation Seminar is open to all students who would like to challenge themselves and explore new concepts of mathematics. Students should be prepared to take on high-level thinking and have fun with math!

What? Math Investigation Seminar is designed to supplement and extend the math curriculum, however, much of what we do in Seminar will look very different from what we do in math class. The topics in Math Seminar will revolve around reasoning, logic, and critical thinking skills as these are the building blocks of intellectual inquiry. The Seminar will focus on developing skills through problem solving, puzzles and exposure to a wide range of topics in mathematics. There will be about 30 minutes of homework weekly to be completed for the following seminar.

Where? We will meet in the BMS Middle School Math Room. Once in a while, we may meet after school or join a math circle at another school.

When? Once a week, during lunch/recess time

Why? To challenge yourself and have fun!

Rational Numbers

1.) Complete Rational Numbers assignment - page 152 and 153 Set I and II

2.) Test Corrections and WHY you got it wrong

3.) Finish test prep packet

Intro to Rational Numbers

Read Chapter 4, Lesson 1 - Take Notes

Do Set II on Page 152


Ana/Ivy POW due Monday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Integers Test Tomorrow

Due tomorrow:

1.) If you did not finish page 141, #5-9, do so for homework.

2.) Set II Review on page 147

3.) Study for the test!

Multiplication and Division of Integers

1.) POW - many of you did not turn this in

2.) Multiplication - page 132 - 133, #6, 7, 9, 11

3.) Division - page 136, #4, 5, 8-9

Adding and Subtracting Integers

Complete Chapter 3, lessons 3 and 4 on adding and subtracting integers.

Do only the assigned problems.

Pow due Friday

Integers and More on the Coordinate Graph

Complete Chapter 3 lessons 1 and 2 for tomorrow. These are on pages 111-112 and 117-118. Check your answers in the back of the book.

Test Prep

Your homework for the weekend is to read and do part of the test prep packet.

Complete each topic until page 62 and be ready to share your answers in class on Monday.

Study Study Study!

Test on Friday!

1.) Do Set II of the Chapter 2 Review (Pages 106-107)

2.) POW

Inverse Variation Functions

1.) HW – page 98-99 Set I and II, EVENS

2.) Study for test (on Friday)

3.) POWs

Linear Functions

1.) Complete Chapter 2, lessons 3, 4 and 5. (More Functions, Direct Variation and Linear Functions)

2.) Chapter 2 Test on Functions is on Friday - STUDY!

3.) POWs

11/5/07
Lucy bought a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, originally priced at $22, but on sale now for 15% off. How much was Lucy's total purchase? (Don't forget to add in sales tax at the end; 8.25%)

If you want to do the other POW, copy it from the math board in class!

Direct Variation

Tonight's Assignment:

1.) Direct Variation - page 86-87 #1-10

2.) Complete the Halloween Horrors Story - A prize will be given to the winner. :)

Test Prep and Everyday Math

1.) Work through math test prep packet. Go through examples and check your answers.

2.) Look at the diagnostic test you took and re-solve the problems you missed. Find your mistake, why you got it wrong, and correct those questions (showing your work).

3.) Think about math!

Test Prep and POW

Your homework for Friday:

Diagnostic Test - math sections (I and III only)
Find a quiet space to work through these problems for 50 minutes. Do not spend more than 50 minutes (25 minutes each) on the sections.

POW Due Friday

More Functions

Your Homework is pages 80 and 81 Set I and Set II ALL (Except #6). Due Thursday.

This week's pow: Due Friday

About how many pennies would have to be piled on top of one another to reach the ceiling of a room that is 8 feet high?

Hint: You can stack pennies on top of each other or side by side.

Weekend Homework

Integers:

Pg 111, Set I, II and IV

Pow due on Monday!

Functions Continued

No homework for most students.

Those that were absent or did not do the functions assignment, do that tonight. (Set II pages 68-69)

Make sure you submit test corrections for credit by tomorrow at the latest!

Intro to Functions

Homework for tomorrow

1.) Set II pages 68-69

2.) Homework Organization and rubric (I will collect tomorrow!)

3.) This week's POW - (due next Tuesday Oct. 16):

October 9, 2007 – This week’s POW

On Monday, October 8th, 2007 we celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day. This is also the day that Columbus is credited with opening the doors for European expansion in the America’s when he mistakenly landed on San Salvador while trying to find an alternate route to Asia. Columbus hypothesized that instead of sailing south and then east around the tip of Africa, he could just sail southwest and get to Asia more easily. When Columbus was planning this voyage he packed provisions based on his calculations of the Earth’s size. Unfortunately, he did not realize that the map he was using was in an Arabic unit of measure and not in the Italian unit of measure he thought. As a result, he calculated the Earth’s circumference to be 25,255 km when it is really 40,008 km. By what percent was his calculation incorrect? Express your answer to the nearest whole number.

Long Weekend Homework

Your homework is due Tuesday:

1.) Organize notebook - I will collect next week

2.) Fill out rubric, which will be used to assess your notebook

3.) POW - make sure you write your name and show your work!

This week's POW:
Carmen, Jordy, Mariah, and Ronnie each have less than $1.00 to spend at the snack bar. Altogether they have $3.26, all in coins, including 7 quarters, 1 penny, and the same number of dimes as nickels. Each person has 7 coins. They each have a different number of dimes.

Jordy has more dimes but fewer quarters than anyone else.
Ronnie has the most money, and Jordy has the least.
Mariah is the only one who has a penny.
Ronnie has the same number of nickels as Jordy, and Carmen has the same number as Mariah.
Ronnie has the same number of nickels as quarters, but more dimes than nickels.
What combination of coins, and how much money, does each person have?

Continue Parentheses

We are continuing parentheses:

For Friday:

1.) Set II on Page 49
2.) POW

Parentheses

Homework:

1.) Finish last night's assignment (if you have not already)

2.) Read pages 46-47

3.) Do set I on page 48

Remember homework should not take you more than 45 minutes to complete. If it does, reduce the assignment by only doing a, c, e, etc.

I will do a homework check tomorrow!

Several Operations

Review PEMDAS.

Do Set II on pages 42 and 43.

Zero and One

Weekend Homework:
Set II on page 35

Order of Operations

Due Friday:

1.) Read pages 33-34
2.) Do Set I on page 35
3.) Revise your math autobiography (respond specifically to my questions)
4.) POW (use rubric)

Raising to a Power

Due tomorrow:

• Finish set I (p. 29)
• Do Set II - ALL

Due Friday:

• POW
• Respond to my notes about your autobiography!

Review, Correct and Organize

Tonight's homework is to go over Set I's and make sure you've shown your work. From now on, show your work on all written assignments. Remember to split your paper in half and use one column to show work and the other column to show the answer.

I highly recommend buying a binder and looseleaf for class. I do not want any more spiral notebook paper handed in.

This week's POW:
A palindrome is a number that is written the same forward and backward. Some examples include 11, 242, and 909. How many whole-number palindromes exist between 10 and 1,000?

Remember to show your thinking.

Division

9/14/07

Division - pg 24-27

• Set I - Odds
• Set II - 11, 14, 15
• Set III- 3, 19, 20, 23
• Math Autobiography
• Parent Responses to Blog

Multiplication

9/12/07

Homework: Due Friday
Set I - All
Set II - 12, 13, 17
Set III - 21, 24
Set IV - Extra Credit

Problem of the Week (also due Friday)

Due Monday:
Autobiography
Blog Questions (for parents)

Addition and Subtraction Homework

9/11/07

Tonight's Homework:
Addition – p. 8 -11
Set I – All
Set II – 11, 13, 16
Set III – 21
Set IV – Finish Number puzzle

Subtraction – p 13 -16
Set I – All
Set II – 15, 17
Set III- 19, 24

Continue:
POW (problem of the week)
Autobiography
Blog questions (for parents). Email them to Skanchwala@bmsonline.org

First Week Assignments

Your homework for this week is as follows:

1. Visit the blogspot with a parent and have them read the introduction and answer the questions about you. They can email me the answers at Skanchwala@bmsonline.org or you can print out a copy and turn it in to me.

2. Write your math autobiography (Due Sept. 17). Including your goals for the year. Here are some guiding questions:
How do you feel about math, and why?
What topics come easy to you and what do you find difficult?
What do you want others to learn about you as a learner of mathematics?
What supports your math learning?
What gets in the way of learning math?

3. Number Tricks

Getting to know your student

Dear Parent,

I’d like to get to know your student as quickly as possible this year. Would you please answer the following questions and send them back to school with your child tomorrow?

Thank you.
Sheila Kanchwala



About My Student



My child’s name (please print) _____________________________



My name ________________________________________________



1.) What is important for me to know about your child?









2.) How does your child feel about math?










3.) What do you feel is the most important aspect about teaching and/or learning math?

Introduction

Dear 8th grade families,

I would like to introduce myself to you as your child’s math teacher this year and tell you a little bit about how math will be structured this year. First, a bit about me: I have taught Spanish and Math Seminar for three years at the Little Red Schoolhouse in New York City. I have also taught math-reasoning course at the Center for Talented Youth through Johns Hopkins University and at the National Young Scholars Program. I am looking forward being at Berkeley Montessori School and getting to know all of you in the near future!

This will be an exciting class, and your child will be engaging in math in a variety of ways. I have the highest of expectations of each student, because I believe that all students are capable of learning math. The curriculum I will mostly draw from is called Elementary Algebra by Harold Jacobs. This curriculum is very rich in teaching skills for abstract thinking.

We will begin with an intensive review of fundamental operations that will lead to our study of functions and graphs. Through the course of the year, we will study integers, rational numbers, equations in one and two variables, simultaneous equations, exponents, polynomials, factoring, fractions, square roots, quadratic equations, real numbers and fractional equations.

Please refer to the blog www. http://bmsmath8.blogspot.com/ for any ongoing announcements and for daily assignments. Should you have any questions feel free to email me at Skanchwala@bmsonline.org or call me at BMS, extension 257.



I look forward to a great year!

Sincerely,
Sheila Kanchwala
BMS Middle School Math Teacher