Sept. 23 - Max the Maze

Assignment:  Max the Maze

Due Thursday, September 24 (prior to Camp Seymour)

This is a favorite assignment of many of my students. It requires:

*trial and error

*creativity

*and perseverance

It also requires recognition of how the different operations affect numbers with decimals. The sooner students realize what happens when multiplying a number by a decimal smaller than one, things start to click. 

Here are the rules for this assignment:

*USE A CALCULATOR.  (Answers may be rounded to the third decimal when recording)

*Trace a path on the maze to reach the highest total. I recommend putting the maze in a transparent sleeve (they have one) and taking some trial runs with a whiteboard marker.

*You may go through a point several times, but may not go back over ANY of the lines.

*Once you reach the finish, your progress ends.

When you are happy with your route:

*On the actual maze paper, mark the route with a pen or highlighter, indicating your path and direction with arrows. 

*On the accompanying table, write each of the operations & values for each step, with the running total of the route. (please round on the doc, but not as you work) In other words, keep a running total on the calculator, but put the rounded numbers to the nearest hundredth on the paper.

They MUST add at least seven lines and reach 5,000 points to receive full credit.

How can you help?

Do it with them! Well, don't "do" it, but help them try some different starting paths to see what leads to higher totals. NOTICE what leads to higher values and what leads to lower values. This is a fun assignment to work on together. 

Help them to strategize: when does a higher total have the most value? When does a move that decreases the value matter the most? Are there any areas to avoid? Target? 

Show them how to input it into the calculator if necessary. This is not an arithmetic assignment. We want them drawing conclusions and placing their decimals accurately.

Decide when to be happy with the total. Some people give themselves a time limit, but as mentioned above, they must travel at least 7 paths and reach 5,000 points to receive full credit. 

And finally, have them access our Google Classroom and show you how this assignment will be graded. It is not necessary to have the highest score in the class, but that is a fun goal to aim for. It's always a surprise to see who finds the highest total!

Sept. 22 - Kyle A

 Assignment: Kyle A

Due: Wednesday, September 23

Welcome to Kyle's world!  Kyle is infamous at NOVA for his ability to frustrate students and make them reread the problems. Applying arithmetic to scenarios appropriately is a huge skill and Kyle is here to help students read carefully and make the right decisions while working with decimals. He's tricky. And while it might be painful at times, they will be mathematically stronger because of him.  ;-)

What can you do to help?

Sometimes the language in these types of problems is unfamiliar to students. Things like work hours and round-trips don't necessarily resonate with every student. 

Therefore: Refrain from telling which operations to use, but do give helpful Kyle hints like - 

*Kyle does not live where he works, so he needs to come back home every day.
*Kyle works a set number of hours per day, but not every day of the week.
*Kyle is an avid bike rider.
*Bus tickets are one-way only. (there are bus fares in Kyle's town)
*Kyle changes employment often ... hence everything will change in future Kyle assignments.

They should take their time solving Kyle's problems.  Does their answer make sense? The best approach is often asking if they think their answer fits what could happen. Example: If Kyle lives one mile from work, does it make sense he would only ride his bike one mile that day? Or less?

Helping them to think through what a reasonable answer might be is a great way to get them on the right track. 

Sept. 21 - Dec. Choice #1

Assignment: Decimal Homework Choice #1

Due Tuesday, September 22

Tonight students had a choice of homework based on where they felt they needed practice. Before selecting their homework, they received their pre-quiz back so they could see which areas they needed work in. 

Whatever they choose, they will have the opportunity to work through the "test level" options before the unit test is scheduled. There is no hurry; I gauge the test date by the progress of the class. But eventually, each student will be responsible for working their way up to those assignments and mastering the skills for the 7th-grade set of standards. 

So, what can you do?

*Make sure they are selecting assignments at a practice level for them. They should be wary of moving too quickly, but also push themselves into new assignments as they improve. Playing it "safe" for a higher grade is not the way to learn new skills, so encourage them to take a leap when they can. 

*Read the resources and review the steps and "rules" without correcting their work. For example, remind them to count the decimal places when multiplying or line up the decimals when adding, subtracting, or dividing. Then let them practice those skills. 

*If they need it, provide practice problems or examples that you do correct, then let them try the homework problems when they feel confident. They will get that homework back and have the opportunity to find their errors and correct them for full credit. Practice helps!

Their options today were:

*Decimal Subtraction

*Decimal Multiplication

*Long Division (includes decimals, no remainders!)

*Decimal Application practice

September 17 - Favorite Pastimes

Assignment: Favorite Pastimes

Due: Friday, September 18

Today we are going to begin inserting our graphing and statistics assignments into this unit. Graphing is where the logic we have been awakening meets the arithmetic. Learning to develop a discerning eye and interpret data is, honestly, one of the most important things a person can do with math. We are starting with a simple Venn diagram that is familiar to most students, but it won't take long to move on to bigger and more exciting graphs. 

So, how can you help tonight?

*A Venn diagram is pretty straight-forward. Read through the categories and have them look for the overlaps. The outermost parts of the circles are the singular categories, so moving inward is where they look for (for example) people who own dogs AND cats versus just people who own cats. It's important to remember that they represent different people.

*Once you have gone over that, which we also did in class today, tell them to give it their best shot and see if they can make all of the puzzle pieces fit, then answer the questions. That's it!

September 16 - Kahoot Inro

 Due by Saturday evening, September 19

This is essentially a class orientation. The questions are about routines we have in the classroom and other things that show the students are interested in investing in their new school. 

Grading is as follows:

5 points for getting 7 - 10 questions correct and turned in online by this coming Saturday.
4 points for getting 5 or 6 questions correct and turned in by Saturday.
3 points for 3 or 4 questions correct and turned in by Saturday.
2 points for getting 1 or 2 questions correct ... it's time to focus!

*there is no redo for this assignment: they can only try it once.

What can you do to help?

*students access this assignment through a link in our math Google Classroom. It's a good time for them to find the value of what is there if they haven't already!

*make sure they are set up in a place they can work with good internet access. They will need to complete the ten questions in one sitting. You cannot return to a Kahoot and, remember, they can only try it once.

*if they are struggling, ask them questions! "What can you remember about the colored bins you grab the late slips from?" "Do you remember this past Monday's first assembly? What can you remember about it?" "Can you eliminate some of the answer options and narrow it down?"

Honestly, these questions should feel pretty simple, but I am only looking for 70% accuracy to see that they are trying. When your child is invested in their education at NOVA we can do anything together! And part of a NOVA education is being interested in your classmates, your teachers, and the community that we create together. So help as needed (good luck!) and see what they can tell you about the experience they are having. ;-)

September 15: Hot Diggety!

 Assignment: Hot Diggety Dog 

Due September 16

Hot Diggety Dog combines decimal addition with finding the food purchases that fit the clues. 

There should be some trial and error, but also some pre-work to eliminate food purchases that do not fit any scenario. This is matrix math.

How can you help?

*Make sure they are aware of what foods qualify as dairy. There is no need to read between the lines: there is no "hidden" dairy in these food items. 

*Encourage them to look ahead for the most helpful clues. Can any of the purchases be eliminated from contention? Can toppings be organized from least to most expensive? Identify and eliminate first before taking steps of trial and error. 

*Make sure they line up their decimals when adding. If they do not know how to borrow, please go over the traditional rules. You can use money as an example for why this works: if you have $3.00 and need to subtract 40 cents, you borrow from one of your dollars to have $2 dollars and 100 cents (or 0.1). This worksheet is a good reminder of why borrowing works. 

That's about it! This worksheet only really trips up those who work too fast and don't check all of the details and requirements. Doing well on this encourages you to make sure you always do both!

September 14, Decimals Pre-Quiz

 Assignment:  Decimals Quick Pre-Quiz

Due Tuesday, September 15

The purpose of this assignment is to help me determine how much time we will spend as a class on decimals. 
It is "quizzing" to see what students know and DON'T know.

For full credit, they need to try every problem: This will be graded as complete, partially complete, or incomplete, not by overall accuracy. 

And it may not be redone.

How can you help? Please don't.  😊
In order for me to see what each student needs to work on, please do not help, check their work, or otherwise give any advice. The best thing you can do is find them a quiet place to work without distraction and encourage them to just give each problem their best effort. 

In this way, they can see what to choose for future assignments and where they need support and practice. Students can become overconfident if others help too much and they think they "get it;" I have seen this happen far too often, and it quickly leads to more insecurities, not fewer. So, for this assignment, refrain from it all. They need to see what they know and what they don't. They need to know where they are starting from and you do too! I will return this assignment for you to reference, so look for it after Camp Seymour!

Boocoo Booples

Due Wednesday, September 10

We are continuing our work on organizing and thinking about how arithmetic can (and cannot) help us solve math problems. 

Boocoo Booples is a muddled mess of verbage. The words are confusing and cannot be translated into a simple monetary system. 

How can you help? There are several opportunities here for matching your child's strengths.

1) Encourage making a table for Kyle's money system. The ENTIRE sequence of money, not just "five pennies = one nickel, two nickels = one dime, ten dimes = one dollar." For example: one dollar = ten dimes = 20 nickels, = 100 pennies is more useful. Organize the patterns.

2) Renaming the coins may help. Rename them with simple, non-confusing words: Ant, Bear, Cat, etc. These words are easier to keep track of than all of those coins that begin with the letter B.

3) Some people work well with manipulatives. In the same way children learn coin values with actual coins, you can give simple objects their value: two of these paper clips = one pencil. And so on. Moving around, or cashing in these objects, can help those who prefer hands-on or visual experiences.

Once the way to organize the monetary system is figured out, go back and answer the questions one-by-one. Use whatever has been created to take you through the steps and apply the arithmetic accordingly.

Homework for Wednesday, September 9

Homework for Wednesday, September 9

Due Thursday, September 10

Today in class, students learned a magic trick. They had time to watch the trick, take notes, talk about it, then practice it alone and with a partner. These are all student skills we are practicing in addition to noticing how broad the subject of math is and how this trick is indeed a math problem. I have started my math year with this trick for the past 20+ years and it sets the stage for all that is to come. Enjoy!

Their homework guidelines are to:

First perform the trick completely.

Then explain the trick and show how it works. 

Finally, get a signature from the person they performed it for. 

*Please ask them questions; it helps to complete the learning circle!

*And if they do not explain to you how it works, either have them do so or let me know that they did not ... the full three points depend on that step!

There are no penalty points for late assignments in math, but they must be handed in to the In-box in class within 2 weeks of the due date.

Homework September 8

Homework: The Ups and Downs of Shopping

Due Wednesday, September 9

Students are to draw a model representing Kyle's path on his shopping trip through a multi-level store. The picture should be labeled and numbered, leading to identifying the number of floors in the building. Two points for this assignment are given for the existence and accuracy of the drawing itself. One point is given for the correct answer, but the point is not awarded without the picture.

So how can you help? 

If they seem stuck, have them read the story aloud. Encourage them to highlight any important words, then draw the picture and count the floors. You should not highlight for them or make the drawing itself. The drawing doesn't need to look great, but it needs to lead to the answer. *this should NOT be a mathematical equation.

Note: Students may redo an assignment once for full credit. Given that this is their first true math assignment, it is the ideal time to allow them to make a mistake and then revisit why this happened. We are learning to make mistakes and learn from them! ;-)  Your assistance during the redo can be more directed.