Test Prep and Corrections

This coming Thursday, January 22, we will be having the computation portion of the negative numbers unit.  This is going to be tricky for a lot of you who are new to negative numbers, but it is the challenge of being expected to master two years of these math skills in one.  So it's time to see where you are ... there will be simple equations and order of operations on the test.
So what can you do now?
Quizlet - practice.  Do you want to practice on your own?  Worksheets have their drawbacks in that you have to wait to see how you did.  Quizlet gives you immediate feedback and you can practice as much as you want to.  I cannot stress enough how much this kind of practice can help you.  Now that we are JUST looking at how to read equations, this is the most effective way to practice.  Any of the sets with "negatives" in the title are game.
In class - We will have two days in class to practice and you NEED to ask questions if you have them.  Commit to knowing how to do each equation and understand what you are doing.  On the test you are flying solo and you want to feel in control.
Homework - Select homework that helps you practice what you need to practice most.  These choices are yours to make; you know your strengths and weaknesses, so select those that will make you stronger.
Redo - Go back over problems you missed on previous papers and analyze your mistakes.  Redo those problems and commit to not making those mistakes again.
Math Lunch - I have suggested this to many of you, but last week not a single person showed up for math lunch.  Hmmm.  I know that breaks are super important, but basically we eat together (which you need to do anyway) while I go over questions and examples and then you can head out for exercise.  I'm not being subtle here:  many of you NEED to come to math lunch.  Please!
Hang in there!  This is a tough unit, mostly because it's new to the huge majority of you.  You'll get it if you take the time and effort to learn it.  Negatives are here to stay, so let them know who's boss.  ;-)

Application Test Corrections:  Be sure to follow the format on the sheet for full credit.  Identify the skill you struggled with as per the examples in the "skill" column.  Identify your mistake specifically (3 + 5 = 9 or I made -9 = +9) and correct the problem.  I get picker on your steps not less pickier, so fill in this form completely!  It's the best way to understand your mistakes and practice doing it correctly.
Remember that these corrections are Due Tuesday with parent signature for a candy point on Tuesday, January 20.

Retests for the Application portion of negatives will NOT be this week, so set that aside after you finish your corrections (and hand them in).  Once we've completed the computation portion of this unit, I will schedule both retests depending on the amount of interest.

Enjoy the day in service,
Mo ;-)