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Math 7

Course Information

 

Meetings: 

M700a

Mon:  1st period (8:30 – 9:15)

Wed:  1st period (8:30 – 9:15)

Thurs:  2nd period (9:15 – 9:55)

Fri:  1st period (8:30 – 9:15)

 

M700b

Mon:  3rd period (10:10 – 10:55)

Tues:  2nd period (9:20 – 10:05)

Wed:  3rd period (10:10 – 10:55)

Thurs:  1st period (8:30 – 9:10)


 

Text:  Math 7; Pre-algebra and Problem-Solving, Lakeside Middle School, 2009.

 

Instructor:  Granya O’Neill

            440-2970 (school)

            granya.o’neill@lakesideschool.org

 

Materials:  spiral notebook, binder paper (not torn from a notebook), graph paper (also not torn from a notebook), pencils, correcting pen, scientific calculator (please make sure that you have a TI – 30XIIS), and textbook.  You must bring your math notebook, paper, several sharpened pencils, a pen, and calculator to class EVERY day.  You will be told when additional items (for example, laptops or graph paper) are required.  

 

Classroom participation:  You are expected to be in class, on time, with the appropriate materials every day.  You should be prepared to discuss the previous day’s assignment as well as to contribute to class discussions of new material.  You should be an active participant in Math 7 at all times, both as an individual class member and as a member of a small group.  You should listen attentively to the instructor and to your peers, ask and answer questions, and make a serious attempt to solve all problems that are posed.  Most importantly, you are expected to treat your classmates with respect. 

 

Extra Help:  This class moves quickly and each day we build on the ideas of the day before.  If you are confused or have trouble with a particular concept or assignment, please come see me during your lunch or free periods.  The Brain and Learning Lab is also an excellent place to go with questions.    

 

Mental Math:  Most class periods start with a set of five mental math questions.  The questions during the first three class meetings of each week are for practice; during the last meeting of the week I collect and correct your answers.

 

Homework:  Homework is assigned daily and is due at the beginning of the following class meeting.  Daily homework ensures that you have an opportunity to review the concepts and practice the techniques covered during one class prior to starting new material.  Homework assignments are announced in class and can be found on the class website. 

You are allowed (and encouraged) to seek help from other students and adults when working on your homework.  It is understood, however, that any assistance is designed to help you learn to eventually complete the problems independently. 

You will correct your own assignments in class prior to handing them in.  You may be required (or you may choose) to redo homework problems that you got wrong.  In this case, do the problems on separate paper and turn them in promptly, attached to the original assignment.  All homework for a given chapter should be completed prior to that chapter’s test. 

            There is no homework over Thanksgiving, winter, mid-winter, or spring breaks. 

 

Quizzes:  You will take regular short quizzes, both announced and unannounced in Math 7.  All unannounced quizzes are very basic and require no extra preparation.  Some quizzes are “partner quizzes.”  The guidelines for these will be explained in class.   

 

Tests:  We will have a test at the end of most chapters; each test will be announced at least one week in advance.  Tests will be comprehensive – any topic covered since the beginning of the year may be included on any exam.

            Test corrections are due two class days after each test is returned.  You are required to completely redo every problem on which you did not receive full credit.  Corrections should be turned in with your original test.  Test corrections do not change your score on a test, but are considered an important assignment.

            You are required to retake any test on which you did not earn a score of 75% or above.  In addition, you are allowed and encouraged to retake any test on which you are not satisfied with your performance.  Your final test score is the average of your two scores.   

 

Other assignments:  In addition to homework, quizzes, and tests, you will be expected to complete a variety of other assignments.  These assignments may simply be problems which require more time than is available during a regular class period or may involve using your laptop, writing about the history of mathematics, or presenting a short topic to the class.

 

Student absences:  If you are absent, please come see me out of class time.  Except for brief reviews which would benefit the entire class, I cannot use class time to repeat material for a student who was absent.   

 

Grading:  Grades are determined by considering the following factors:

·         Mastery of the material as demonstrated on tests and quizzes

·         The consistency and quality of your homework assignments

·         The consistency and quality of your homework corrections

·         The quality of any additional assignments

·         Participation in class discussions and activities