Students will be taking the Unit Test of Fraction Operations Friday 11-14-08!!! 

Posted by: Angela Fulton

This week we will be finishing our unit on Number Theory. Wednesday we will have a Unit Test that will cover: Divisibility Rules, Prime and Composite Numbers, Factors, Multiples, GCF, LCM, Prime Factorization, and putting numbers in exponential notation. On Monday your child will receive a review sheet. The odd numbered problems on the review sheet will be required, and will need to be completed Monday night. On Tuesday we will go over these problems, and the even ones should be completed as homework to help prepare for the test. No homework will be given Wednesday or Thursday.  
In class on Monday and Tuesday we will be finishing up sections 1 and 2 of the final Unit Task, and starting the 3rd section- The Locker Room. The Locker Room Task is one of the most difficult tasks for their 6th grade year, and requires them to use Eratosthenes Sieve to decide the pattern of lockers being open and closed. This is a great task to discuss with your child! On Thursday the Locker Room Task will be complete, and we will begin our unit on Fractions, Decimals, and Percents.  

Posted by: Angela Fulton

This week we will be continuing our study of LCM. Students will examine Cicada lifecycles and when the worst cicada seasons occur because of their lifecycles' common multiples. Then we will move into examining our prime factorization, and learning how to write the prime factorization in scientific notation with exponents. On Wednesday we will be using the laptops and will have a "work day" for small group study. Thursday we will be combining everything we know about factors and multiples into a booklet that covers the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic. By Friday we should start the first piece of our Final Unit Task! 
 
Vocab:  
LCM: When 2 or more numbers are compared, the LCM (least common multiple) is the smallest multiple the numbers share. 
Example: 
6 and 8 have 24 as their LCM 
 
Exponent: Used in scientific notation. Shows how many times a specific number has been doubled or multiplied by itself 
Example: 
3 2 
2 X 5 = 2X2X2X5X5=200 

Posted by: Angela Fulton

This week we will continue our studies of factors, and specifically the greatest common factor (GCF). We will also learn about multiples and situations in real life that we will need to apply multiples and specifically the Least Common Multiple (LCM). This we will also have an opportunity to use the laptops in class. We will be playing fun math games, using online manipulatives that will help with our factor trees, and reviewing some of our skills with Mean, Median, and Mode. Fact Fluency, especially our multiplication facts, will also be a priority. As we get further and further into the Number Sense Unit, it becomes even more important to know our multiplication facts. 
 
Vocab: 
GCF: When 2 or more numbers are compared, the GCF (greatest common factor) is the largest factor both numbers share 
LCM: When 2 or more numbers are compared, the LCM (least common multiple) is the smallest multiple the numbers share. 
Relatively Prime: When 2 composite numbers share only 1 as a factor 

Posted by: Angela Fulton

Many of you have emailed in regards to what we are studying in math. To help you have a better understanding of what we are doing in the classroom I will be providing weekly notes about what we are studying in class, and any key examples or vocabulary your child may need. Hopefully this will give you a better idea about what 6th grade math is all about! If you have any questions or suggestions for the page, please email me! 
Thanks- 
Mrs. F. 
 

Posted by: Angela Fulton

Hello Parents!!! 
Don't forget to send back your signed progress reports. We've had a great start, lets keep going strong! 

Posted by: Angela Fulton

GRADE 6 MATHEMATICS UNIT 2  
Dear Parents,  
Below are examples of what your child is learning in Grade 6, Unit 2. Look for additional newsletters  
for future units.  
 
 
FUN AND GAMES – NUMBER THEORY  
Students will be able to:  
• Calculate multiples and factors of given numbers  
• Identify prime, composite, and square numbers  
• Decompose numbers into their prime factorizations  
• Determine the least common multiple (LCM) and the Greatest Common Factor (GCF) for a set of numbers.  
 
Examples  
1. There are two signal lights downtown. One signal light flashes north every 4 seconds. The other signal light flashes  
north every 5 seconds. If they both flash north at 8PM, in how many seconds will they again both flash north?  
Sample response:  
20 seconds.  
One signal flashes north in multiples of 4 seconds and the other signal flashes north in multiples of 5 seconds. Find the  
least common multiple of 4 and 5.  
4: 4, 8, 12, 20, 24, 28, 32  
5: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30  
The least common multiple of 4 and 5 is 20. They will both flash north again in 20 seconds.  
 
2. Use the clues below to determine my secret number: [Sample responses]  
Clue 1: My number is a factor of 72. (What is the smallest my number could be? The largest? Why?  
Is my number a factor of 720? Of 12? How do you know?) [Factors of 72: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12,  
18, 24, 36, 72. Since 72 is a factor of 720, my number must be a factor of 720, but my number could  
be 8, 9, 18, 24, 36 or 72. These are not factors of 12.]  
Clue 2: 48 is a multiple of my number. ( Now, what are the possibilities?) [1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 12]  
Clue 3: My number is prime. (Can you tell what my number is now?) [My number is 2 or 3.]  
Clue 4: My number is even. [2]  
 
 
WAYS PARENTS CAN HELP  
Here are some activities you and your student can do together:  
• Items that are used together like hot dogs and buns or paper  
cups and paper plates, are often sold in different size packages.  
Look for examples of these in stores. Discuss the smallest number  
of packages of each item that you must buy so that every hot dog  
has a bun or every plate has a cup. Ask, “How many hot dogs with  
buns would we have altogether?” or “How many place settings  
(cup and plate) will we have altogether?”  
• Look at the numbers on car license plates. Discuss whether  
the number is prime or composite and explain how you can tell. If  
it is composite, find its prime factorization.  
• Consider the house numbers of houses on your street. Are  
any of them square numbers or do they have factors that are  
square numbers?  
For skill practice, visit http://mathforum.org/dr.math/faq/  
faq.divisibility.html  
Or http://www.amblesideprimary.com/ambleweb/mentalmaths/  
gameshow.html  
Or http://www.321know.com/fra63ax2.htm  
Text Reference:  
VOCABULARY  
Multiple: The product of a given number  
and a whole number.  
LCM: The smallest number that is a mul-  
tiple of 2 or more numbers.  
Factor: A whole number that divides  
evenly into another whole number.  
GCF: The largest number that is a factor  
of 2 or more numbers.  
Prime: A number whose only factors are  
itself and the number 1. (One is neither  
prime nor composite.)  
Composite: A number which has more  
than 2 factors.  
Square Number: A number that is the  
product of another number multiplied by  
itself.  
For more definitions, check  
www.intermath-uga.gatech.edu  

Posted by: Angela Fulton

GRADE 6 MATHEMATICS UNIT 1  
 
Dear Parents,  
Below are examples of what your child is learning in Grade 6, Unit 1. Look for additional  
newsletters for future units.  
 
GATHERING DATA  
 
Students will be able to:  
• Form questions that can be answered by data  
• Verify frequency distributions, tables, and graphs using data  
• Choose appropriate tables and graph to be consistent with the nature of the data  
• Use table and graphs to determine variation between groups.  
• Relate the data analysis to the content of the question posed.  
 
Examples  
1. Given the data below, organize it in a stem-and-leaf plot, frequency table or line plot.  
 
Scores in a local golf tournament: 81, 82, 76,79, 68,70,80, 67,76,75,82, 67,  
77 ,67 ,73, 72 ,72, 74, 76, 83  
Sample responses:  
Golf Scores  
 
 
 
 
Key: 6|7 = 67  
or  
Golf Scores  
 
 
 
 
 
2. Display the data in an appropriate graph and discuss the outcome of the tournament.  
 
Sample responses:  
Golf Tournament Scores  
67-69  
70-72 73-75  
76-78  
79-8182-84  
0  
1  
2  
3  
4  
5  
scores  
 
Twenty players participated in the golf  
tournament. The average (mean) score was  
74.85 or about 75. This is 3 point above par.  
As the histogram shows, seven players scored at  
par or below, seven slightly above par (73-78),  
and the remaining six were well above par. The  
median score was 75.5 which means that half of  
the players scored below 75.5 and half scored  
above 75.5. The highest score was 83 and the  
lowest was 67 for a range of 16 points. This  
wide of a range suggests that there was much  
variation among the players’ performances in  
this tournament.  
 
6 7 7 7 8  
7 0 2 2 3 4 5 6 6 6 7 9  
8 0 1 2 2 3  
X X  
X X X X  
X X X X X X X X X X X X X  
6  
7 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82  
 

Posted by: Angela Fulton

WAYS PARENTS CAN HELP  
 
Here are some activities you and your student  
can do together.  
• Read charts, tables, and graphs in news-  
papers and magazines. Discuss the informa-  
tion that each display shows.  
• Collect data about your student’s favorite  
sport and make a graph showing how a team  
is doing over time or a graph showing how  
various teams performed last season.  
• Take an inventory of something in your  
house (perhaps the types of groceries in your  
pantry). Organize the information in a fre-  
quency table.  
• Conduct a survey on your street. (What  
colors of cars do people drive?) Organize  
your data, display it, and discuss how this in-  
formation might be used.  
• Visit these websites:  
http://nces.ed.gov/NCESKIDS/Graphing  
http://www.mcwdn.org/Graphs/  
TabGraphMain.html  
http://www.mathbenchmarks.org/  
tx_esc_mb/content/docs/questions/  
VOCABULARY  
 
Data: The facts or numbers that describe some-  
thing.  
• Categorical - describes a quality such as a per-  
son's gender, race, or religion  
• Numerical – gives the count (number of cars)  
or a measurement (height, scores).  
Frequency Table: A chart for organizing data. It  
shows the number of times each item appears.  
Median: The midpoint of a set of data If all the  
pieces of data are arranged in order, the median is  
the value that divides the data in half.  
Mode: The value in the data set that occurs most  
often. Mode often represents categorical data.  
Mean: The sum of the data values divided by the  
number of data items. Mean is often called the  
average.  
Range: The spread of the data found by subtract-  
ing the smallest data value from the largest data  
value.  
For more vocabulary help, visit www.intermath-  
uga.gatech.edu.  
Dear Parents and Friends,  
 
Welcome to a new school year! We are eager to work with you and your student as we learn new mathematical  
concepts. The State of Georgia is introducing Performance Standards which call for students to be actively en-  
gaged in doing math in order to learn math. In the classroom, students will frequently work on tasks and activities  
to discover and apply mathematical thinking. Sometimes, students will be working with a partner or group; other  
times, students will work independently. Frequently, students will be asked to explain or justify their answers.  
Students will be expected to write clearly and properly.  
 
Mathematical content will be organized in units based on the content of the Georgia Performance Standards.  
Since most textbooks published before the adoption of the new standards do not contain all the topics addressed in  
the Performance Standards, the teacher will be providing content (notes) in class and supplying practice through  
tasks (such as, record the high temperature everyday this week and use this data to make a line graph) and paper-  
based activities. When appropriate, problems may be assigned from the text.  
 
Our first unit involves collecting and interpreting data. As we study this unit, your student will learn to recognize  
numerical and categorical data and to determine how best to organize and display each type of data. Your stu-  
dent will analyze data by finding the mean, median, mode, and range as appropriate. And then your student will  
interpret the data by describing the significance of his/her analysis.  
 
The unit culminating project involves your student in conducting his/her own survey; organizing the data in a fre-  
quency table, line plot, or stem and leaf plot; and, displaying the data in a bar graph, pictograph, histogram,  
or line graph. Your student should complete the project by analyzing the data and interpreting the results.  
In our parent newsletters we intend to include sample problems with sample responses, vocabulary, textbook  
references, Internet links, and suggestions of ways parents can help their students. If there are additional items  
you would like us to include in the newsletter, please contact Marsha Shrago at mar-  
sha.shrago@ceismc.gatech.edu or tell your student’s math teacher. Thank you.  

Posted by: Angela Fulton

Dear Parent,  
LaFayette Middle School now has access to a great resource for preparing our students for the state standardized tests. We have purchased a building site license for a web-based program called Study Island. If you have Internet access, your child can access Study Island from home as well as school. Study Island offers pre and post tests and tutorials, as well as instructional games that are geared toward mastering our state’s curriculum.  
 
Below, is a set of instructions on how to access this program. You will notice that children will need to have their own unique username and password. These have already been set up and are as follows:  
 
Username: lastnamefirstnamelms (example: culbersonmikelms)  
Password: student (Students will be required to change this PW upon their initial login.)  
 
We are excited about the potential benefits this program can bring to our students, and we encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity by using Study Island. Please feel free to contact me at school or you may contact Study Island directly at 800-419-3191 or support@studyisland.com if you have any questions.  

Posted by: Angela Fulton

Mrs. Fulton’s 6th Grade Math Class 
Syllabus 
 
Teacher Contact: 
706-638-4155 
angelafulton@walkerschools.org 
 
Course Objectives: 
“By the end of grade six, students will understand the four arithmetic operations as they relate to positive rational numbers; convert between and compute with different forms of rational numbers; understand the concept of ratio and solve problems using proportional reasoning; understand and use line and rotational symmetry; determine the surface area and volume of solid figures; use variables to represent unknown quantities in formulae, algebraic expressions and equations; utilize data to make predictions; and determine the probability of a given event.” – Kathy Cox, State Superintendent, Middle Grades GPS page 1 
 
Course Outline: 
1st Nine Weeks: 
Unit 1 – Data and Statistics 
Unit 2 – Factoring and Number Theory 
Unit 3 – Fractions 
2nd Nine Weeks: 
Complete Unit 3: Converting and applying Fractions, Decimals, and Percents 
Unit 4 – One Step Equations 
Unit 5 – Working with Circles and Circle Graphs 
3rd Nine Weeks: 
Unit 6 – Symmetry 
Unit 7 – Scale Factor 
Unit 8 – Solids 
4th Nine Weeks: 
Unit 9 – Direct Proportion 
Unit 10 – Games of Chance 
Unit 11 – Show What We KNOW!!! 
 
Students will participate daily in Math Workshop. An additional skills time will follow the Math Workshop to ensure skill mastery. Math skills units will follow the same course outline as described above.  
 
 
 
Daily Supplies: 
Students will need to bring their math folder, paper, and pencils to class every day. Additional supplies such as graph paper, markers, colored pencils, glue, etc. will be provided by Mrs. Fulton 
 
Grading Policy: 
Grades will be taken at least 4 times weekly. Grades will be posted no later than the Tuesday following the assignment’s due date. All grades will be weighted equally, with the exception of tests and unit tasks. Tests and unit tasks will count twice. Tests will be administered at the end of each unit and students can expect 2-4 unit tasks for each unit. Class work grades will be assigned for teaching tasks as well as pop quizzes. 
Homework will be given Monday thru Thursday. It will be checked daily and then collected and graded by section – typically twice weekly. Though homework will be accepted late, it will come with a penalty. Points (no less than 10 but no greater than 30) will automatically be deducted for late work.  
 
Makeup Work Policy: 
When a student is absent it is his/her responsibility to schedule an appointment with Mrs. Fulton to discuss any work missed. The student’s makeup work will be due 5 days following their return. 
 
Resources: 
Resources include but are not limited to: Georgia Performance Standards Framework and Tasks, CRCT Coach Books, America’s Choice, Prentice Hall Middle Grades textbook and workbook, Study Island website, Accelerated Math 

Posted by: Angela Fulton