I have found several websites that are great for studying the properties of 3-D shapes. We are looking at these in the classroom, but thought it would be very helpful for the students to also spend some time at home exploring these sites. 
 
http://www.learner.org/courses/learningmath/geometry/session9/part_c/index.html 
 
http://www.learner.org/interactives/geometry/3d.html 
 
http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?id=70 
 
 

Posted by: Karen Mathis

We are nearing the end of our study of Unit 6. Students will take a test this Thursday over Unit 6. We will spend most of the next week studying Unit 7 (3-D Shapes), and then we will begin reviewing for our 3rd 9 Weeks Benchmark. Students will take the benchmark test on either March 9 or 10.  
 
Please continue to encourage your child to stay focused in class and to study at home each evening.  
Thank you! 

Posted by: Karen Mathis

We are finishing up Unit 5 this week. Students will take a test this Friday. Please encourage your child to bring home his/her math notebook Thursday evening to review for the test. Have your child talk with you about similar shapes, length ratio, scale factor, perimeter ratio, and area ratio. Students have learned how to find missing measurements on similar shapes using scale factor as well as proportions.  
 
We will begin Unit 6 next week.  

Posted by: Karen Mathis

We are currently working on Unit 5 - "Staying in Shape." In this unit, students are learning about similar shapes, scale factor, length ratio, and area ratio. They will be learning to look for proportional relationships among shapes that are similar. Below is a great website that we will be using in the classroom. It would also be a great site for you and your child to review together. 
 
http://www.regentsprep.org/Regents/math/geometry/GP11/indexGP11.htm 
 
After a couple more weeks we will begin Unit 6, "Values That Vary." This unit focuses on our algebra standards again, and deals with graphing equations among other things. 
 
We still have a lot of ground to cover before the CRCT in April. Students are being encouraged to work their hardest and put forth their best effort each day. Thank you for all you do to help your child be successful. 

Posted by: Karen Mathis

Parents, 
I want to make you aware of the new procedures for my class. As you know, students have been given a math homework assignment each Monday this year, which was in turn due by Friday of that week. I have decided to discontinue this until further notice, probably sometime in February of next year. We will be reviewing at the beginning of class, and this will be called "Warm-Ups." The Warm-ups are intended to help students review and practice concepts we have already had lessons on, just like the purpose of the homework.  
 
Students will occasionally have a "pop" quiz over the review problems from our Warm-Ups. I am talking with them today about this.  
 
As always, if you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me. Thank you! 

Posted by: Karen Mathis

We have been working for several days now on writing and solving equations. Students have been given a problem, then had to define the variables, write the solution in written form, then write an equation. Using this equation, students were given further information in order to solve the equation. Ask your child about the Walmart problem, the McKay's problem, and the Buying CDs and DVDs tasks. Today we also worked through a task called Playing a Card Game. Each of these tasks and assignments deal with writing and solving equations.  
 
Students will take the quiz over this standard on Thursday, unless I see that we need to wait until Friday. I will have to make that judgment after tomorrow's classes. 
 
Thank you in advance for reviewing this information with your child in preparation for the quiz.  

Posted by: Karen Mathis

Students will be taking a quiz this Wednesday over translating verbal phrases to algebraic expressions, evaluating expressions, and simplifying expressions. Please encourage your child to bring home his/her math notebook to review for the quiz.  

Posted by: Karen Mathis

We will begin the 2nd 9 weeks of school with Unit 2, Patterns and Relationships. In this unit, students will be learning how to evaluate and solve algebraic expressions and algebraic equations. They will learn how to simplify algebraic expressions using Algeblocks. Students will begin to tackle more and more tasks that involve the use of problem solving skills and the writing and solving of algebraic equations.  
 
If your child is sick and must miss school, please make arrangements to pick up missed work that your child can begin to work on at home before returning to school. Students miss important lessons when out and need lots of help and encouragement from parents to make up missed assignments.  
 
Thank you for all you do at home to support the education of your child!  

Posted by: Karen Mathis

Students will take their 9 weeks test in Math and Science this Thursday. They will take Reading/ELA and Social Studies on Wednesday.  
 
Math Homework this week is a review for the test. It is very important that students complete the homework in order to be ready for the test. We will also review during class on Wednesday. Please encourage your child to take his/her math notebook home to help with the homework review. 

Posted by: Karen Mathis

Parents, 
I did go ahead and give students their homework assignment for this week. Since today is already Wednesday, they will have until Monday (9/28) to turn in their homework. They can turn it in on Friday if they wish.  
 
We are currently working on addition and subtraction of integers. This is a difficult concept for many students. Please encourage your child to bring his/her math notebook home to "teach" you what we are learning in class. 
 
Thanks! 

Posted by: Karen Mathis

Students began the culminating task for Unit 1 on Wednesday. This will serve as a "test" over everything we have been working on so far this 9 weeks. Students have collected data from their own class and from another class regarding students' heights and shoe sizes. They will use this data to create frequency tables, line plots, measures of center and variation, a double box and whisker plot, and a histogram. This task should be completed no later than Friday. 
 
Monday we will begin the next unit of study. We will be working with the coordinate plane, and positive and negative numbers (integers). 
 

Posted by: Karen Mathis

Students will have a quiz Friday over Box & Whisker Plots. Students reviewed for the quiz in class today, and have been encouraged to take their math notebooks home to review at home.  
 
Have a fun and safe Labor Day! 

Posted by: Karen Mathis

Welcome to the 2009/2010 school year at CVMS! Our 7th graders are off to a fantastic start. Thank you to all who returned the multitude of paper work that first week. Please be sure to inform the school if your address, phone number, or other contact information changes during the year.  
 
My math students are in the middle of Unit 1, Data Analysis. We have been working on many things, including frequency tables, line plots, histograms, and measures of central tendency. We took a practice quiz on Friday, and will be taking the "real" quiz on Monday.  
 
As you read in my letter to you, students will have a homework assignment each week. This assignment will be given to them on Monday, and will be due by Thursday or Friday. You can count on this for most weeks, but I'm sure there will be a few exceptions during the year.  
 
For my own information, please send me an email after you have read this weblog entry. This will allow me to have an idea of which parents are receiving this information. 
 
Thank you so much for allowing me to teach your child this year! Please feel free contact me with any questions or concerns. 

Posted by: Karen Mathis