I want to take a moment now when I can breathe a little easier and tell you more about where we are at in Pre-Algebra as we look into Trimester 3.
We've finished our work in the Jacobs text. This meant working hard in Chapter 1 and breezing through Chapter 2. I like to hit Chapter 1 hard to give the kids the experience of using a text like Jacobs and I treat the skills in Chapter 2 much like I do other Pre-Algebra material (introduce skills, practice, assess). Also, I know that the kids will get to experience number sequences again and again in their lives... but billiard tables?! That's just too cool to pass up. :)
So you might be hearing some grumblings about what we've been working on in class! Ha!
I didn't waste any time after Jacobs--we automatically jumped back into our next Pre-Algebra unit. I like to think of this unit as the "Hodge Podge" unit because it is the strangest concoction of skills that at first glance don't look like they're related, but after awhile everything starts clicking together.
Well, if you remember, the kids have worked hard on expressions and one- and two-step equations. Before we can move into the harder, multi-step equations, there is a clump of skills that they need to learn.
For example, in the past few days we've been talking about "Combining Like Terms" -- now, what's that mean?
It means putting things together that look the same--that's my simplest definition. :) The easiest example is: 2x + 3x = 5x. 2 x's plus 3 x's gives me 5 x's. I talk to the kids about treating this like the x's are just apples: I've got 2 apples plus 3 apples, I've got a total of 5 apples. We do this just a few times until they grasp the concept.
On this note I should mention that I will use ANY analogy or metaphor to help this stick in the kids heads. You may have heard them talking about like "butts" in Pre-Algebra lately. After we nail down the vocabulary (coefficient, variable, power, exponent, constant), we rename some things--the variable becomes the butt. So, if only like butts can be combined, it makes sense that in the example above 2x and 3x can be combined--they both have a butt of x!
Then I throw them a curve-ball: 3x - 8x = -5x. Now, same skill--but can they remember how to subtract integers??? Here's were I start requiring them to ADD THE OPPOSITE. ALWAYS AND FOREVER. It's mathematically sound, and it just makes life that much easier!
Now at this point we've only talked about adding & subtracting. Today we introduced multiplying. The coolest of the cool part? The butt doesn't matter when you multiply!!
So, (3x)*(2a) = 6ax -- just combine the butts to form a new one!
Beginning tomorrow, we will enter the "Properties" section of this unit--commutative, associative, distributive, and identity. This lets us take combining like terms to a whole other level. (And a little harder!) By being able to successfully combine like terms and prove it with properties, we can now start studying multi-step equations. We'll spend at least 1.5 weeks solid on just this skill.
Post Spring Break you will find us graphing lines on the coordinate plane. When we get here, we may do a little dance to congratulate ourselves because we will have made it to the end of Pre-Algebra! Graphing lines on the coordinate plane is the final unit of the year.
I should go ahead and start telling you that there will be a cumulative final exam that will last two days and will probably fall in the first or second week of May. The kids know its coming, but I've been trying to not let them freak out about it yet. I use it as just another tool to help me and them understand what they know and what they still haven't gelled on yet.
I hope this posting finds you all well!
Post Spring Break you will find us graphing lines on the coordinate plane. When we get here, we may do a little dance to congratulate ourselves because we will have made it to the end of Pre-Algebra! Graphing lines on the coordinate plane is the final unit of the year.
I should go ahead and start telling you that there will be a cumulative final exam that will last two days and will probably fall in the first or second week of May. The kids know its coming, but I've been trying to not let them freak out about it yet. I use it as just another tool to help me and them understand what they know and what they still haven't gelled on yet.
I hope this posting finds you all well!
