Friday, 1/29/16: Preparing for Unit 3 Test Review on Equations and Systems

Our next test is on solving equations in one variable and systems, and it is Wednesday, 2/3.  The material on it:

• equations (Lessons 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, and 7-4)
• solving systems by substitution (Lesson 8-2)
• solving systems by elimination (Lessons 8-3 through 8-5)

Additionally, Lesson 8-1 should be reviewed, because that involved graphing and set the stage for solving by substitution and elimination.  (We used an excellent worksheet instead of the text for graphing, but the lesson details that aspect.)

I will be available after school next Monday, 2/1, from 3:00 - 3:30.  (I'm also available Wednesday, 2/3 from 3:00 - 3:30, but by that time I won't be able to help students as the test is earlier that day.)  Normally I'm available from when the school day ends until 3:30 every Monday and Wednesday, but I do have fifteen-minutes of after-school duty each day for the week of 2/1.

Today students were given a practice version of this test.  For this weekend's homework, students need to do problems 1-8 of this practice.

Thursday, 1/28/16: Reviewing Recent Homework on Systems of Linear Equations

Tonight's homework is from Lesson 8-4, solving systems using elimination.  It is p.258 (2 & 3).  Students, you MUST check your solution in order to get credit for the assignment.  I will circulate and have you put your finger on the check parts.

Our next test is on solving equations in one variable and systems, and it is Wednesday, 2/3.  The material on it:

• equations (Lessons 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, and 7-4)
• solving systems by substitution (Lesson 8-2)
• solving systems by elimination (Lessons 8-3 through 8-5)

Additionally, Lesson 8-1 should be reviewed, because that involved graphing and set the stage for solving by substitution and elimination.  (We used an excellent worksheet instead of the text for graphing, but the lesson details that aspect.)

Wednesday, 1/27/16: Lesson 8-4: More on Solving Systems by the Elimination Method

Tonight's homework is p.256 (7 & 8).  Students should use their notebooks for writing.  Parents, this is challenging, writing-intensive material.  We have been working examples daily, but your son or daughter may still struggle on the homework tonight.  (We will review the homework problems tomorrow; we won't be doing new material that day.)

This is a great opportunity to help foster that resilience and self-sufficiency that your son or daughter needs to be independent and successful as a high school student.  Please see last Wednesday's blog post (1/20/16) here for resources that your student has available (but adapt for the lesson / search topic listed in this post's title).  The best is probably the tip about the QR reader app, if your student has access to a smart phone or tablet. 

Our next test is on solving equations in one variable and systems, and it is Wednesday, 2/3.  The material on it:

• equations (Lessons 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, and 7-4)
• solving systems by substitution (Lesson 8-2)
• solving systems by elimination (Lessons 8-3 through 8-5)

Additionally, Lesson 8-1 should be reviewed, because that involved graphing and set the stage for solving by substitution and elimination.  (We used an excellent worksheet instead of the text for graphing, but the lesson details that aspect.)

Tuesday, 1/26/16: Lesson 8-4, Solving Systems Using the Elimination Method

Tonight's homework is p.254 (4-6).  Students are to solve these systems in their spiral homework notebook.  Parents, we modeled two more problems today in class; students should have been recording all of the writing steps.  (These problems are very writing-intensive.)

Our next test is on solving equations in one variable and systems, and it is Wednesday, 2/3.  The material on it:

• equations (Lessons 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, and 7-4)
• solving systems by substitution (Lesson 8-2)
• solving systems by elimination (Lesson 8-3)

Additionally, Lesson 8-1 should be reviewed, because that involved graphing and set the stage for solving by substitution and elimination.  (We used an excellent worksheet instead of the text for graphing, but the lesson details that aspect.)

Monday, 1/25/16: Lesson 8-3, Solving Systems of Linear Equations by the Addition / Subtraction Method

Tonight's homework is p.246 (3-5) & p.248 (8-10).  Students should use their homework spiral notebooks for this work, as it is very writing-intensive.  Please see the post for last Wednesday, 1/20/16, for all of the available resources I'm suggesting for home.  Also please know that we modeled two problems in class today; students should have copied down all of the writing.

Our next test is on solving equations in one variable and systems, and it is Wednesday, 2/3.  The material on it:

• equations (Lessons 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, and 7-4)
• solving systems by substitution (Lesson 8-2)
• solving systems by elimination (Lesson 8-3)

Additionally, Lesson 8-1 should be reviewed, because that involved graphing and set the stage for solving by substitution and elimination.  (We used an excellent worksheet instead of the text for graphing, but the lesson details that aspect.)

Friday, 1/22/16: Strengthening Lesson 8-2, Solving Systems by Substitution

No formal homework is assigned for the weekend.  We're between lessons.  There is an extra-credit problem that students can try, #13 on p.243.

Our next test is on solving equations in one variable and systems, and it is Wednesday, 2/3.  The material on it:

• equations (Lessons 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, and 7-4)
• solving systems by substitution (Lesson 8-2)
• solving systems by elimination (Lesson 8-3)

Additionally, Lesson 8-1 should be reviewed, because that involved graphing and set the stage for solving by substitution and elimination.  (We used an excellent worksheet instead of the text for graphing, but the lesson details that aspect.)

Thursday, 1/21/16: Reviewing Homework on Solving Systems by Substitution

Apologies for the late post.

Tonight's homework is p.242 (1-4), from Lesson 8-2 on solving systems by substitution.

Parents, this is demanding content, requiring much writing for each problem.  Please know that we modeled two problems in class yesterday (Wednesday), I assigned two more Wednesday night for homework, and modeled how those two should have been done in class today.  That makes a total of four times students have had the work modeled for them; the first time we also added notes.

We've always been pushing our students to be resourceful, but now they are less than half-a-year away from high school.  Please see the previous post for resource suggestions at home.  Also, know that I am routinely in my classroom Mondays and Wednesdays until 3:30 to offer additional assistance as students work on homework / look ahead.

Our next test is on solving equations in one variable and systems, and it is Wednesday, 2/3.  The material on it:

• equations (Lessons 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, and 7-4)
• solving systems by substitution (Lesson 8-2)
• solving systems by elimination (Lesson 8-3)

Additionally, Lesson 8-1 should be reviewed, because that involved graphing and set the stage for solving by substitution and elimination.  (We used an excellent worksheet instead of the text for graphing, but the lesson details that aspect.)

Wednesday, 1/20/16: Lesson 8-2, Solving Systems of Linear Equations by the Substitution Method

Tonight's homework is p.238, problems 5 & 6.  Each problem involves a lot of writing, and we modeled two problems along with notes today.  Students and parents, if you need more help resources tonight:

• Google "solving systems of linear equations by substitution" or search that within YouTube.
• Study the examples we did in class today.
• Study the examples in Lesson 8-2, where that p.238 is.
• Go to my.hrw.com and use the video lesson in the yellow Student Interactive Edition icon
• Download a QR code reader app, and scan the QR codes in the text to go straight to the video.

Tuesday, 1/19/16: Checking the Solution to a System of Linear Equations

We checked the weekend's homework, a photocopy on solving systems by graphing.  Tonight's homework is for students to take the one (x,y) ordered pair solution for each system of linear equations, and substitute the x- and y-values back into each sentence to verify that the sentence is true.  I modeled two examples of how to do this in class, and this is Lesson 8-1 if you wish to reference the textbook resources.

Friday, 1/15/16: Solving Systems of Linear Equations by Graphing

Wishing all of you a meaningful holiday, in memory of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King.

This weekend's homework is a photocopy, entitled "Kuta Software--Solving Systems of Equations by Graphing."  We started some of the problems in class; students are to complete all of the problems both sides.

Thursday, 1/14/16: Completing Quiz 3-1 on Multi-Step Equations

Tonight's homework is from the textbook pages, p.214, (1, 3-6, 10) on multi-step equations.

Wednesday, 1/13/16: Quiz 3-1 on Multi-Step Equations

Apologies for the missed post yesterday.

Tonight's homework is from the textbook, pages p.202 (3-10).  Students will need to show their scratch work on notebook paper tonight.

Monday, 1/11/16: Reviewing for Quiz 3-1 on Solving Multi-Step Equations in One Variable

We have a quiz on equations coming up Wednesday, 1/13.  Tonight's homework continues with a practice version of this quiz which I distributed to students last Friday.  Students are to work Short Answer problems 5-8 of this practice.

Friday, 1/8/16: Multi-step Equations in One Variable

We reviewed the homework from last night on multi-step equations in one variable, and are working to strengthen student understanding with them.  We have a quiz on equations coming up Wednesday, 1/13.  Tonight's homework is from a practice version of this quiz which I distributed to students today.  Students are to work Multiple Choice problem #2, and Short Answer problems 1-4 on this practice.

Thursday, 1/7/16: Reviewing Homework on Solving Multi-Step Equations

Tonight's homework is more problems from a photocopy I distributed last Tuesday, "Solving Multi-step Equations."  Now that I've had the students try several last night and we've reviewed them more today, it's time for extensive practice.  Tonight students are to do problems 1-4, 6, and 12-20 on this photocopy.  We'll review the work again Friday.  Our next quiz is on equations, and it is Wednesday of next week.  I will be giving out a practice version of it tomorrow as homework for the weekend.

Parents, in addition to the photocopy I gave students yesterday showing an example worked step-by-step, I gave students the textbook pages for our next portion of the new Unit, on equations.  If you'd like textbook pages to reference, they are from Lesson 7-1, on pages 199-204.  Again, unless your son or daughter was absent today, he or she now has those pages in his or her possession.

Wednesday, 1/6/16: Solving Multi-Step Equations in One Variable

Tonight's homework is from a photocopy that I distributed to the students yesterday, "Multi-step Equations."  Tonight students are to work problems 7-11, showing all steps.  Parents, I'll be passing out the textbook pages tomorrow.  This corresponds to Lesson 7-1, for those with internet access to the electronic textbook resources at my.hrw.com .  Today I gave students a second photocopy with step-by-step instructions / example.

Tuesday, 1/5/16: Foundations of Multi-Step Equations in One Variable

Welcome back, students and parents.  Happy New Year!!

We are starting second semester with solving mult-step equations in one variable.  While the students have seen most of this last year, there was critical foundational work that I needed to use today's short class time to establish.  (These topics were expressions vs. sentences, distributive property, and the idea of an equation being an expression equal to an expression.)

I distributed a photocopy, "Multi-Step Equations," to the students today.  I did not feel that they had adequate preparation to complete problems from this yet, so no formal homework is assigned for tonight.  However, tomorrow's homework, due Thursday, is problems 7-11 from this photocopy.  Having laid the foundation today, the students will be in good shape for this tomorrow night.  Additionally, when we've had even more time to review the homework the next day, I'll be assigning far more practice.