HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Algebra Class Scale Model Projects
Everyone did great on their projects, nice job guys (and girl)!

There was The White House, Great Pyramid of Giza, Seattle Space Needle, Eiffel Tower, Washington Monument, Great Wall of China, a cell, and the Colosseum.

5th/6th Grade Math Super Super Secret Santa Pals Revealed!


And of course, rough housing with Wesley in his holiday best!


Have a safe and relaxing break. See everyone next semester!

Welcome Back From Break Home Studies

Pre Algebra: p.179 (14-19)
Mid Chapter 5 Quiz on Friday

Algebra: p.225 (28-29) and p.231 (25-28)
Chapter 4 Test Thursday

Math 5: p.259 (24-30 even)
Fractions Quiz Friday

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving with family and friends!

Pre Algebra: Scatter Plots worksheet
Pre Algebra: Chapter 4 Test on Thursday

Algebra: Individual Trig Quiz from p.765 (1-15) from Lesson 4-3

Math 5: p.251 (7-13)
Math 6: p.187 (7-12)
Extra help adding and subtracting fractions

Chinese I: Quiz tomorrow on rooms in the house and directions

Thursday Home Studies

Pre Algebra: p.154 (12-15)

Algebra: p.211 (7-16)

Math 5: p.235 (14-28 even)
Math 6: p.180 (20-36 even)

Good luck to the Middle School Basketball team on their first game today!

Around School

Teachers dressed up for Halloween!
Dr. Viktor Frakenstein, a Panda, and Dogzilla



Pre Algebra: Chapter 3 tests will be handed back by Friday. We have started Chapter 4 on Statistics and Data Analysis. Students should know how to create a frequency table and histogram.

Chinese II: Test on Thursday and Cartoon project due Monday

Algebra: We talked about the Capture/Recapture method of sampling to determine fish population. We used goldfish to simulate this activity.




Chinese I: Test moved to Thursday due to field study

Homeroom: The 5th/6th grade homeroom won the Dreamland Competition and brought in the most donations, so as a reward we went to Chuck E Cheeses!

Upcoming Quizzes

Pre Algebra: Quiz Friday on Integers

Chinese II: Quiz Friday on Stores and Clothing

Algebra: Quiz Thursday on Solving Multistep Equations

Math 5/6: Quiz Friday on Decimals

Chinese I: Quiz Wednesday on Time, Colors, and Prepositions

The Chinese I class took a series a photos to learn recent vocabulary for the classroom and prepositions. We created a "Where's Wesley" photo series, come see it on my bulletin board!

Monday Home Studies

Pre Algebra: p. 69 (10-22 evens)
Extra help on how to solve two step equations
Test over Chapter 2 on Friday

Algebra: p.123 (30-42 evens)
Test on Thursday or Friday

Math 5/6: Test either Thursday or Friday

Don't forget to bring in items for the Dreamland Fundraising Event!!!

Wednesday Home Studies

Algebra: p. 103 (28-40 even), also don't forget to record the closing price for your stock! Check the links in the previous blog for financial websites.

Math 5/6: Bring in a small pack of candy for class Thursday

Monday Home Studies

Pre Algebra: p. 53 (20-25) and Quiz moved to Wednesday (this will be a mid chapter quiz)
For more help go to http://www.helpingwithmath.com/by_subject/algebra/alg_solving01.htm

Algebra: Choose a stock to follow this week, bring in the company name and index. Write down the closing price for Monday at the end of the day
Sites you can use: http://finance.yahoo.com/, http://moneycentral.msn.com/home.asp, http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/lc_ny_name.html

Math 5: p. 55 (8-12)
Math 6: p. 99 (15-18)

Candy Math!

To make Math a little more tasty, we've included M&Ms and Smarties to get the students' attention...

Here's a picture of the Algebra class using M&Ms to make line plots





Here is the Pre Algebra creating equations with variables using Smarties

Wednesday Home Studies

Pre Algebra: p.59 (7-11), also Mid Chapter Quiz Tuesday

Chinese II: Quiz on Friday on Comparisons and Superlatives

Algebra: p.97 (20-34 even), Mid Chapter Quiz moved to Friday

Math 5/6: Bring in your favorite short poem for a Linguistics lesson!
Math 5: p.49 (5-10)
Math 6: p.91 (4-12 even)

5th/6th Grade Graph Maker

After your question has been approved, please click here to make a bar, line, or pie graph.

Monday Summary

Pre Algebra: p.46 (17-24)
Discussed Order of Operations and Algebra. For more help on Order of Operations click here

Chinese II: We began talking about ways to compare things, ie who is taller...

Algebra: Discussed subtracting integers and absolute value

Math 5/6: Determined whether a bar graph, line graph, or pie graph would best be used to display types of data.

Chinese I: Continued with The Monkey King

School Closed Tuesday

School has been canceled for Tuesday, September 22, 2009. Please check 11Alive.com for more school listings.

Pre Algebra: Chapter 1 Test Friday

Chinese I and II: Field Study to Chinatown on Thursday, make sure to bring money for Dim Sum and a trip to the Asian Farmers Market

Algebra: Chapter 1 Test upon return to school

Math 5/6: Chapter 1 Test Thursday

Week End Summary

Pre Algebra: Graded quizzes were returned with a 5 point curve. There will be a test over Chapter 1 next week, date to be determined

Chinese II: Learned specialty shops and what they sell. Field study next week on Thursday to Chinatown for lunch and shopping.

Algebra: Finished Chapter 1 and did graded classwork (p.63-66, 2-68 even exculding 34). Chapter 1 test on Tuesday

Math 5/6: Finishing up the last two sections for Chapter 1. Chapter 1 test will be next Thursday.
Math 5 Home Studies: p. 34 (18-32 evens)
Math 6 Home Studies: p. 40 (20-40 evens)

Chinese I: Test One today and upcoming field study next Thursday to Chinatown with the Chinese II students.

More details on the Chinese field study to be announced here.

Tuesday Home Studies and Upcoming Quizzes

Pre Algebra: Finish logic puzzle
Pre Algebra: Mid Chapter quiz Thursday

Chinese II: Describing people Quiz Wednesday

Algebra: p. 49(26-29 & 36-41)
Algebra: Tentative test date next Tuesday

Math 5: p.29(29-39)
Math 6: p.30(16-24)

Chinese I: Make up Quiz Wednesday and Test Friday

Monday Home Studies

Pre Algebra: For those who did not finish class work from p.13 (14-24 even). Quiz on Thursday

Chinese II: Quiz on Wednesday

Algebra: Finish the Identity and Properties worksheet 1-13

Wednesday Home Studies and Upcoming Quizzes

Chinese II: Bring in a magazine and poster board

Algebra: p.35 (16-30 even)
Algebra: Mid Chapter Quiz on Friday

Math 5/6: 5th Grade - p. 17 (26-38 even), 6th grade - p. 12 (18-30 even)
Math 5/6: Quiz Friday

Chinese I: Quiz Friday on possessive pronouns, family, weather and seasons, dates, and conversation

Tuesday Home Studies

Pre Algebra: p. 10 (20-30 even)

Algebra: Stem and Leaf plot worksheet (exclude numbers 9 and 10)
Algebra: Mid Chapter Quiz on Friday

Math 5/6: Quiz Friday

Labor Day Weekend!

Hope everyone enjoys their little break and is safe! No home studies or tests to study for! No school on Monday and Tuesday is the Parent Association Pot Luck dinner at 6:30pm. At 7pm parents will receive a copy of their student's schedule and spend 8 minutes in each class. Make sure you know about "The Snap", ask your kids...

Tuesday Lessons and Home Studies

Summary of today and home studies assigned

Pre Algebra Summary: We began to talk about the steps for problem solving; explore, plan, solve, and examine. The activity we did today had to do with the "value" of words. The "value" of a word is determined by adding the letter-value of each letter in the word when the letter-values are assigned such that A = 1, B = 2, C = 3...Y = 25, and Z = 26.

Pre Algebra HS: Determine what the most valuable month is and p.7 (6-11) needs to be done in composition book

Algebra: We discussed patterns and sequences and in particular a special sequence that included the Fibonacci Rabbits. That is:
Suppose a newly-born pair of rabbits, one male, one female, are put in a field. Rabbits are able to mate at the age of one month so that at the end of its second month a female can produce another pair of rabbits. Suppose that our rabbits never die and that the female always produces one new pair (one male, one female) every month from the second month on. The puzzle that Fibonacci posed was...
How many pairs will there be in one year?
Hint

Algebra HS: Complete the Fibonacci Rabbits worksheet and p.16-17 (10-20 even). There is also a home study quiz on Friday, be sure to bring your composition book with all your home studies in it.

Math 5/6 Summary: We discussed the four-step plan for problem solving and talked about looxes!

Math 5/6 HS: Due to the fact that 5th and 6th graders have different color books, I will post home studies by the color of the book; 5th graders have a purple book and 6th graders have a blue book.
Purple: p.6 (8-12)
Blue: p.7 (6-9)
Also, tests were handed back today and need to be signed by a parent by tomorrow

Chinese I HS: Draw a family tree for your immediate family and label each family member with their appropriate name in Chinese

Monday Home Studies

Hope everyone had a great weekend, now it's time to practice the skills you are learning in class!

Pre Algebra: none

Chinese II: Make up a 5 day weather forecast for the week. Make each day different!
Weather in China

Algebra: p. 9-10 (18-38 even) Remember to copy the problem down in your composition book, then write your answer
Need extra help with algebraic expressions? Try these examples:
http://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons/vol7/equations.html

Math 5/6: Post your word problem under the comments part of this blog

Chinese I: none

Tests and Quizzes Friday!

Pre Algebra: Test covering word problems, adding/subtracting/multiplying/dividing fractions, and adding/subtracting/multiplying/dividing decimals

Algebra: Post test covering prerequisite concepts for Algebra (A pages in book), similar to the pre-test

Math 5/6: Test covering basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division

Chinese I: Quiz on saying the date, days of the week, time of day, and new greetings in Chinese

5th and 6th Graders Hard at Work!

The whole class working hard on their math problems...
...And having some fun with Wesley!

Working Together in Pre Algebra

My Pre Algebra class working together in pairs to solve problems at each station. Good team work guys!

Thursday Home Studies

Home Studies for the following classes:

Pre Algebra: For those students who did not post their word problem last night please do so tonight! Otherwise, no home studies who completed this already.

Chinese II: We will be having a Review Test next week that will cover the basics of what you learned in Chinese I. It is a two part quiz; first part on Tuesday and second part on Wednesday due to the amount of vocabulary and phrases.

Algebra: Refresh on pre requisite concept 3 on page A10. The A pages are before the book actually starts. Please complete on page A11 numbers 10-18 in your composition book. Make sure to copy the problem down first and then solve.

Math 5/6: Complete the 1st and 3rd lines on the front page of the worksheet that was handed out in class (p30).

Any questions? Leave me a comment or email me at msanniesun@gmail.com.

Good Luck!

Pre Algebra Class Post Your Word Problem Here

Continuing what we worked on today, create a word problem using an operation and equation. Do not tell us the answer yet, but make sure you know what it is. Be creative and appropriate, this is due by tomorrow's class. Please let me know if you have any questions and have fun with it!

Algebra Class Comment Here!

Please leave a comment so we can begin using the blog. Make sure there is someway I know who are are if you do not use your actual name and make sure your comment is appropriate. Thanks!

Math 5/6 Comment Here!

Students from my Math 5/6 class please leave a comment, make sure it is appropriate. You can just write "hi" if you'd like. This is just for practice using the blog. Thanks!

Wednesday, August 12 Home Studies

Pre Algebra: Rewrite classroom, student, and teacher expectations into your composition book (due Friday)

Chinese II: Quiz on Friday covering introductions, numbers, and dates

Algebra: Finish the rest of the Pre Test problems (due Thursday) and rewrite classroom, student, and teacher expectations into your composition book (due Friday)

Math 5/6: Rewrite classroom, student, and teacher expectations into your composition book (due Friday)

Chinese I: Find out what the "unlucky" number is in Chinese and why (due Thursday)

First Week of School Going Well So Far!

The syllabus for each class has been distributed and I have received signed copies back from most students and parents. If you have not turned in your signed syllabus please do so by this Friday.

Algebra: Complete the even problems on the Pre Test worksheet, both front and back, due Wednesday.

Chinese I: Practice the short conversation we learned today to say "hello my name is" and "how are you."

Chinese II Word Search

In the Chinese II class we researched how many characters are in the Chinese written language.

One student found 47,035 and another student found that a Chinese dictionary contains over 40,000 (both sourced Wikipedia). We also discovered that the average educated person knows only 6 t0 7 thousand of these characters and to read a newspaper, you need to know 3,000 characters!

Course Syllabi

The course syllabus for each of my classes will be distributed the first couple days of school. You may also download it here from an online file storage site:

Pre-Algebra Syllabus.doc

5-6 Math Syllabus.doc

Chinese II Syllabus.doc

Chinese I Syllabus.doc

Algebra Syllabus.doc

Parents and students need to read each section carefully and sign when complete. Signed syllabi need to be turned in by Friday, August 14. Also, make not that a separate composition book or journal is required for all my math classes.

One Week Before School Starts!

Be sure to check my site for upcoming syllabi for each of my classes. A course overview, materials needed, grading policy, and more will be available soon.

School orientation is Sunday, August 9 from 12-3pm. Parents will be able to sign up to be volunteers or chaperones at this time and students can sign up for fall sports. This is also an important day to find out where your homeroom is and to get to know your homeroom teacher.

Post Planning Week

The last week of school for the teachers is post planning and ends tomorrow! Then the summer starts and so does research for the next school year. I hope everyone has a great summer and is ready to come back for more experiential learning in August!

Math 6

Home Studies due Wednesday: p. 129 (10-22 even)

Leave a comment if you need help!

Math 4: Geometric Constructions

Fourth grade math class constructing polyhedrons out of gumdrops and toothpicks

Figuring the blog out...

Math 6: Decimals
We talked about multiplying decimals and where the decimal point goes in the final answer

Math 4: Fractions
We made pizza and used fractions to determine what parts of the pizza had certain toppings

Pre-Algebra: Rational Numbers
Discussed rational numbers properties such as the Commutative Property

Algebra: Linear Equations
Changed equations from point-slope form to standard form; Ax + By = C

Conversational Chinese I: Hot Pot
Learned about the "Chinese Fondue" and ate at a Hot Pot restuarant

New Blogger!

This is a test of my new blog that will feature lessons and activities for the next school year. Parents and students will be able to follow what is happening in the classroom and keep up with their assignments. Also, I am hoping to share any extra help sites I find online and photos of the class.