Mt. Elden Middle School 2016-2017 School Year

Accelerated Math 7/8 Mt. Elden Middle School ~ 2016-2017 School Year Teacher Information: Course Description: Ms. Hesper Petersen [email protected] Accelerated 7/8 is the second course in the accelerated middle  Math 6, Accelerated Math 6/7 & 7/8 school mathematics pathway. This course incorporates the  remaining 7th grade AZCCRS (not part of the 6/7 course) and all of Bachelor of Science - Elementary Education, NAU the 8th grade standards. These standards include a deep 2002 understanding of probability and statistics, application of exponents,  Master of Arts - Elementary Education, NAU 2013 the geometry concepts of transformations, congruence and  6-8th Grade Math Teacher, 2003-present similarity, and the study and application of linear functions and  MEMS Math Department Chair, 2015-present systems. Appropriate technology will be used to enhance mathematical understanding and problem solving skills. Accelerated  District Math 6 Lead 7/8 incorporates many of the concepts and skills previously learned  Math Program Specialist & Professional in first semester of Algebra 1 and Geometry. The course will move Development Coordinator for Coconino County at a rapid pace while still meeting all the standards necessary prior Education Service Agency – Create & deliver to beginning the redesigned and more rigorous Algebra 1 course in mathematics professional development for K-12 grade 8. teachers in Arizona College & Career Ready Prerequisite: Successful completion of Accelerated 6/7 Math or Standards, 2010-present teacher recommendation. Accelerated 7/8 Math is only open to 7th grade students. Curriculum: We are using Eureka Math/Engage NY as our district curriculum. This curriculum can be found at https://www.engageny.org/resource/grade-7-mathematics and https://www.engageny.org/resource/grade-8-mathematics. You can find student and teacher guides at this site for each module. In Accelerated Math 7/8, students learn 270 days of math curriculum in 180 days. Therefore, lessons found at the websites above are combined. Parents and students will find that lesson numbers do not match the numbers we use in class. Please contact me if you would like the specific lesson number alignment. Pacing We will cover the remainder of the 7th grade curriculum first.  8th Grade Module 1: Integer Exponents & Scientific  7th Grade Module 3: Expressions & Equations Notation th  7th Grade Module 4: Percent & Proportional Relationships  8 Grade Module 2: The Concept of Congruence th  7th Grade Module 5: Statistics & Probability  8 Grade Module 3: Similarity th  7th Grade Module 6: Geometry  8 Grade Module 4: Linear Equations We will also cover all of the 8th grade curriculum. Students who  8th Grade Module 5: Examples of Functions from Geometry complete Math 7/8 with a C or higher and an 70% or higher on the  8th Grade Module 6: Linear Functions th 7 grade end of year common summative assessment will move th th  8 Grade Module 7: Introduction to Irrational Numbers onto Algebra in 8 grade. Using Geometry Homework Expectations: Assessment:  Students can expect to have between 10-30 minutes of Students will have quizzes and tests classified under math homework (HW) Monday-Thursday nights on content “Measurement” in the gradebook. This category is worth 80% of learned each day. HW assignments are worth 5 points and the overall grade. Students are required to attend after-school are categorized as “Practice” in the gradebook. Students tutoring, complete edits, and then retake all assessments on earn 100% on homework that has scored 80% or better. which they scored below 70%. The higher score will replace the Students must Edit & Resubmit homework scoring less than lower score. 80%. Quizzes: Class Work Expectations:  Non-Graded: Quizzes entered in the gradebook as “Not for a Class work points are divided into the following: Grade” will be scored on a 4 points rubric based on the level of  Bell Work (BW): These are problems completed at the mastery demonstrated on the quiz. These quizzes are formative beginning of class in groups and as a class. BW is under – they are used to inform instruction for the teacher and for “Practice” in the gradebook. students to assess their learning toward each topic’s goals.  Class Notes: We do not have a textbook, so the notes  Graded: Quizzes entered in the gradebook for a grade are checkpoints for understanding within each module. packets received and filled out in class must be kept like textbooks & students will keep journals with notes. Tests: Students are responsible for completing their notes when  Mid-Module Assessments: Half-way through a module, students they are absent. They can either copy the notes from a will take a mid-module assessment. These are typically worth 30 classmate or complete the notes using my guides on my points. website. (http://www.fusd1.org/Domain/661)  End-of-Module Assessments: Students take these at the end of the module. These are typically worth 30 points.  Class Work (CW): Work completed in class that is not in the notes, classified in the grade book as “Practice.” Support: Productive Struggle: I am willing to support all of my students to be successful learning “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 math! Here are some of the supports I have in place: ways that won’t work.” Thomas Edison  Tutoring Teachers, particularly math teachers, know that most learning Before school - 7:20-7:35 occurs in the midst of struggle and overcoming struggle. But Lunch – lunchtime daily. Just see me before lunch to get a pass. all students’ life they’ve been assessed and encouraged to After school – Tutoring is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays solve rote problems quickly. How can we undo years of low- from 2:20-4:00 in my classroom. This will start the week after complexity problems? How might we develop students’ desire, Labor Day. ability, and disposition to struggle? What should students be  Evening/Weekend Phone Help – I have given students my cell doing? What should teachers be doing? What kind of tasks phone number and they can call each night until 8pm. I won’t should kids be engaged with to encourage positive struggle behavior? (Excerpt from always answer the phone but they can leave a message. I do http://emergentmath.com/2012/12/16/the-struggle-for- require that they try to start the problem first and be ready to productive-struggle/.) tell me what they do understand before they tell me what they don’t understand. This number is for students only. Parents, I pulled this quote and excerpt because it is and important please call me through the school number. part of how I try to frame my teaching. Many students have  Website – I am constantly trying to make my website more learned to love math because they think there is always one accessible and helpful to both students and parents. I will try to right answer to get. Others may have learned to dislike math have Lesson summaries posted for each lesson once the lesson because they know there is always one right answer to get, but they can’t seem to get there. In either case, students can has been completed on the website. My website can be be easily frustrated when they aren’t able to arrive at the accessed at http://www.fusd1.org/Domain/661. answer easily.

SOME GREAT MATH LEARNING QUOTES: I explain to the students that we aren’t learning if it isn’t at  The only way to learn mathematics is to do least a little bit uncomfortable. Just as we build muscles by exercising in new ways that might be painful to those muscles, mathematics. we build the connections in our brain’s ability to solve unfamiliar problems when it is a struggle to figure out the  In a comfort zone, there is very little learning. In problem. If we give students all of the steps in an easy-to- follow format to arrive at the correct answer, we are not a learning zone, there is very little comfort. actually teaching them math needed to arrive at the solution - we are only teaching them the steps to get the answer.  Everyone can learn math at the highest levels. The shift from teaching “answer getting” to teaching the math needed to get the answer is a huge one in mathematics  Mistakes are VALUABLE. instruction and learning in this country. As a teacher I am working on making this transition for both my students and myself. This means students may struggle with their  Math is about creativity and making sense. homework or classwork – but in this struggle we learn more than if we just follow a set of simple steps to arrive at the  Math class is about LEARNING, not performing. solution. This is not to say that students will not genuinely need help from time to time. It does mean, however, that we need to shift our thinking in how struggle in mathematics  Nothing will work until you do! could lead to much deeper understanding of the concepts with which we struggle.  You do not need to be fast at math to be good at I encourage parents to view the following videos and links to math. What is important is to deeply learn more about productive struggle in mathematics. understand things and their relations to each  http://vimeo.com/79916037 other.  http://emergentmath.com/2012/12/16/the-struggle-for- productive-struggle/  http://www.edutopia.org/math-underachieving-mathnext-  Learning is a consequence of THINKING. rutgers-newark  http://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/ETD-UT-  Questions are REALLY important. 2011-12-4527  http://mathk-12.wiki.hhh.k12.ny.us/Productive+Struggle  http://anniemurphypaul.com/2014/02/when-and-how-to-  Math is about connections and communicating. let-learners-struggle/  DEPTH is more important than speed.