This week, we finished Unit 1 of pre-algebra and began Unit 2.  On Monday, we reviewed the order of operations.  Later in the week, we covered ratios, proportions, and unit rates.  We learned how to find the unit rate of an item at the grocery store to find the best deal!

Math Challenge:  Check out this cool video (link below), made by students at another school.  Can you solve the problem?  Don’t email them for the correct response.  Email ME ( clausenj@manheimcentral.org )your response, and I’ll let you know if you’re correct.  Good luck!

order or operations video

We continued our Pre-Algebra lessons this week.  Our focus was on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers, as well as the different properties of mathematics.  By understanding these underlying concepts, we’ll better understand algebra in the future!

Math Challenge:  Even though the image above looks like a foreign language of some sort, can you tell what property is represented?

We began the first unit in Pre-Algebra this week.  It’s amazing how much of this stuff we’ve already seen before!  We did a lot of work with adding and subtracting positive and negative integers.  A couple of dice games helped us to practice the 4 rules.  Earlier in the week, week learned about the main types of numbers, as well as absolute value.

Math Challenge:  ⁺ 404 + ^- 100 + ^- 66 + 346 = ?

This week’s concepts centered around the idea of percent.  The students use fractions, decimals, and ratios to work with percents.  Once again, physical education was integrated into some of the lessons this week.  Also, the students learned how their grades are calculated using percents, and they figured out how to determine tip % by doing a restaurant simulation in class.

Math Challenge:  Several students toss a globe back and forth, keeping track of how many times their left thumb lands on water and land.  The students catch the ball 100 times, with 70 of the catches landing on “water.”  If done many times over with the same results, what scientific geography concept involving percent might this show?

We began the second half of Unit 10 this week with a introduction of ratios and concepts that use ratios.  The students learned how to use ratios to quantify objects, and they were shown how proportions can be used to help determine the rate of something.  Our basketball activity used physical education to introduce the concept of a proportion.

Math Challenge:  Use the image above (scale drawing) to determine the real-life length of the plane.  Convert your proportional answer to meters.

We began Unit 10 this week by covering the multiplication and division of fractions and mixed numbers.  By the end of the week, we were covering the division of decimals.  The students got to test their baseball skills by batting with some crazy bats and then calculating their batting averages using decimal division.

Math Trivia: When dividing decimals, the quotients come times come to a definite end, while at other times, the quotient could go on forever.  What are a “decimal with an end” and a “decimal that never ends” called?

We tackled some difficult concepts this week!  The Pythagorean Theorem, circles, volume, and surface area were all introduced at the end of our Extended Measurement and Geometry Unit.  It’s amazing to too how many of these ideas are used in everyday life!

Math Challenge:  Find the formula for the surface area of a sphere.  What is the surface area of a ball with a 3-inch radius?  (Use a calculator to help you with the formula.)

Now that the PSSAs are finished, we began our Extended Measurement and Geometry Unit.  We worked on finding the area of parallelograms, triangles, and complex figures.  On Thursday, Pick’s Formula was taught as an introduction to The Pythagorean Theorem, which will be covered on Monday.

Math Challenge:  Use Pick’s Formula to find the area of both triangles in the above picture.  Then, takes these areas and figure out what space the green takes up when the white triangle is cut out of the image.  What is the area of the green space only?

Math class this week was spent preparing for the PSSAs, which begin Monday.  The students finished their last “weakness lesson,” and we covered test-taking strategies during the remaining lessons for the week.  After months of preparation and great progress, the students are ready for “the big show”!

Math Challenge:  Remember that the use of “WHY words” is very important when answering open-ended questions with explanations.  How many “why words” can you think of, other than “because”?  Be sure to look at the posted replies from other students before adding your own.

This week began the first of two weeks when we’ll practice and review our weak skill areas.  This week’s review topics were:  comparing decimals/fractions, estimating solutions, measurement conversions/appropriate units, estimating perimeter and area, and mean/median/mode/range.  We also began the PSSA Vocabulary “Wordo” Bingo game, as well as the PSSA Vocabulary Looping Challenge!  At this point, the Looping record is held by Block 2, with a time under 8 minutes!

Math Challenge:  Review your operation skills by trying the link below.  Post your high score after trying the hardest level.

http://www.fuelthebrain.com/Game/play.php?ID=69