Class+Syllabus

//** Name of Course: Gifted Algebra 1 ** //  //** Course Description: ** // //The Gifted Algebra 1 course is designed to provide challenging mathematics for 6th and 7th grade students who need greater depth and breadth in their approach to learning mathematics. This course integrates two curricula: Connected Mathematics Project 2 and Discovering Algebra. These curricula provide engaging, discovery-based investigations, which are highly consistent with state and national standards-based efforts to improve school mathematics. Students work with data-rich, real-world situations in a curriculum that places algebra in an applications-based context and where investigations precede the introduction of formulas and expressions. Gifted Algebra 1 is a full year algebra class. Get ready to be challenged and to have fun. //

//** Requirements/Prerequisites: ** // //Students take a readiness test //

//** Resource requirements: ** // //1. Regular #2 pencils and color pencils or markers, // //2. Three-ring binder with paper and dividers or pocket folders, // //3. Math book, // //4. Graphing calculator (TI-83 plus, TI-84 or the like), // //5. Metric/standard ruler, // //6. Graph paper, // //7. Any lab/worksheets I ask you to download and print off, // //8. USB headset with internet chats and listen features (one brand is called Logitech) // //9. Online Text book: Connected Mathematics Project 2 (CMP 2) and Discovering Algebra, 2nd // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">2nd edition (DA). //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">** Introduction to the Textbook: ** // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Connected Mathematics Project 2 (CMP) designed for use in grades 6–8. CMP2 allows students to be responsible for their learning by exploring different solution pathways, sharing their ideas with other students, listening to the ideas of others, and questioning each other. Teachers ensure that the mathematics goals of the lesson are addressed and that students develop conceptual understanding and procedural skills, by asking them questions and encouraging them to share their thinking, compare their thinking with others, and make connections between representations of problems and solutions. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">** Outcome: ** // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Gifted Algebra 1 is considered a 9th grade course. Upon the successful completion of this course (which means earning at least a B), high school credit may be given and the grade earned may become part of one’s high school GPA. Your home district will decide this based on their transfer criteria. Please check with your home district on this matter. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This course integrates two curriculums: Connected Mathematics Project 2 (CMP2) and Discovering Algebra (DA). //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The goals of CMP and DA are these: a) use technology, along with applications, to foster a deeper understanding of mathematical ideas, b) emphasize symbol sense, algebraic manipulations, and conceptual understandings during explorations, and c) encourage the use of multiple representations (numerical, graphic, symbolic, and verbal) to deepen understanding. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">There are several topics we will cover this year…some of them are: a) linear, exponential, and quadratic relationships expressed in words, tables, graphs, and symbols, b) the Pythagorean Theorem, c) algebraic reasoning, d) systems of equations, and e) data and statistics. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">** Teacher: ** // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Tammie Nixon // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;"> Email: nixon1t@cmich.edu // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Work Phone: 123-456-7890 // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Office Location: 100 Middle School Education Services // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Office Hours: By appointment //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">** Note: ** If you have questions about the course, post them to the Q&A discussion forum in Whiteboard. If you have personal problems that are private in nature, email is the best way to reach me. I will respond to you within 24hours. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">** Grading Policy and Scale: ** // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Tests, Quizzes, and Projects: 60% of total grade. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">unit, students can expect two quizzes and an end-of-unit test. // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">take a makeup test. During 3rd Trimester, there will be no retakes. The // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">new score will be the average of the two tests, not to exceed 79%. Retakes are not // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">necessarily the same as the initial test. //
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The curriculum is divided into units, each with its own file. Generally, for each //
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Tests and quizzes missed must be made up within one week. //
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">During 1st and 2nd Trimester, students who score a D or below on a quiz/test, may //
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Late projects are penalized one full letter grade (10%) for each late day. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Homework: 20% of total grade. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">math. //
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Homework will be assigned almost daily, as practice is a critical component to learning //
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Homework assignments are worth 4 points each. //
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Homework will generally be scored on effort. //
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Homework quizzes will be posted most Fridays and are worth 10 points. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Participation: 20% of total grade. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">class. //
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Items graded in this category reflect a student’s participation and engagement in math //
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Participation grade, weekly posted, includes: asking questions, being a positive influence, effort in class activities, individual class work, warm-ups, cooperative group work, group quizzes, and daily preparedness. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Extra Credit: not offered, although some tests and projects provide opportunities to // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">earn bonus points. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Grading Scale: //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A 93% B- 80% D+ 67% // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A- 90% C+ 77% D 60% // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">B+ 87% C 73% F below 60% // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">B 83% C- 70% //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">** Course outline: ** // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Here you will find the sequence/order of the books and chapters we will study this year from Connected Mathematics Project 2 (CMP 2) and Discovering Algebra, 2nd edition (DA). //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">* Looking for Pythagoras: The Pythagorean Theorem // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">* Ch. 4: Fitting a Line to Data // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">* Ch. 2 (2.4/2.5 only): Direct and Inverse Variations // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">* Growing, Growing, Growing: Exponential Relationships // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">* Ch. 7: Functions // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">* Samples and Populations: Data and Statistics // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">* Ch. 10: Probability // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">* Data Around Us: Number Sense // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">* Frogs, Fleas, Painted Cubes: Quadratic Relationships // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">* Ch. 9 (last half): Quadratic Models // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">* Ch. 5: Systems of Equations and Inequalities // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">* Ch. 8: Transformations // //<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">* Ch. 11: Intro to Geometry //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">** Attendance requirements: ** // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Absences: // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">When you miss an assignment, it is your own responsibility to make up the work. Do the classwork/notes and homework in your online notebook. Find the assignments on my website or Whiteboard. If you have questions, ask a group member or the teacher. For additional assistance, make a conference with teacher. //

//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Class Notes: Ask a group member or classmate if they can email you any notes that have been remove from Whiteboard. //

//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Assignments that are not posted by the due date: These are due 2 days from due date to // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">earn half credit. It is your responsibility to get them posted without being reminded. I will // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">check your missed work in at the start of the next day. Check the classroom assignment calendar in Whiteboard, your planner, Homework Hotline, or my website to know what was due for any missed assignments. //

//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Homework Assignments: There are five ways to find out a homework assignment. //
 * //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Assignment Calendar in Whiteboard //
 * //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">***Your planner/math spiral*** //
 * //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Homework Hotline (837-5727) //
 * //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Your group members //
 * //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">***My website, linked on the PLMS site*** //

//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Projects (all long-term): Students are not given extensions on long-term assignments not posted to Whiteboard by the due date. The same due date will be upheld. //

//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Tests: Tests and quizzes must be made up within TWO DAYS of any missed due dates. Make an // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">appointment with Mrs. Nixon to repost test or quiz for makeup. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">** Standards Alignment ** // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Please review the Standards Alignment attachment located on the website. //