Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Tuesday, November 30th

Sixth Grade

Due to the Science Fair, there is no homework in Literature or Spelling! The students did take the Spelling pretest, but they will get their books back tomorrow to begin working on the unit.

In Math, the assignment is Supplemental 40 - Sets A and B. Lesson 42 from yesterday will be turned in tomorrow.

Seventh Grade

Due to Science Fair, there is no homework today! For tomorrow, you will need to have your Literature questions for Chapter 7 of Treasure Island and Math Lesson 38 - practice only and all of Lesson 39.

Spelling - Remember, Unit 14 is due on Friday.

Eighth Grade

Both classes took a test so there is no homework!

See you tomorrow,
Mrs. Swickey

Monday, November 29, 2010

Monday, November 29th

Sixth Grade

Literature - We read from The Golden Goblet today. The homework is Quiz Time for Section 3 (chapters 7-9).

**Remember** Book Reports are due on Wednesday (You get an extra day because of the Science Fair.) You need to have the Book Report Data Sheet, Book Summary, and Extended Activity.

Spelling - I have not assigned a new unit yet. We will do a pretest for Unit 14 tomorrow.

Math - Lesson 43.

Seventh Grade

Literature - We read from Treasure Island today. The homework is the Chapter 7 questions.

**Remember** Your book reports are due on Wednesday. You need to have a Book Report Data Sheet with your reflection and the essay. Please take the time to write a good, thoughtful essay. I will be grading more strictly this time.

Grammar - There is an adverbs test tomorrow. Remember your notes that you took during the review today - you will earn 5 bonus points for having them tomorrow!

Math - Lesson 38 - practice only. (We did these together.) Lesson 39 - ALL. We are behind in 7th grade math so we will work a few lessons together when feasible.

Eighth Grade

Both groups worked on a Practice test today. There will be a test tomorrow.

See you then!
Mrs. Swickey

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Thursday, November 18th

Sixth Grade

Literature - Questions over Chapter 8 of The Golden Goblet.

Math - Practice Test 7.

Seventh Grade

Literature - Questions over Chapter 4. Draw a picture of something that happened in Chapter 5. (no gruesome pictures, please!)

Spelling - Unit 13 is due tomorrow! Be sure to finish the unit and study for the test.

Grammar - Adverbs Worksheets.

Math - Lesson 35 - Practice problems only!

Eighth Grade

Pre-Algebra - Lesson 41. To find the overall average, first find out how much all the numbers add up to and then divide that by the number of numbers. Here is an example:

The average of the first four scores was 87. The average the next 6 scores was 75. What was the overall average?

You can set up the problem like this:

# of Scores x Average = Total

4 x 87 = 348 (The total tells you how much the scores
added up to.)

6 x 75 = 450

Now total the two totals. 348 + 450 = 798

Since you now have a total of TEN scores, divide 798 by 10. You can just move a decimal one place to the left when you divide by 10. The answer would be 79.8.

Algebra I - Lesson 41.

Addition of like terms. To add terms in rational expressions, first, rewrite each term so that all the exponents are positive. Do this by moving your variables with negative exponents across the fraction bars and changing the exponent to a positive. Now, look at all the terms. If the variables and their exponents are identical, then you have like terms. Add the coefficients in the numerator only. Remember, it's like adding fractions - you only add the numerators and keep the denominators the same.

Two-step problems. These are simple evaluation problems with an extra step. For example:

If x - 5 = 20, what is the value of x - 4?

First, solve the equation to find the value of x. Add 5 to both sides and you see x = 25. Then, use that answer to evaluate the expression, x - 4. So, you have 25 - 4 = 21.

See you tomorrow!
Mrs. Swickey

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Wednesday, November 17th

Sixth Grade

Literature - We finished another chapter from The Golden Goblet! I will give you the questions for the chapter tomorrow.

Spelling - The class took a pretest today over Unit 13. The unit is due next Tuesday.

Math - Lesson 40. Place holder zeros. Remember, you must use place holder zeros when subtracting decimal numbers. Also, remember that you have to line up your decimals when you add or subtract. When dividing, you don't have to line them up, but you will need to add in zeros as place holders in the answer. Here are a few examples:


That's it!

Seventh Grade

Math - We had Junior Achievement during math class today, so there is no homework!

Literature - We read from Treasure Island and then the class had DEAR time (drop everything and read). No homework!

Spelling - Unit 13. Be sure you are working and studying the unit and words!

Eighth Grade

Pre - Algebra. Lesson 40. To solve multiplication or division equations, always do the OPPOSITE of what is happening to the variable. So if the variable is being multiplied by 5, divide both sides by 5. If the variable is being divided by 3, multiply both sides by 3. Remember that when a variable is being multiplied by a fraction, you solve by multiplying by the RECIPROCAL of the fraction. (It's the same thing as dividing by the fraction, but saves you a step.)

Algebra I - Lesson 40. Simplifying expressions with negative exponents. I will do a few examples, but remember that when you move variables across the fraction bar, it changes the exponent from positive to negative, or from negative to positive. If the problem asks you to write the answer all in the numerator, I think it's easier to move everything up first and then simplify. Here are some examples:



See you tomorrow!
Mrs. Swickey

Monday, November 15, 2010

Monday, November 15th

Sixth Grade

Literature - Questions over Chapter 7 of The Golden Goblet.

Spelling - Unit 12 is due tomorrow! Please be sure you have completed the unit and studied the words.

Math - Lesson 38. To add and subtract decimal numbers and whole numbers, you still write the numbers lining up the decimal points. Remember, to write a whole number with a decimal point, you put the decimal point to the RIGHT of the whole number. So, 12, becomes 12.

Then line up the decimals and add or subtract!

For the problems about squares, if you are given the perimeter, you can find the length of one side by dividing by 4. (A square has four sides that are all the same.) So, if a square has a perimeter of 20 inches, then each side is 5 inches long. (4 sides at 5 inches long each means a perimeter of 20 inches.)

Now, suppose you wanted to find the area of square when you are given the perimeter. If the perimeter is 24 inches, first divide by 4 to find out how long each side is. For this square, each side would be 6 inches long. To find the area of a square, remember that you multiply side times side - or in this case, 6 inches x 6 inches. So the area is 36 square inches.

Seventh Grade

Vocabulary - Unit 5 and the cards are due tomorrow! Please be sure you have finished the unit.

Literature - Treasure Island Chapter 2 questions.

Grammar - pg. 68, exercise B and DWS. For DWS, remember that you are underlining the adverb used ONCE and the word the adverb describes TWICE. For exercise B, just follow instructions.

Math - Lesson 33. Comparing and Rounding Decimals. Remember, when you order decimals from least to greatest, you can do two different things, but for either method, you first need to write the decimals up and down as if you were adding (lining up the decimal points). For the first method, start with the largest place and compare all the numbers in that place. If they are the same, move on to the next place and compare those. Keep going until you have your order. Here is an example:


The other method is to fill in empty places with zeros and compare the numbers after the decimal point. Here is an example of that:


Eighth Grade

Pre-Algebra. Lesson 38. Coordinate Plane. This new concept for this lesson is a review over graphing points on a coordinate plane. Everyone did an excellent job remembering how in class today.

Algebra I - Ratio problems. To do the problems that aren't word problems, you simply cross multiply and solve the resulting equation.

For word ratio problems, I will do an example:

See you tomorrow!
Mrs. Swickey

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Thursday, November 11th

Sixth Grade

Literature - No homework!

Spelling - Work on Unit 12. It is due on Tuesday.

Math - Lesson 36.

Seventh Grade

Spelling - Unit 12 is due tomorrow! Be sure to study tonight and finish the unit.

Literature - Treasure Island Chapter 1 questions. (Many students finished in class.) Just as a reminder, Jim Hawkins is the narrator - the boy who is telling the story. Billy Bones is the inn's guest who wants to be called "captain" and is creepy.

Vocabulary - Unit 5. Write 10 sentences with 10 of the words. The unit and cards will be due on Tuesday.

Math - Lesson 31.

Eighth Grade

Pre-Algebra took a test today. No homework! (unless you are missing work)

Algebra I - There is a test tomorrow. The class worked through a practice test today.

See you tomorrow!

Mrs. Swickey

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Wednesday, November 10th

Sixth Grade

Literature - Questions over Chapter 6. Many students were able to get these finished or close to finished in class.

Spelling - Unit 12 review. As for regular units, I send home a home study sheet with the words. For review units, this is the only way the students will know which words will be on the test as the unit reviews many more than 20 words. The Unit review covers words studied from Units 7-11. Please be sure you are studying the list! The test is next Tuesday.

Math - The class took a test today. The assignment was Supplemental 35. Many students finished in class.

Seventh Grade

Literature - We began reading Treasure Island today! It's going to be a lot of fun and full of adventure. I passed out a map of the island. Write a set of directions to the treasure.

Our math class was taken up with Junior Achievement today, so there is no homework!

Spelling - Be sure you are working on the unit. It is due on Friday!

Eighth Grade

Pre-Algebra

Practice Test 8.

We did not finish going over the practice test questions. Here are the answers to the rest of the questions.

#9a - 37, 41, 43, 47

10. 17/3

11. 35/24 = 1 11/24

12. 22/45

13. 8

14. 3

15. 1,024

16. 9/14

17. 18 2/7

18. 600

19. 3.43

20. 128 square meters

For Pre-Algebra students, if you came to the blog to check your answers, send me an email. I'd just like to know who stopped by! You can also tell me if you had trouble with any problems. My email is b swickey at scb school dot org (take out spaces and change the at to the symbol and the dot to a period)

Algebra I - Lesson 37.

See you tomorrow!

Mrs. Swickey

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Tuesday, November 9th

There is a PTC meeting at 7:00 tonight! I will make the blog quick, so there won't be any explanations tonight. Sorry!

Sixth Grade

Math - The class worked through a practice test. There is a test tomorrow.

Literature - No homework! We read more of the book today and the class took a vocabulary test.

Spelling - No homework! The test was today.

Seventh Grade

Math - Finish Investigation 3. The class took a math test today.

Literature - Rewrite your essay from yesterday making changes as discussed during your peer reviews today.

Spelling - Work on Unit 12. It is due on Friday! I sent home the wrong study sheet yesterday. I will give you a new one tomorrow. Be sure you are studying the words for 7th grade. (It says the grade on one side of the sheet.)

Grammar - Adverbs. pp. 67. Exercise A. Remember, do NOT follow the instructions. Instead, just make two columns and write the adverb in the left column and the word being described in the the right column.

Eighth Grade

Both classes are to do Lesson 36.

See you tomorrow!

Mrs. Swickey

Monday, November 8, 2010

Monday, November 8th

Sixth Grade

Literature - We read from The Golden Goblet today and went over the vocabulary words for Section 2 Set 2. There will be a quiz tomorrow, so be sure to study the words! Also, there was another assignment due today that wasn't on the blog over the weekend. Some students forgot about it. It is the chapter 5 questions. I sent home a copy of the questions with 5 students today (including those whose parents I spoke with Friday afternoon). This needs to be turned in tomorrow.

Spelling - Unit 11 is due tomorrow. You do not have to do Vocabulary Connections this week! The test is also tomorrow. PLEASE STUDY!

Math - Lesson 35. Writing decimal numbers as fractions. Remember, if you can read the decimal, you can write it as a fraction. 0.9 is read as "nine tenths" so you write THAT fraction: 9/10

To write a fraction as a decimal, it's just the reverse. The bottom number tells you the decimal place. So, the fraction 3/10 is read as "three tenths" so there is a 3 in the tenths place - the place right after the decimal. This is written as 0.3

To write a decimal number in words, remember, if you can READ it, you can write it. You know the place to say at the end by looking at the place value chart. What place is the last number in? For example, in the number 30.025, the 5 is the last decimal place. It is in the thousandths, so you would read it like this: "thirty AND twenty-five thousandths"

The decimal point always says "AND".

Seventh Grade

This afternoon, each student received a communique, a Thanksgiving dinner sign-up, and a sign-up for eye testing.

Spelling - Unit 12. This is a unit review. I sent home a home study sheet with the words you will need to know.

Math - I sent home a practice test to be worked on at home. Please do not finish the Investigation. We will have time to do it together. There is a math test tomorrow. We will go over the practice test first.

Literature - We discussed how to write an essay for the book reports. Today, we focused on character and used a character from the play, "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" as everyone understood the story really well. You are to write a rough draft of an essay tonight on one of the following four characters: Les, Steve, Charlie, or The Woman. Focus two or three character traits. Tell how those traits impact the story and other characters. Maybe your character made other people think a certain way (like Tommy), or maybe your character made the story more tense. Don't forget a topic sentence (introduction sentence) and a concluding sentence.

Eighth Grade

Pre-Algebra - Lesson 35. Subtracting Mixed Numbers. Remember, to subtract mixed numbers, you first have to find a common denominator. Once you've done that, check to make sure the top numerator is bigger than the bottom numerator. If so, subtract like normal. If the top numerator is SMALLER than the bottom numerator, you will have to borrow from the top whole number. Take one away from the whole number. Then, to find the new top numerator, add the denominator to numerator. For example, if the mixed number was 3 1/10, you would borrow from the 3 and add 10 to 1. You would now have 2 11/10.

Algebra I - Factoring the Greatest Common Factor and Canceling.

To factor the greatest common factor, you first FIND the GCF as learned in Lesson 34. Next, you factor OUT of each term the GCF. This means that you take it out of each. Think about how it's a FACTOR. You aren't subtracting, but it's like dividing. Here are a few examples:


My mimio pad is acting up so I can't do any more examples. PLEASE email me if you have any questions! I'll check my email several times tonight.

See you tomorrow!
Mrs. Swickey

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Friday, November 5th

Sixth Grade

Literature - Section 2 Set 2 Vocabulary Words. I passed out a list of words this time instead of having the students write the down from the board. The students should look up all the words in a dictionary and write down the definition. We will go over the definitions in class on Monday and there will be a quiz on Wednesday.

Spelling - Unit 11 is due on Tuesday. You do not have to do the vocabulary Connections this week. The test will also be on Tuesday. Please study!

Math - Lesson 34. Decimal place value. You learned about three places after the decimal on Friday. The first place after the decimal is the tenths. With a 1 in this place, it is the same as writing 1/10 as a fraction, like this: 0.1. It also the place for the dime in money, since a dime is 1/10th of a dollar. The second place after the decimal is the hundredths. With a 1 in this place (and a zero in the tenths place like this: 0.01), it is like writing 1/100 as a fraction. It is also the place for the penny in money, since 1 penny is 1/100th of a dollar. The third place after the decimal is the thousandth. With a 1 in this place (and zeros in both the tenths and the hundredths like this: 0.001), then it is like writing 1/1,000 as a fraction. We do not have a coin for this place in money because the smallest coin is a penny.

Seventh Grade

Grammar - Adverbs. pp. 63-65. Exercises A, B, and C. For exercise A, you do not have to make columns. Just write the question the adverb answers. For exercises B and C, just follow the instructions.

Math - Lesson 30. Comparing, Adding, and Subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. Remember, you cannot compare fractions until you have written them with common denominators. Also, you cannot add or subtract fractions without making common denominators.

Literature - No homework!

Spelling - No homework!

Eighth Grade

Pre-Algebra. Lesson 34. Adding Mixed Numbers and Rate.

For adding mixed numbers, remember that you have to have common denominators to add fractions.

For rate, anytime you are comparing two numbers by writing them as a fraction. For example, 2 apples cost 80 cents can be written as 2 apples/80 cents or 80 cents/2 apples. To write them as a rate, you would write them using the word per so that we know the cost for just ONE (one apple or one cent). You could just reduce the numbers in the fraction. 80 cents/2 apples could reduce to 40 cents/1 apple by dividing 2 and 80 by 2. This is read as 40 cents PER apple. To write that as apples per cent, you would start with 2 apples/80 cents and divide both by 2 to get 1 apple/40 cents. You want it to be PER cent, so you could take the numbers as a fraction 1 and 40 and write it as 1/40th of an apple per each cent. (That sounds silly, but it's what they are asking for.) If you wrote the two rates as:

1 apple/40 cents and 40 cents/1 apple

I would accept that.

You are only doing the practice problems and #5-20.

Algebra I - Lesson 34. Greatest Common Factor. For greatest common factor, you are looking for the factors that all the terms have in common. You already know how to do this with numbers. When you add in variables with exponents, you look to see if the terms have the variable in common and write it with the highest exponent that is in EACH ONE. Here is an example:

You are doing practice and #15-30 ONLY.

See you on Monday!
Mrs. Swickey

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Wednesday, November 3rd

Sixth Grade

Literature - Questions over Chapter 5 of The Golden Goblet.

Math - Lesson 33. Writing percents as fractions. EVERY percent is out of 100 - so every percent written as a fraction should be written over 100. Then, reduce the fraction. Remember, your final fraction is NOT a percent, so do not put the percent sign! For example, to change 30% to a fraction, first write 30 over 100. Then reduce by dividing both 30 and 100 by 10.

30/100 divided by 10/10 = 3/10

Seventh Grade

Literature - The class took a Selection Test over The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street. There is no homework!

Spelling - Work on Unit 11 and study for the test!

Grammar - There is an adjectives test tomorrow. Be sure you are going over all of the RED RULES and all of the tan boxes in each section of the adjectives chapter.

Math - Lesson 29. Rounding Whole Numbers and estimating. The class understood rounding really well. Remember, when you are asked to estimate an answer, first ROUND the numbers before you compute (add, subtract, multiply, or divide).

Eighth Grade

Pre-Algebra - Lesson 32. Variables and evaluation.

Remember, to evaluate an expression, change the variables to the numbers they represent and follow the order of operations rules.

Algebra I - Lesson 32. This lesson is just like Lesson 30 except that the statements now form equations instead of expressions. Write the equation out in the same manner that you did the expressions from Lesson 30, and solve the equation.

See you tomorrow!

Mrs. Swickey

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Tuesday, November 2nd

Sixth Grade

Spelling - Unit 10 is due tomorrow! Remember, you do not have to do the Vocabulary Connections pages this time. Also, the test is tomorrow, so please study!

Literature - We read from the book today. No homework.

Math - Lesson 32. We only covered the expanded notation portion of this lesson. You need to do the practice problems a-d and all of the lesson problems except #4 and 27. I will explain how to do elapsed time tomorrow and you will finish those problems then. For expanded notation, write each digit in its own parenthesis multiplied by its place value. Here is an example:

Write 3,204 in expanded notation:

(3 x 1,000) + (2 x 100) + (4 x 1)

Since the three is in the thousands place, you write 3 x 1,000. Since the 2 is in the hundreds place, you write 2 x 100. Since there is a zero in the tens place, you do not need to write a parenthesis for the tens. Skip to the 4 and since it is in the ones place, you write 4 x 1. In between each parenthesis, you write a + sign.

To write a number in standard form from expanded notation, you just go backwards. Just make sure that you put place holder zeros if a place is missing.

For example:

(5 x 1,000) + (3 x 100) + (9 x 10)

This would be 5,390.

You put a zero in the ones place since there was not a parenthesis for the ones place.

Seventh Grade

Literature - Worksheets over The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street. You will have a Selection Test over the play tomorrow. Remember to think about the following essay question:

Many people are accused of being aliens in the play. Choose one and explain why the conclusions of the crowd are invalid. Be specific!

Spelling - Unit 11 is due on Friday. The focus this week is words with silent letters. You MUST study for this test! It isn't easy.

Grammar - Adjectives worksheets. There will be a test over adjectives on Thursday. This is a review. We will grade and go over the worksheets tomorrow.

Math - Lesson 28. Two-step word problems. Remember to always read word problems carefully and keep in mind what the question is asking. You sometimes have to work a couple of steps to get the correct answer. Finding averages is a good example of two-step problems. You have to add up all the numbers and then divide by the number of numbers. Your assignment is the practice and evens only!

Eighth Grade

Pre-Algebra - Lesson 31. Order of operations. For these, REMEMBER, that you always do multiplication OR division, left to right first. That means if a division problem comes first, you must do it before multiplication. Then, do addition OR subtraction, left to right. Again, if a subtraction comes before addition, do it first! The assignment is practice and #1-15 only.

Algebra I - Lesson 31. Equations with parentheses. Remember to first distribute and eliminate any parentheses. Keep in mind that when a negative number is on the outside of a parenthesis, you must distribute the negative sign as if it were -1. (It will change the sign of everything inside the parenthesis.) Then solve the equation as you already know how to do. The assignment is practice and #1-15 only.

See you tomorrow!

Mrs. Swickey

Monday, November 1, 2010

Monday, November 1st

Sixth Grade

Math - Lesson 31. I will go over the new concepts tomorrow. Have the rest of the lesson done because you will turn it in before the end of class tomorrow.

Spelling - Unit 10 is due on WEDNESDAY this time. You do not have to do the Vocabulary Connections pages either! Be sure you are studying for the test.

Literature - No homework.

Seventh Grade

Math - Lesson 27. I will go over the new concepts tomorrow. Have the rest of the lesson done because you will turn it in before the end of class tomorrow.

Literature - "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" questions:

Thinking About the Selection #1-11
Analyzing Literature #1-4.

Vocabulary - There was a test today over Unit 4.

Eighth Grade

Both classes: Lesson 30. I will go over the new concepts tomorrow. Have the rest of the lesson done because you will turn it in before the end of class tomorrow. Pre-Algebra, you should also have Lesson 28 ready to turn in as well as the graphing worksheet. Algebra I, you should have Lesson 29 ready to turn in.

See you tomorrow!

Mrs. Swickey