Tuesday, August 24th

ALL STUDENTS AND PARENTS - MRS. LASSITER NOW HAS A BLOG TOO!

YOU CAN FIND IT HERE.
The address is: www.lassiter678.blogspot.com

Sixth Grade:

Literature - Don't forget! Tomorrow you have a test over My Side of the Mountain! Be sure you are studying the notes you took in class. Also, go over what you want to write for the essay. I will be grading the essay based on the detail and accuracy you put into your answers. Remember that it is supposed to be 5 to 7 sentences long! You all have done a terrific job as we've discussed the book so I know you will do just fine on the test. Don't stress about it, okay? If you have a question about something you wrote down, feel free to email me tonight. I'm here for you!

Math - Lesson 4. Missing numbers in multiplication and division. Here are some examples:

(remember, you can click each picture to make it bigger)

Seventh Grade

Literature - Remember to study for your test over Hatchet for tomorrow! Be sure you go over what you would like to write for your essay. I will be grading for details and accuracy of information. It needs to be 9-11 sentences!

Grammar - pp. 23-25. Exercises A, B, C, & D & DWS. Remember to follow ALL directions except on Ex. B - you do NOT have to write the sentences, just the compound nouns. And remember - some sentences will have more than one compound noun.

Math - Lesson 3. To know what you are supposed to do, scroll down to yesterday's blog post for 6th grade. You will find the information for missing numbers in addition and subtraction there. Then, look at the pictures for 6th grade today. You will find the information for missing numbers in multiplication and division there.

Eighth Grade

Pre-Algebra. Lesson 4. Look at the examples for 6th grade today. You are doing the same thing, but with much harder numbers. Remember, that for now, you are not adding the decimal point and continuing to divide. Write any remainders in division as remainders for now. We will get into dividing with decimals in a few lessons.

Algebra I. Lesson 4. A lot of information was presented in this lesson. For most of it, you can look back at the lesson for examples, but I will show you a few examples of how to use the unit multipliers.



See you tomorrow!

Mrs. Swickey

Monday, August 23rd

Sixth Grade

Reminder - For the NINE 6th graders who did not turn in their summer math, be sure to bring it to class tomorrow!

Math - Lesson 3. Missing numbers in addition and subtraction. Here are two examples for you. You can click on the pictures to make them bigger and easier to see!



Spelling - The class started Unit 1 today! We will usually start a new unit on Wednesdays and they will be due the following Tuesday. Spelling tests will be on Tuesdays for 6th grade. Unit 1 is due NEXT Tuesday. Each student needs to complete the entire unit and the Challenge page. The only things I do not require in Spelling are the writing assignment on the 4th page (unless otherwise specified) and any circling of letters in a word.

Literature - Today, we began going over the summer assignment. We will continue to discuss the book tomorrow and the class will have a test on Wednesday!

Seventh Grade

Grammar - pg. 21-22. Exercise A. Do NOT write the answers in columns. Simply write person, place, or thing for each number. DWS - Follow directions carefully! Remember to turn to page 22 to find the directions for each sentence you will write.

Spelling - The class took a pre-test over Unit 1 today. The units will be due each Friday. The tests will also be on Fridays. The only things I don't require in Spelling are the writing assignments (unless otherwise specified) or any circling of letters. The Challenge page is always part of the assignment as are the Vocabulary Connections pages.

Math - No homework today! The class finished up Lesson 2 in class after we discussed a few more topics covered in the lesson. (There was a lot of new information in Lesson 2!)

Eighth Grade

Pre-Algebra - Lesson 3. If you need help, scroll back up and look at 6th grade's examples. It's the same exact thing except your numbers will be bigger!

Algebra I - Lesson 3. Below is an example of a shape with the half circles on it.


Now that you've got the all the straight sides figured out, you need to find the perimeter of the two half circles. Remember that you can just multiply pi by the radius to find the circumference of a half circle. So, 3.14 x 7=21.98 and 3.14 x 3=9.42.

Once you have those, then add everything up and that's the perimeter of the whole shape!

21.98 + 9.42 + 13 + 14 + 7 = 65.4cm

And, as always, EMAIL ME if you have a question!

See you tomorrow!
Mrs. Swickey

Friday, AIugust 20th

Sixth Grade

Math - Lesson 2 - Multiplication of whole numbers and money. Multiplication and division fact families. I'm not giving examples as everyone knew what they were doing! We are off to a terrific start in 6th grade math. I'm looking forward to our first day for Literature and Spelling on Monday. Have a great weekend! (Be sure to email me if you are stuck.)

Seventh Grade

Language Arts - "Sorry Sentences". Everyone should have written down the five sentences from the board. Please change them to be more interesting and not BORING! Remember, you can change the words in the sentence and add adjectives or adverbs. You must keep the same meaning of the sentence. So, for the first one, "The cat slept", you must still have a sleeping cat in the sentence, and whether or not you use the word "cat" or "sleep" is up to you!

Literature - We continued discussing the summer reading, Hatchet, today. We will finish up reviewing the book on Monday and there will be a test over the book on Wednesday.

Math - Lesson 2. This lesson introduces a lot of new material. Because there were a still a few things to go over when class ended, you do not have to complete the entire lesson by Monday. Please work on it, use your MiniMath notes for help, and skip any problems you don't know. On Monday, we will go over the few remaining examples from the lesson and you will have until the end of class to turn it in.

I am very pleased with what a great start we've had to the school year! Thank you for all your hard work.

Eighth Grade

Both groups have Lesson 2 as the assignment. The concepts covered in the lessons reviewed skills previously learned. I won't post any examples, but as always, please email me if you have questions! I also want to say thank you to the 8th grade. You guys are setting a great standard in class by working hard and using the class time so well. I've been proud of you!

Have a great weekend!
See you Monday......
Mrs. Swickey

Thursday, August 19th

Sixth Grade

Math - Lesson 1. Everyone did a great job today and remembered how to do the problems in lesson 1, so I won't put examples up. If you do have a question, go ahead and email me!

Seventh Grade

Literature - We began going over questions from Hatchet today. Mr. Gungoll came in for a short visit and everyone was so well behaved! I was very proud of you. There is no homework.

We also learned the first idiom today! It was a day in the sun. The students each wrote a sentence using the idiom. They will learn a new one each day.

Math - Lesson 1. Remember that counting or natural numbers start at 1 and count up and we show those numbers like this - {1, 2, 3...} Then, whole numbers include zero so we show them like this - {0, 1, 2, 3...} The only difference between counting numbers and whole numbers is that whole numbers also includes zero! That's it. To evaluate expressions, remember that you are just "plugging in" the values given for the variables and solving the expression. A variable is one of the letters that stands for a number. Here is an example:

Evaluate the following expressions when: a=4 and b=12

a + b b-a ab b divided by a

Plug in the numbers for the letters and solve:

4 + 12 12-4 4 x 12 12 divided by 4

16 8 48 3

Be sure to use your MiniMath booklets if you are confused!

Eighth Grade

Pre-Algebra - Lesson 1. There are several concepts in this lesson. First, to name the value of a certain digit in a number, just use the table on page 1. Count over how many places the digit is from the right and name that place. Second, if you are asked the following: Write the 7 digit number that has a 4 in the tens place, a 2 in the ten-thousands place, and 5's in all the rest of the places, write 7 5's, like this:

5555555

Then put the commas in by counting by threes from the right.

5,555,555

Then change the numbers that are exceptions. Change the tens place to 4 and the ten-thousands place to 2.

5,525,545

For the problems that ask you to write the numbers in words, first put the commas in the correct places. Then, say the number out loud. Be sure you are saying the proper places. If you can say it, you can write it! So, the number from the above example is now:

five million, five hundred twenty-five thousand, five hundred forty five.

If you are supposed to write a number with numerals from words, be sure you aren't skipping anything. For example, to write this number, twenty-two billion, forty-one thousand, three, you would do this:

22,000,041,003

I put three zeroes after the 22 because there are no millions. There are also no hundred thousands so I put another zero. Then there are no hundreds or tens, so I put two more zeroes. Be sure you are using place holder zeroes! If you are unsure about one, email me!

For expanded notation, remember each non-zero digit will be in a separate parenthesis. So, if you n7eeded to write 41,025,700 in expanded notation, you would do the following:

(4x10,000,000) + (1 x 1,000,000) + (2 x 10,000) + (5 x 1,000) + (7 x 100).

Each digit is multiplied by it's place value. Since the 4 is in the ten-million's place, it is multiplied by ten million, etc. You don't have to show the zeroes in expanded notation.

To write a standard number from expanded notation, remember to include zeroes for places not stated. Here is an example:

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

This would be: 703,204

There is no number multiplied by ten thousand or ten so there are zeroes in those places.

Again, PLEASE email me if you are stuck and need help. I want you to really utilize both the blog AND me each night! I'm here for you and don't want you struggling with math!

Algebra I. Your assignment is Lesson 1, but it was so easy, you don't need examples! (If you really do though, just email me.)

I was very proud of how hard all of eighth grade worked today. You also were very respectful of each other. Thank you!

See you tomorrow....
Mrs. Swickey

First Day of School!

The first day of school was great! I think we are off to a terrific start in all classes.

6th Grade

Today, 6th grade came to math class. The Literature and Spelling class will be on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, so we will start both of those subjects next Monday. We spent our time in math class going over procedures and how I expect things to be done. I know some things are familiar and others are new. I sent home a parent letter so please read through that and let me know if you have any questions! I will be sending home a homework policy tomorrow. You will need to sign and return it by Friday. The students then took a timed addition facts test. There is no homework! This will not happen too often as we will start working through the lessons tomorrow. Again, feel free to email me if you have any questions. My email is in the right sidebar.

7th Grade

We had a terrific day in 7th grade! I was so glad to see 20 familiar faces. Since we do not have any new students, the day went very smoothly. We spent much of our time going over procedures for the classroom, organizing supplies, and discussing the various classes. We attended Mass this morning and the 7th graders met their 1st grade buddies for the first time! It went very well and our new principal, Mr. Gungoll, praised the class on their behavior and how good they were with the 1st graders. We are going to expand the meaning of the buddies this year and will be doing little things for them throughout the year. Mrs. Politte and I are very excited about this!

The students have no homework for me other than decorating their MiniMath booklets. These are going to be used in math as a way to take notes. For each lesson, the students will take notes on a page in the booklet. This will be another resource for the students to use when they are trying to figure out the problems in the lesson. Every 15 lessons, they will turn in the MiniMath and receive a grade for it! Then, they will start a new MiniMath. I think it'll be a great way to help them learn to take notes in math as well as increase their understanding of the concepts.
I passed out the homework policy and would like you to review, sign, and return the bottom slip of the form by Friday. Please let me know if you have any questions! My email is in the right side bar as well as on the homework policy.

8th Grade

It was great to see everyone again! I can't believe you are in 8th grade this year. It seems like just yesterday we were having the first day of 6th grade! Wow. We spent our class period today going over the class procedures and how the split class will work. I sent home a pretty detailed handout about Pre-Algebra and Algebra I. Parents, please read through it and let me know if you have any questions. I feel good about how things are going to work and I can tell the class is committed to 8th grade math being a success! I will be sending home the homework policy tomorrow. Please review, sign, and return by Friday. As always, you can email me with any questions. My email is in the right sidebar!

See you tomorrow!
Mrs. Swickey

Summer Math Part 2 - 8th Grade

Scroll down to the previous post for help on #1-27.


Okay...it's been more than a few days since the other post, but here is the rest of the summer math examples! Remember, you can always email me if you have any questions. That's what I'm here for.

#28-32. Scientific Notation

Remember, first you multiply the first numbers in parentheses. Then multiply the powers of 10. How you do that is by ADDING the exponents following the rules for adding integers. If your first number is a single digit or has a single digit before a decimal point, you are finished.If your first number is two or more digits, you have to change that. Remember, in scientific notation, your first number has to between 1 and less than 10...one digit before the decimal point. So, if you multiply and get a number greater than 10, such as 24, you have to move the decimal point over until you have only a single number before the pont. So, 24 would change to 2.4. Once you do that, since we moved the decimal over 1 time, ADD one to the exponent with the 10.

Here are two examples. In the first, you don't have to move the decimal point or change the exponent. In the second, you do have to move the decimal point.


For #33-36, remember the rules for multiplying and dividing signed numbers.

If the signs are the same the answer is POSITIVE.

If the signs are different, the answer is NEGATIVE.

If you are multiplying more than two numbers, just count the number of negative signs. If there is an even number of negative signs, it's POSITIVE. If there is an odd number of negative signs, it's NEGATIVE. All you have to do is multiply the numbers.

#37-40 Simple Equations. Here are a few examples. Remember, to solve an equation, you are trying to get the variable by itself.
For #41-43, remember that to add like terms, you combine the terms that have the exact same variable. Numbers without variables are like terms with each other. Do not combine terms that have two different letters. Here are a few examples:

Example 1:



Example 2:




For #44-45, you are using distributive property. You multiply the number on the outside by each of the numbers on the inside.


That's it! Remember to write if you need help and ----

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER! See you in the fall!

Mrs. Swickey

Summer Math Homework - 8th Grade

Hello, 8th grade! Here is the information I promised to help you with your summer homework. Remember, you are only supposed to work half a worksheet a week! First, this will keep you from being overwhelmed at the end of the summer and second, it will keep your math skills up over the summer.

This post has examples or explanations for #1-27. I will post the rest in the next couple of days.

Each form has the same kind of problems, so I'll go through them by number.

Please email me if there is something you don't understand. I am here to help!

#1-7: You should know how to do these.

#8. To round repeating decimals, first write the repeat to one place past the place you are supposed to round. Here is an example:

If you are supposed to round to the nearest ten thousandth, write the repeating numbers until you are one place past the ten thousandth. Then, use that number to round to the ten thousandth. Your final answer will NOT have a repetend, (the little bar), because it will be rounded.


You can click on any image to make it bigger and easier to see.

#9. If you can say the decimal, you can write it as a fraction. Remember to reduce!

#10 & #12. Remember, exponents tell you how many times to multiply a number by itself:



#11 & #13. To write a number as a product of prime numbers using exponents means to do the prime factorization. Use the factor tree. Here is an example:

#14. To find the area of a complex shape, first divide the shape into squares and rectangles. Here is an example:


For #15-18, you are going to plug in the number given for each variable (letter) and find the value of the expression. Here is an example:

#19 - This is just a simple equation. You should know how to solve this!

#20-23 - These are order of operations problems. Remember the order:

Parentheses - Exponents - Multiplication/Division - Addition/Subtraction

Simplify everything inside parentheses or other inclusion symbols, like brackets. Then, simplify exponents (if any). Then do any multiplication OR division - whichever is first from left to right. Then do any addition OR subtraction - again, whichever is first from left to right. Be sure you DO NOT add numbers that still need to be multiplied. That is the biggest mistake students make. Take your time!

Here is an example:



#24-25. For these problems, you will need to know some basic formulas for finding the area and circumference of a circle. I will do a few problems.


If you are given 9 as the diameter, to find the radius, divide by 2. It will be a decimal - 4.5

#26-27. You need to remember the rules for adding signed numbers. If the signs are the same, ADD and keep the same sign. If the signs are different, SUBTRACT, and use the sign of the bigger number. Here is an example: