Pre-Christmas EOG review packet

Here is a copy of the review packet I gave the kids in class today.  I was only able to make a class set, so if you would like a copy, please download and print one out.  I made this from cutting and pasting questions I have found from EOG review material.  These are very typical problems that they will encounter on the test at the end of the year.  I am allowing calculators on this assignment.  They will have 2 days to complete in class and then it will become homework.  I will go over every question in detail when we return from Holiday break.   I will post an answer key when every class has completed it.

Pre-Christmas Review Packet

12 Days of Christmas BONUS QUESTIONS

Here is your bonus questions for this week.  5 BONUS quiz points (total) for all 3 correct answers handed in to me by FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19.


We are all familiar with the Christmas song "the 12 days of Christmas".  (SEE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR SONG)

Your bonus questions are:

1) How many TOTAL gifts would you receive if you got every present mentioned in the song
2) what gift (or gifts) was given the least number of times
3) what gift (or gifts) was given the most number of times
(for questions 2 and 3, count each item individually)

IF YOU HAVE YOUNGER CHILDREN, YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN THIS LINK. IT IS AN INTERACTIVE MAP THAT GIVES YOU THE TOTAL COST FOR THE GIFTS IN THE SONG.... IT IS UPDATED EVERY YEAR AND IS QUITE AN EYE-OPENER.  ENJOY!

INTERACTIVE SITE FOR CALCULATING COST OF CHRISTMAS



HERE IS THE SONG IN CASE YOU FORGOT IT....

On the first day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the second day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the third day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the fourth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the fifth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the sixth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the seventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the eighth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the ninth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the tenth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Ten Lords a Leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the eleventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Eleven Pipers Piping
Ten Lords a Leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the twelfth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:
12 Drummers Drumming
Eleven Pipers Piping
Ten Lords a Leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

HELP WITH SOLVING 1 STEP EQUATIONS

I have spent some time this week introducing the kids to Algebra.   For most of the kids, this is their first time really using VARIABLES as an actual part of math rather than just substituting for them in a problem.  We spent a few days talking about how to change word problems into math equations by picking out key words or phrases and converting them to actual math problems.  Your child should have a list of key words and phrases that correspond to specific operations (example:  'the sum of' means to add, 'the product of' means to multiply) in their notebooks.  Please make sure they have looked them over and are familiar with them.

I then went on to show them how to SOLVE simple equations that have 1 variable in them.  I am including a link below that will direct you to site that gives a very good explanation of how I taught it to my classes.  This may or may not be how you may have learned this, but I find this to be a very easy way for the kids to solve these problems.  I am trying to introduce them to manipulating equations to find missing values.  I am requiring all the kids to be fluent in solving 1 step equations (those that only require one step to solve the problem) and for my more advanced students, I showed them how to solve 2 step equations as well.  The link I am including is for a site called PURPLE MATH.COM  which I have been using for a while and that I use when I am tutoring higher level students in higher grades.  Take a few minutes to poke around on that site and see what they have to offer.  (Don't forget about Kahn academy as well for video lessons)

If you have not already purchased a calculator for use in class, now would be a good time to get one.  As soon as we finish our lesson on solving equations, we will move onto percents and ratios and calculators will become very helpful.  You do not need an expensive graphing calculator (they will need one by 8th grade though).  Please try to find one that does fractions easily.  The TI 30X series is very reasonably priced and will do everything needed for 6th and 7th grade.

I am very pleased with the progress of my students learning integers (negative numbers).  It was a difficult topic and most of the kids seemed to master it.  If your child is still having difficulties, encourage them to ask questions in class and/or stay with me after school for some small group help.

Lastly, please encourage your students to continue working with the MobyMax program.  It is a very good resource to help kids fill in the gaps they have in their math knowledge.  The program seems to go back to the earliest material they have not mastered and gives them lessons on those topics until they catch up.  You can see your child's current grade level assessment according the program.  I am hoping that by the end of the year, ALL of my kids are at a minimum of a 6th grade level and ideally into the 7th or 8th grade material.

NOTES ON SOLVING EQUATIONS

WEEKLY CHALLENGE PUZZLE... week of 12/1 - 12/5

Using the shapes above, your challenge is to fit the pieces together to create a rectangle that uses ALL the pieces.

Download the pieces from this link...

bonus puzzle pieces

then cut out the pieces and give it a try.  You goal is to fit the pieces together into a 10 X 6 rectangle (it should be 10 squares long by 6 squares wide).  If you can do this, please tape or glue the pieces together onto a piece of paper and bring it to me to get credit.   If you print the pieces onto cardstock paper rather than plain copy paper it will hold together better (not a requirement though).

GOOD LUCK

5 BONUS POINTS ADDED TO QUIZ GRADES IF IT IS CORRECT.

DUE TO ME BY FRIDAY DECEMBER 12TH

ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 6TH GRADER --- QUESTION 2

Here is this weeks bonus question... it is due to me by Friday at noon either via email or hand it directly to me.  5 points added to quiz grades for correct answers.

TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM

2 towns, Alpha and Beta are exactly 425 miles apart.  To get directly from Alpha to Beta one can ride a bus, but to get directly from Beta to Alpha, one has to ride on a train.  If the bus leaves Alpha at 7am and travels at a constant speed of 57 miles per hour toward Beta, and at 8am the train leaves Beta and travels at a constant speed of 90 miles per hour toward Alpha,  HOW FAR APART ARE THE VEHICLES EXACTLY 20 MINUTES BEFORE THEY PASS EACH OTHER.  Assume that both vehicles are traveling at constant speeds and in straight paths, and will not run into each other, but pass each other without incident.  

NO advanced math is necessary to solve this problem.

PRACTICE TEST 2

Here is a copy of practice TEST 2  that I gave out in class today.  I will post answer key later in the week....

PRACTICE TEST 2

ANSWERS to workbook pages and quiz 4 and 5

Here are the answers to the workbook pages I previously put up and for quiz 4 and 5


workbook pages answers

Quiz 4 answers

Quiz 5 A and B classes Answers

Quiz 5 C class Answers

ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 6TH GRADER?

Here is another opportunity to score some free BONUS points for math class.  You have until class starts on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31 to either hand me your answer or email it to me.    Each correct response will get 5 bonus points added to your  QUIZ score.  NO penalty for incorrect answers.  These questions do not require the use of advanced math and can be solved by anyone with a general math background.  They will be more logical than mathematical.    GOOD LUCK!

EXPLORERS

There are four explorers who are traveling through the jungle and come across a bridge they want to cross. They all begin on the same side. They have only 17 minutes to get all of them across to the other side. It is night. There is one flashlight. A maximum of two people can cross at one time. Any party who crosses, either one or two people, must have the flashlight with them. The flashlight must be walked back and forth, it cannot be thrown, etc. Each explorer walks at a different speed. A pair must walk together at the rate of the slower man

Explorer A: 1 minute to cross
Explorer B: 2 minutes to cross
Explorer C: 5 minutes to cross
Explorer D: 10 minutes to cross

For example, if explorer 1 and explorer 4 walk across first, 10 minutes have elapsed when they get to the other side of the bridge. If explorer 4 returns with the flashlight, a total of 20 minutes have passed, and they have failed the mission.

WHAT IS THE CORRECT ORDER (IF IT CAN BE DONE) THAT THEY CAN CROSS THE BRIDGE AND DO IT WITHIN THE 17 MINUTE TIME LIMIT?  

Practice worksheets for FRACTION UNIT

here are some blank copies of the workbook pages we did in class and for homework.  Answer keys will follow in a later post.....

comparing and ordering fractions

equivalent fractions and mixed numbers

multiplying fractions times whole numbers

multiplying fractions

multiplying mixed numbers

dividing fractions and mixed numbers

adding and subtracting unlike fractions

adding and subtracting mixed numbers

Quiz 4 fractions all classes

Quiz 5  C Class

Quiz 5 A and B classes

please let me know if one of these links does not open or you need any help.

Crazy songs the kids have been asking about....

On the first few days of school I played some music for the kids while they did their diagnostic test in class.  I have been asked many times if I would put some of the songs on my blog so they could listen at home.  Here they are.  They are both by an artist named Keller Williams and come from an album he made for children appropriately named "Kids".   I apologize in advance for any silliness this may cause.  Also a special apology to all MOMS who hear this and have to take the abuse.
Enjoy.....

Mama Tooted

Goat Song (my neighbor is happy again)

TUTORING.....

Now that soccer season has ended, I will be available in my room for after school tutoring on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:05 until 4:00.  This is not mandatory, just a means to get a little extra help with specific problems.  I have only 2 requirements that must be met for your student to stay with me:

1) they MUST have a ride home when tutoring is over.  I cannot just let kids leave and wander if they do not have a ride.  I chose 4:00 as an ending point so that you should not have to wait in elementary carpool line.  Also, please note that I will not be able to watch younger or older siblings during that time, and they cannot just hang out outside my classroom unattended waiting for their brother/sister to finish. Please have a ride waiting or plan on some other method of getting some extra help.

2) Anyone staying with me needs to BRING THEIR OWN MATERIAL that they want help with.  I will not be able to just run off worksheets or make up some problems to work on.  I have previously posted some downloadable worksheets and old assessments, you can do a google search for that topic including "worksheet" in your search and print that off as well.

Please do not force your child to stay with me if they do not have specific items they want help with.  I will not allow a student to stay with me if they walk in and have no material ready and tell me that the only reason they are there is because their parents told them they had to stay.  I want to be able to help each person that stays with specific problems, and the fewer that stay, the more beneficial it will be.  Lastly, if I encounter any behavioral problems with anyone that stays, they will not be allowed to stay after with me again.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Practice Tests for TEST ! with ANSWER KEYS

Here is a link to the practice test we did before taking TEST 1.  I have also included an answer key as well.  You can use this for even more practice before taking the retest on MONDAY.


Practice Test 1 A and B classes

Practice Test 1 A and B classes ANSWER KEY


Practice Test 1 C class

Practice Test 1 C class ANSWER KEY

TEST 1 and ANSWER KEY for test 1

Here are blank copies of TEST 1 and a separate file with worked out answers for test 1.  If your child is not doing well, please download both and have your child complete the test in front of you, talking you through each problem as you check it against my answer key.  If they are making careless mistakes, that can be fixed with more practice until they stop making careless errors.  IF however, they can not talk you through the problems, we need to have a meeting to discuss possible interventions.  I have already gone over every single problem on the board in class, and answered all questions that were asked.   Please take the time to do this, then you will be able to see for yourself exactly what concepts are not being mastered and you can share that information with me.



TEST 1 C class

TEST 1 C class ANSWER KEY


TEST 1 A and B classes

TEST 1 A and B classes ANSWER KEY

instructional VIDEOS link

Here is a link to a website of a math teacher from Wake County who does his own videos  on most of the topics we are going to cover this year.  The videos are free to watch however if you would like full access to his site you will have to donate.  The videos are very similar to the notes I give in class.

Maisonet Math

PRACTICE WORKSHEETS

Here is a link to the website for the program that I use to make my custom worksheets the kids will use for homework many times.  You can click on any of the links in the yellow sections in the middle of the pages and they will take you to pages that contain worksheets with ANSWERS (at the bottom) that you can download or print out.

PRACTICE WORKSHEETS

TOPICS WE HAVE COVERED SO FAR:
--adding and subtracting decimals
--multiplying decimals
--divisibility and factors
--greatest common factor
--least common multiple
--everything under the heading BASICS
--one step equation word problems

Khan Academy Videos

Here is a link to the website for Khan Academy.  If you have not seen it before, please be sure to play around on that sight and see all that they have to offer.  I am linking to the page for 6th grade Arithmetic Operations,  on which you will find links for instructional VIDEOS for all decimal operations.

KHAN ACADEMY VIDEOS

WELCOME

Hello,
Welcome to my Blog page for 6th grade math for the 2014-2015 school year.  By now, you should have received a welcome letter from me that I gave out the first day of school and went over with each and every class.  In that letter, I listed some avenues for success in math class for this year.  Some of the highlights were to be prepared every day with all materials ready to go (including homework) and have a good attitude when I begin class.  Since we have a full 90 minutes of class this year, it is my plan to give each class some time (hopefully about 15-20 minutes) to begin their homework before leaving for the day.  In some cases, they may be able to complete the assignment, if not, then your child is expected to have it completed by the start of the next class.  I grade homework on an effort basis, and I expect to see work or answers for every problem I assign.  I do not grade homework for a numerical grade, I am just checking to see if it has been completed.  I want to see all scrap work, so they are required to show me that as well.  

I WILL NOT  be posting daily homework on this blog page, and do not intend to do so this year.  I clearly define what is expected for homework in class before I dismiss each class.  Each child was given a handbook with a daily planner in it which should be used to write down daily assignments for each class.  In addition, I will be available via email (jmatisoff@neusecharterschool.org) until 10pm each night to answer questions about the homework.  I do not usually bring home extra copies so please do not ask me to send you a copy if you left it in class.

Because of the flexibility I have with such long class times and leveled classes, each of my 3 classes may be on a different topic and have different assignments to complete each day.  That is also the reason that I am not able to give out homework weeks (or even too many days) in advance.  My homework is based on what lessons we cover in class and how much practice I feel is necessary to master the concepts.  I do not give homework for the sake of giving homework, it is to practice a skill or skills we learned in class that day.  Most times, the homework is just like the practice problems I did on the board in class.  For most lessons, I do multiple examples, complete with all steps worked out, and expect all examples to be copied into the students notebook.   That way, parents can see what we are working on in class and the examples can be used to help solve additional problems I have assigned.

One thing that I stress every day is the importance of knowing the relevant vocabulary to the lesson we are covering.  I put vocabulary words on the board nearly every day and expect the kids to learn them just as if it were for language arts class.  In a lot of cases, just knowing the key vocabulary in a question will give you direction to solving the problem.

Lastly, as I have stated many times, knowing the basic skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of numbers 1 through 12 will be extremely beneficial to being successful in math class this year.  I will be posting useful webpages and websites that I find that may be helpful in your students mastering these basic concepts, as well as pages that offer videos that demonstrate the same concepts we cover in class.  Please check back here often to see what is new, and please feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions or concerns or have found some useful websites that you would like me to share.

Again, welcome to 6th grade and I hope it will be a very pleasant and enriching year for everyone.

Mr. Matisoff