Mr. Reimer's
Pre-Algebra
Text: Bennett, J. M. et. al. (2008). Pre-Algebra . Orlando: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston. ISBN-13: 978-0-03-093468-1.
You are expected to cover the textbook lent to you. Remember rule#2, "Respect Others' Property"
Textbook website: Lots of good stuff here. Not only is the textbook online (so you do not have to lug it back and forth between school and home each day), but it has many additional resources that can help you become a math wiz and do well in our course. There is online help for the homework (with videos, hints, and extra practice). Each section has extra practice, a notebook with additional stuff. And there is interactive practice for tests.
Directions to Log On
Go to http://my.hrw.com
Enter your assigned user name and password, and click Log In.
Click on Go to Online Textbook for Math Course 3.
Select the chapter and lesson from the drop down window.
Select the tab for Book Pages, Additional Practice, or Videos & Activities.
Select what you need from the various options.
Family Activities: One good way to enforce the concepts learned in class is to work on the online activities designed to be done with your family. These are separated by textbook chapter. Learning or relearning can be fun when done together.
Supplies Needed:
* A positive attitude.
* 3-Ring Notebooks (for tests,
quizzes, handouts, & worksheets)
** Large
3-Ring Notebook (so you can organize your materials from the entire course)
** Small
3-Ring Notebook (for the current unit's materials - Work smart, not hard and
don't lug everything to class each
day)
** Spiral Notebook or packets of 3-Ring lined paper (for
notes & homework)
* Composition notebook for journal
* Pencils
* Colored pencil, or highlighter (to emphasize key facts in
your notes)
* Eraser
* Graph paper
* 3x5 Index cards (for vocabulary)
* TI-34 or better Calculator (to check homework
arithmetic and for special lessons)
* Internet Account
Any Internet
account can do. If you don't have one, there are free versions, such as
Google's GMAIL
And if you don't have a computer at home, you can use a
friend's or go to the public library. That is a great resource our
public
library provides us.
Keep the large 3-Ring notebook at home or in your locker. Bring the rest to class.
Calculator: Calculators are not allowed for much of the year. This is to strengthen number sense and basic calculation skills needed for high school mathematics. Periodically, for specific lessons, calculators will be used. We may also use a graphing calculator (possible online versions) to explore how changing parts of an equation affect the line created.
I recommend that calculators be used as a tool to check homework, not to do it. An inexpensive calculator, such as the TI-34, is sufficient for the needs of this course. Note that calculators on phones or other electronic devises are not considered calculators but phones or other electronic devises, which are not allowed in the classroom according to school policy.
For more on calculators, see Calculators, the Good, Bad & Ugly.
Taking Good Notes:
Taking good notes is an excellent way to learn. Scientist found out that the more parts of your brain you use when learning math, the better you learn. In our class you learn by thinking about what we are doing, relating it to what you know, watching what I do, listening to what I and others say, speaking when you ask or answer questions, as well as writing down good notes.
Taking good notes also helps you by giving you something to refer back to when doing your homework. In class we solve many problems, define terms, explain concepts, set up procedures and say how to approach various problems. Taking notes on these can be helpful when doing your homework.
Reviewing your notes; ensuring you know the terms and procedures; and redoing problems we did in class (or redoing your homework problems) are all excellent ways to study for a quiz Reviewing old quizzes is also a excellent way to study for a test. If anyone tells you that you cannot study for math, they are just plain ignorant and wrong. Please do study!
The best notes are those that make sense to you, not only when you take them, but will make sense months later when you use them to study for each quiz, unit test and your final exam. I've provided you with a few notebook recommendations.
Course Units: Instead of following the text, section by section, we plan to group units together by theme. This will provide better connectivity from lesson to lesson and concept to concept.
Unit 1: The Number System: number types, verbal expressions, integer arithmetic, rational number arithmetic, exponents, roots & scientific notation.
Unit 2: Expressions & Equations: variables & expressions, basic equation solving, combining like terms, distributive property, two-sided & complex equation solving, & solving inequalities.
Unit 3: Ratios & Proportions: ratios, rates, unit rates, proportions, proportional solves, similarity, scale, percent, percent change, applications.
Unit 4: Geometry: basics; angle relationships; triangles; polygons; perimeter; Pythagorean Theorem; circles; 3D figures; volume of prisms, cylinders, pyramids & cones; surface area of prisms, cylinders, pyramids & cones; & spheres.
Unit 5: Statistics & Probability: sampling, organizing data, central tendency, variability, probability, simulations, counting, permutations & combinations, & independent & dependent events.
High School Math Courses for Next Year:
* Algebra I CP (college prep)
* Algebra IA (standard)
* Retake Pre-Algebra (if you fail)
* Resource Room
NJPMI: During the 2010-2011 school year we helped NJ PMI (the New Jersey Progressive Math Institute) pilot their Pre-Algebra program. We helped improve the program by making well over 700 detailed suggestions and corrections, most of which were used. We will use some of these materials in this course and in the course, now to be taught in 6th grade. Therefore, the screens of some of our lessons will be on the NJPMI site. Feel free to revisit those we use in class, or even to use these resources as an alternate explanation.
The homework files are in WORD, but the Screens use a program called SMART notebook. If you need to download SMART Notebook use the following:
Or you can use Notebook Express, an online version of Notebook, that can be run on any computer through a web browser. Students would be able to simply visit the site, and could view Notebook files online without having to install anything on their computers.
Notebook ExpressThe product key you will use is NB-AEBAG-DABXS-XUBRF-BNC2B
Smart Technology Contact Support is available at:
http://www.smarttech.com/contactsupport
Revised 8/16/11