WMS: Wed math update.

Dear Families, 

The calendar has been updated with today's homework and is available at http://www.mrmacnevin.com. The answers for the homework are there in the details part of the calendar entry. Just click on the entry's title and the details will appear.

For my morning group today, the homework assignment is very straightforward: the are to do at least 4 of the 5 problems on the page titled "Practice 2C." 

For my afternoon group today (just before lunch and then after lunch) there were many more questions about today's practice ("Exercise 16") and many students did not finish the class practice even though they were working hard on it. Their job tonight is to finish Exercise 16 (answers are also in the calendar). And if they have time in their homework time, they should also begin work on the new assignment "practice 2c". They should get as much of 2C done as they can within their 30 minutes of math homework time. For this group tomorrow I will check both assignments and will stamp the students' planners based on what they tell me they had time to complete.

A note about calculators: when calculating simple numbers times 3.14, students should hand-calculate it. So 3 x 3.14, 30 x 3.14, etc. should all be hand-calculated. But for more challenging and time consuming values, a calculator can be used (for example, 32.3 x 3.14, etc). This is because on the state test in the spring, students will not be allowed to use a calculator, so they need to be familiar with the hand calculations.

If anyone needs help with their homework, they are always welcome to come in in the morning before school for some help.

In science today we started looking at human traits that are genetically passed (bent pinkies, widow's peak, tongue curling, attached/free earlobes). Tomorrow we will start looking at some imaginary creatures called "Larkeys." These critters will be the basis of our discussions around inheritance and genetics.

Thank you for all you do for your child's education!

Sincerely,

Brian MacNevin

WMS: Tuesday Math/Science Update

Dear Families,

I just wanted to let you know that whatever my son had yesterday, I got last night. While I wasn't there today, my students practiced calculating the area of circles. Students who had the basics down worked on finding the area of composite shapes that are made up of parallelogram, triangle, and circular regions. These shapes were not easy to dissect, but they are great practice. The answers are on the back of these. 

Tonight's homework is listed in the calendar tab of my blog (http://www.mrmacnevin.com). These ACE questions are in the book and I wanted students to have a way to get the answers at home. So I went to the details portion of the ACE questions in my calendar and I typed in the answers there. To see these, just head over to that calendar, find tonight's ACE questions, and click on the assignment title. It should expand to show the answers. If it doesn't work for you, please let me know. If it does work, I think it's a great place to keep the answers! 

On tonight's homework, student answers should use complete sentences and should also include a description of their their thinking or reasoning. I asked my substitute today to share that with the students, but I don't know if she had a chance to. I will find out tomorrow, when I return.

In science today students started talking about what they think genetics are... or what it means. Our next topic goes into simple Mendelian genetics. Genetics. Simple. In 6th grade. I know, huh? This topics falls into the category of "interesting to know" but not critical for 6th grade [this was a typo on my original email... I forgot the word not]. But it also gives them a perspective of what drives the adaptations that we learned about over the last two weeks. So I look forward to seeing what our students already know about it and to seeing what they think of the activities that introduce inheritance of diploid genes. It's another topic that uses models and simulations to try and help students understand a complex idea. So while students won't be doing any actual breeding of organisms, there will be virtual experiments and paper simulations. Later, in 8th grade, students will review these ideas as part of their unit on "Organisms: from macro to micro" and they may get a chance to apply these ideas to breeding Wisconsin Fast Plants (they live their entire generation from sprouting to making seeds in only about 30 days).   

Have a great afternoon!

Brian MacNevin

WMS: Monday Math Update

Dear Families,

I had to keep my 2-year-old son home today with a fever. But that didn't change today's work. It just meant I had to type it all up for a substitute teacher. Ms. Melinda Jones subbed for me today and I asked her to take the class through the same math work we'd have done had I been there. This changes nothing about the quizzes going home today. I finished grading and entering them yesterday and today they should be coming home to you along with last Friday's Math Review Quiz.

Last week I received some feedback about how helpful it was to know specifically what the homework was just in case it hadn't been recorded correctly in a child's planner. That made me want to try something out for the next few weeks. Instead of sending the homework out in a daily digest like this (I like the daily updates, but they takes a noticeable amount of time to type up), I want to try and keep a homework calendar for you to have as a second place to check and see what should be done each night as homework. This differs from your child's planner because I will post these assignments on the day they are assigned rather than on the day they are due.

You can find that calendar on the calendar tab of my blog (http://www.mrmacnevin.com), or you can subscribe to it (there's a subscription button on the bottom right of the calendar). If this is useful to you, please let me know. That way I know if it's something I should continue. I think it's a great idea to have a way to check!

It's a BEAUTIFUL sunny and COLD day today. I hope you get a chance to get outside and enjoy the sun!

I am enjoying seeing it stream in the windows while we have sickness-induced down time.

Sincerely,

Brian MacNevin

So here's today's play-by-play:

• Math Review: Students received Math Reviews 3A and 3B (printed back-to-back). They had 10 minutes to work on MR 3A. Then Ms. Jones went over the answers with them. Students should have recorded stars for correct answers and H's for ones that are incorrect. Additionally, for any "H", students should have recorded the correct answer and a strategy.
• Practice: Last week on Friday we derived the formula for the area of a circle. Today in their Area practice packets, students were asked to practice those calculations using either 3.14 or 22/7 as estimates of pi. 
• Snapshot: Students took a short practice assessment on finding the circumference of a circle and the perimeter of a shape made of semi-circles. This snapshot will provide feedback to the students, but will not go into the gradebook. It will also help me see who needs some more work with circumference of circles.
• Homework: Math review 3B (on the back of MR 3A -- done in class today), Any H's from MR 3A. And ACE questions 37 and 38 on page 85 of the student books. Again, this is all listed now on the homework calendar: link.

WMS: Friday's Math play-by-play... and calculators!

Dear Families,

This is Friday's edition of our math play-by-play. I really just wanted to help everyone know what was happening on a daily basis here at the beginning of Semester 2. These messages are archived at my blog (http://www.mrmacnevin.com) and you can also find more information there about the class.

Students should bring their calculators

Oh! And about calculators! It is time for students to make sure they have a calculator with them. It needn't be a fancy one, but I ask that you or your student label the calculator and the case (if it has a removable case). We won't use them all the time (the state test in the spring doesn't allow them). But we are moving into talking about the area of a circle today and I just don't find it reasonable to ask students to square radii and then multiply it by pi all by hand. As with the MSP, there will be some specially selected problems when their hand calculation methods will let them do it quickly, but for practical day-to-day (okay, so real-life) uses, the calculator will be much more empowering. We will avoid using the π button on the calculators, however, since students are expected to be able to use the decimal and fraction approximations of pi (3.14 and 22/7). 

Where is Wednesday's Area and Perimeter Quiz?

I tried really hard to finish scoring their quizzes during the week, but I'm afraid I didn't meet that goal. Students will get their quizzes back on Monday, but their scores will be posted to Zangle over the weekend. Any 1's (beginning) or 2's (practicing) need to be retaken. Anyone scoring a 3 (proficient) may also retest for a 4 (advanced). Remember, as our first summative assessment in math of the semester, these quizzes may swing the grade wildly because they comprise 80% of the gradebook program's estimated grade. But any and all assessment scores can be retested. The goal is not perfection on the first try, the goal is improvement after someone uses their score to know what they need to go learn and practice.

Happy Friday! And a happy weekend!

Sincerely,

Brian MacNevin

Friday's Math Play-by-Play:

• MR Quiz: Today we had a math review quiz (4 questions). The questions were based on the questions that students had been working on in their math reviews all week. Following the quiz, we scored them together and I need to get those entered into the gradebook today so that they can come home on Monday. 
• Topic: Area of circles. Over the last two days we have talked about and practiced finding the circumference of circles (and of shapes based on circles). But today we extended that to talk about the area of circles. Before giving students the formula, I asked them to find out how many squares based on the radius (we called these radius squares) it took to fill a circle. We found that you can fit three radius squares and a little bit more (see a picture here: link). That's kind of like how many diameters fit around the outside of a circle: three and a little bit more. It turns out, that little bit more is about 14/100 of the diameter (or about 14/100 of the radius squares).. or 3.14 (pi)!
  Ka-chow! (What can I say, my son loves the Cars movie).
  So the area of a circle is A = π x r x r (or A = π x r² ). Students have a packet to practice the calculations and also to try it out with some fun applications. They didn't have time to work on it much in class today and we will finish it on Monday.
• Homework: No homework assigned for the weekend. The area packet in their math notebooks we will finish on Monday.

WMS: Thursday's Math Play-by-Play

Dear Families,

 

Thursday's installment of our math play-by-play, so that you know how our math class is running here in Semester 2! These emails get archived at my blog (http://www.mrmacnevin.com) and more information is available there as well about how I am also using Zangle (parent connect) differently to provide timelier information for you.

Just have to share this because it's cool: today in class students saw that they now had the ability to calculate the perimeter of something made of all circular edges... kind of like the Bat Symbol for Batman or a Sine Wave (see their practice packet for today on Circumference).

 

Is your child completing his/her homework?

Wondering about whether or not your child is completing and turning in her/her math homework? You can look right inside their daily planner. At the beginning of class I am stamping the homework assignment that they have written down if it is complete. If any part of that homework is missing, I don't stamp the planner.

 

I hope you are having a good week! These 4-day weeks fly by so quickly!

Cheers,

Brian MacNevin

 

Today's Play-by-Play

• Math Review Feedback: Students corrected their math reviews from last night. They marked correct answers with a star and incorrect answers with an H. Incorrect answers should also have the correct answer and a working strategy copied from the answer pages.
• Homework Check-in: If students had their homework complete, I stamped their planner recording of the assignment.
• Practice: Today in class we practiced calculating the circumference of a circle from its diameter or its radius. Students were introduced to two approximations of pi: 3.14 and 22/7. They each have their advantages, but on the state test in the spring, students are not allowed to use a calculator, so they should be comfortable calculating circumference by hand. The approximation of 22/7 is really handy to use if the diameter of the circle is a multiple of seven because it will simplify to a whole number answer. Students were a little perplexed today because the two approximations of pi sometimes give answers that differ by a few hundredths. That's okay, because they are all approximations of pi (as long as their answer is calculated correctly based on the version of pi they chose). Students shouldn't use their calculator's pi button at this time. One think I noticed students forgetting was to write the formula C= pi x d down before solving a problem. I will work with kids more on that because it's a really good strategy to help you remember all the terms you need for a calculation.
• Homework Assignment: Today students wrote down these three things:
• MR Quiz (math review quiz tomorrow: 4 questions that look strangely similar to the problems they've seen all week).
• Did You Hear About... (a self-correcting pizzazz math worksheet practicing calculating circumference)
• Circumference Packet (today the students practiced calculating circumference and finding the circumference of some odd shapes with the skills they now have. If they had any to finish, this should be completed as part of homework)

 

Circumference of a circle!

Well today we measured circles and we measured diameters and we divided circumference by diameters to find that about 3.2ish diameters will fit around a circle.


Then we shared that that means we can calculate the circumference of a circle if all we know about it is its diameter! And the way to do that is with the relationship:

C= 3.14 x diameter or

C= 3.14 x d or

C=  π x d

I would definitely encourage students to always write down the equation. And they can use calculators to do the calculations.


Now, even though we did all that pre-work at estimating pi, a lot of kids seemed to not make the connection between circumference and diameter and pi. I consulted with the other 6th grade math teachers and they said that I shouldn't worry and that the kids really just need more practice in recognizing and using the relationship. 


But in the mean time, if your child seems really lost about where that equation came from, they might find this video from the Khan Academy handy:

WMS: Wednesday's Math Play-by-Play

Dear Families,

This is today's play-by-play for math so that everyone can be on the same page as semester 2 starts. More information is available on my website (http://www.mrmacnevin.com) regarding how I'm using Zangle differently this semester to provide better information to parents.

Cheers,

Brian MacNevin

Our math To-Do-List today:

• MR Feedback: Students used the math review answers to evaluate their math review from last night. They mark correct answers with a star and they mark incorrect ones with an "H" so they know to revisit it at homework time. Anything marked with an "H" should also have the correct answer and a strategy recorded so that they can practice that calculation at home.
• Homework Check-in: As students corrected their Math Reviews and recorded feedback, I went around to look at homework. If they completed last night's homework, I stamped today's  date (the homework's due date) in their planner. If today's date in their planner is not stamped, they did not have their homework complete or they did not have it out for me to stamp.
• Learning Targets 3 & 4 Quiz: Student took the quiz and read if they finished early. Then we took a little time to go over the answers that had absolute answers. I still have the quizzes as I need to grade the items that include approximations or problem solving.
• New Topic: Student took some notes about how circles compare to polygons when talking about perimeter (circumference) and area. Then we measured the diameter and circumference of several objects in the classroom to discover how many times the diameter would fit around the outside of the circular object (about 3.15 to 3.25 were common measures). We then talked about how people doing this with REALLY precise instruments find that it's about 3.14 diameters and many students recognized that as the approximation of pi. Then we talked about how you don't have to measure the circumference directly if you know the diameter of a circle... that you can just multiply the diameter about 3.14 times to find the circumference (C= pi x diameter).
• Homework Assignment:
• MR 2C (Math Review 2C due 2/23)
• Circumference Wksht (due 2/23)
• Students have a pizzazz math page to practice calculating the circumference of a circle based on the diameter or the radius of a circle. The should definitely use the formula C= pi x d. And when just the radius is given, they have to double it first to find the diameter.

WMS: Math Daily Update and Quiz Tomorrow!

Dear Families,

This week I want to give you a day-by-day play of what your students should be bringing home and what their homework is just so that we all know what to expect as semester 2 begins. That run-down comes after this brief message.

I am also making changes to how I use Zangle (Parent Connect) to share more timely information with you. A calculated grade estimate is now visible as a spot-check on how your child is doing. Please be aware, however, that at the beginning of the semester it can swing wildly until there are more items in there to balance it. You can find more information about those changes on the different tabs in my blog at http://www.mrmacnevin.com. 

Thank you for all you do to support your child's education,

Brian

First Announcement: Math Quiz Tomorrow

Our first summative math quiz on the area and perimeter of triangles and parallelograms is tomorrow (2/22). Students brought practice work and answers home today. But if they lost it, they can download them here: LINK.

Second Announcement: Today's Math To-Do-List

These bullets represent what we did in math today during the period. There were three sections to the period: Math Review, Practice, and Homework.

• Math Review 2A: Students had 10 minutes to work on four math problems. If they needed help or a strategy, I was available to give it to them. Afterward we reviewed answers and strategies. If a student gets a correct answer, they mark the box with a star. If it was incorrect, they mark it with an "H" that means they should look at it again as homework. But if they wrote an "H", they should also have written down the correct answer and a strategy. On Friday students will have a quiz based very heavily on these daily practice problems.
• Practice: For practice today we re-examined building parallelograms within constraints in Problem 4.3 of the book (page 57). These questions try to help students look beyond the basics of calculating area and perimeter of parallelograms and instead ask students to look for patterns between parallelograms. They are not necessarily easy questions and not everyone completed all the questions. You child should have made it at least to question D (there were questions A-E) and checked his/her answers with the correction packets in the room.
• Homework: Students were asked to open their planners to Wed. Feb 22 and to write down these three things that are due on that date. I will stamp the homework assignment if things are complete.
• MR 2B (math review 2B to be done as homework)
• LT 3&4 Quiz (Quiz on learning targets 3 and 4 tomorrow at the start of class)
• Quiz Practice Problems (I provided students with a set of practice problems and answers that are available here: link)