6th Grade Math Fall Trimester 15 Archive File
The information included in the Math Page will be moved to the archived post below. The Math Page will start new with the winter trimester first week at a glance, chapter 4 learning targets, and chapter 4 assignment schedule.
KK
_____
Chapter 3 Test
Based on my observations of how students are handling learning targets 3.2.A, B, and C, these will be included on the chapter 3 test. They are really understanding the concepts well, and should do quite well on the test. Part 1 of the test focuses on learning targets 3.M & 3.1, and will happen on Tuesday of this week. Part 2 of the test focuses on learning targets 6.3.2A-C, and will happen on Wednesday of this week. There will be a short review for the first half of class both days on problems that cover these concepts prior to administering the test.
KK
_____
Week at a Glance: Week of 11/30-12/4
Monday 11/30: How can I find the distance between points on a coordinate graph?
CW: 3.2.4 problems 123-127
HW: 3.2.4 problems 128-132
Tuesday 12/1: What have I learned this chapter?
CW: Review Part 1, Chapter 3 Test (Part 1)
HW: None
Wednesday 12/2: What have I learned this chapter?
CW: Review Part 2, Chapter 3 Test (Part 2)
HW: None
Thursday 12/3: How can I use variables to find distance?
CW: (Last day to turn in any make up assignments for fall trimester grades) 4.1.1 problems 1-3
HW: 4.1.1 problems 7-11
Friday 12/4: No School – Fall Trimester Grading Day
Announcements: Welcome to the last week of the fall trimester! As a reminder, students have until Thursday 12/3 to turn in any missing work for credit – this includes any make up tests and homework. All students will start fresh for the winter trimester with the first assignment from chapter 4. We will be starting the next chapter at the end of the week. This new chapter the students get their first real introduction to basic algebraic equations – even though they had a brief introduction on why we use variables and how in a previous lesson. Chapter 4 is much shorter than the previous chapter, and I fully expect to have completed it by the time we start winter break. Looking ahead, over the break I will be sending home an extra credit packet to give kids some practice over the 2 week break. I almost never give extra credit, so this is a great opportunity for students to start the winter trimester on a positive note. It will not be extensive – simply meant to give students who want it some extra practice with concepts that we’ve been working with. This will include review problems from the first four chapters for the most part. As it is extra credit, it will be by no means required. As always, please let me know if you have any questions or if you need anything. Have a great week!
KK
_____
Week at a Glance: Week of 11/23-11/27
Monday 11/23: How can I use a number line to add and subtract integers?
CW: Pre-Assessment 3.2.A, Math Notes: Opposites, Finish 3.2.1 problems 90-93. Lesson 3.2.1 RP
HW: None
Tuesday 11/24: How can I use a number line to add and subtract negative and positive integers?
CW: Chapter 3 Stations Review Activity – problems 133-140
HW: 3.2.2 problems 106-110.
Wednesday 11/25: How can I use a number line to determine absolute value?
CW: Pre-Assessment 3.2.B & C, 3.2.3 problems 111-115, Lesson 3.2.1 RP.
HW: 3.2.3 problems 118-122 (Due Monday 11/30 after winter break)
Thursday 11/26: No School – Thanksgiving Break
Friday 11/27: No School – Thanksgiving Break
Announcements: Welcome to our Thanksgiving-shortened week! We only have three days of school this week, and they will be jam-packed. We will have a pre-assessment each day this week. These pre-assessment quizzes probably won’t be given a post-assessment test until mid-way through the winter trimester because they are concepts that we will return to frequently over the next few chapters. We will finish chapter 3 the week we come back from our short break. That week we will have lessons on Monday and Tuesday, take the first part of our test on Wednesday with a review session before, and the last part of our test on Thursday with a review session before. Students have until Thursday 12/3 to turn any make-up work in for credit. Next trimester everyone will start out with a clean slate. I will be sending home progress reports every two weeks next term now that we have a good system down. As a reminder, your students are required to return these back to class, signed, so I can be assured that your student is talking to you about his or her progress in math. Mid-week, I plan to have the assignment list for chapter 4 ready with the chapter 4 learning targets, and will send that home with your student, and will also post that here on our class blog/website. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I hope you all have a great week!
KK
_____
Week at a Glance: Week of 11/16 – 11/20
Monday 11/16: Is there a more efficient way to describe and compare portions?
CW: 3.1.5 – problems 67-69, SLC Table of Contents
HW: 3.1.5 – problems 73-77
Tuesday 11/17: How can I rewrite products?
CW: 3.1.6 – problems 78-82, SLC Fall Reflection
HW: 3.1.6 – problems 84-88
Wednesday 11/18: How can I use a number line to add and subtract integers?
CW: 3.2.1 – problems 89-92, SLC Winter/Spring Goals
HW: None
Thursday 11/19: Am I prepared for Student-Led Conferences?
CW: Open day to finish lessons from earlier in the week, and to practice/finalize SLC items.
HW: 3.2.1 – problems 94-98
Friday 11/20: No School – Conferences evening before
Announcements: Welcome to the week of Student-Led Conferences! In order to get ready for conferences this week, we will be taking a little bit of time out of class each day to prepare something for conferences. As it stands, I believe that we will get through about three days worth of material over the four days – with the extra time removed to prepare for conferences. Here is how conferences work at Kelly. Students will meet with you in their advisory on the evening of Thursday, November 19th, and will talk to you about the work they are doing in their classes. For math they will be showing you a progress report that highlights how they are doing on the learning targets both as a pre-assessment, and as a post-assessment. Overall, the class is showing tremendous growth on the learning targets. Students will also show you one of their pre-assessments and also one of their post-assessments so you can see what these are like. If your student isn’t showing as much growth it is often because of absenteeism, or not doing homework regularly. There are a lot of resources to help your student be successful, but it’s up to them to take advantage of them. After conferences, we only seven days of school remaining before the end of the fall trimester. Most likely, I will only be including work completed through chapter 3 on the fall trimester grades. Based on the pacing of the class, the last couple days before the end of the trimester we will have a few review activities, and I plan to give students a 2nd chance at any learning target that they want to retake. This will also allow students the opportunity to focus on completing any missing work as I will be assigning less homework between the end of chapter 3, and the end of the trimester. The deadline to turn in any make-up assignments or to retake any learning target post-assessments will be Wednesday, December 2. I hope you all have a great week! Let me know if you have any questions.
KK
_____
Week at a Glance: Week of 11/9 – 11/13
Monday 11/9: How can I compare different representations of portions?
CW: Math Notes: 100% blocks, percent rulers, 3.1.3 part 1 – problems 36-39.
HW: 3.1.3 part 1 – problems 45-49. 3.1.3.B RP
Tuesday 11/10: How can I compare different representations of portions?
CW: 3.1.3 part 2 – problems 40-42. LT 3.1 Pre-Assessment.
HW: 3.1.3 part 2 – problems 50-54. 3.1.3.B RP
Wednesday 11/11: No School – Veteran’s Day
Thursday 11/12: What is the connection between portions?
CW: 3.1.4 – problems 55-58, LT 3.M Pre-Assessment.
HW: 3.1.4 – problems 62-66. 3.1.3.B RP
Friday 11/13 (Early Release, Periods 1-3): Math class does not meet.
Announcements: This week math class only meets three times. We have school on Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday off for Veteran’s Day, school again on Thursday, and Friday math class does not meet because we have an early release schedule with periods 1-3 meeting. The deadline to turn in any material from chapter 2 is Friday 11/13. No work from chapter 2 will be accepted after that deadline. We will have a couple pre-assessments this week to establish baseline data to gauge growth and improvement on the learning targets throughout the chapter. Just as a reminder, the pre-assessments do not impact the grade, but are reported to synergy. End-of-the-chapter tests do impact the grade, and are also reported to Synergy. If your student needs/wants to retake any part of a chapter test, I need to know at least a day in advance to prepare an alternate version of the assessment. Students are not able to retake pre-assessment quizzes. On Friday, teachers will be spending time getting ready for student-led conferences. Your student will be presenting you with material from their classes, reflecting on their learning, and discussing goals for the rest of the term and school year. These conferences typically take place in the advisory classroom. If you have any questions about the conferences, or your student’s progress, please email me. I hope you all have a fantastic week! Make sure you look back to the Week at a Glance often for any updates.
Chapter 3 Learning Targets
Here are the learning targets that we will be focusing on as a class over the course of chapter 3. LTs 3.1 and 3.M will be pre-assessed and tested on in this chapter, and at the very least pre-assessments will be done for all three sub-sections of 3.2, but I am unsure if I want to do a summative test over these at this point, or save them for later as they are returned to during a later chapter more thoroughly. At this time, I am leaning toward not doing a summative test on the learning targets associated with LT 3.2. I will update you if I change my mind on this.
LT 3.1: I can convert fractions, decimals, and percentages.
LT 3.2.A: I can use a number line to add positive and negative integers.
LT 3.2.B: I can find the absolute value of a number.
LT 3.2.C: I can find the length of horizontal and vertical line segments on a coordinate graph.
LT 3.M: I can add and subtract fractions.
KK
_____
Week at a Glance: Week of 11/2 – 11/6
Monday 11/2: What have I learned this chapter?
CW: Chapter 2 Closure 91-99
HW: None
Tuesday 11/3: How can I tell if fractions are similar or different?
CW: Math Notes: Multiplicative Identity (Equivalent Fractions), 3.1.1 part 1 – problems 2-4
HW: 3.1.1 part 1 – problems 12-16
Wednesday 11/4: How can I tell if fractions are similar or different?
CW: Math progress reports sent home (due Friday 11/6), Chapter 2 test – LT 2.1 and LT 2.2, 3.1.1 part 2 – problems 5-8
HW: 3.1.1 part 2 – problems 17-21
Thursday 11/5: How can I describe a portion?
CW: Chapter 2 test – LT 2.3 & 2.M, 3.1.1 problems 5-6.
HW: None
Friday 11/6: How can I describe a portion?
CW: Math progress reports due, pass back Chapter 2 test (students have until Friday 11/13 to retake any portion if they want to improve scores lower than a 3), 3.1.2 – problems 22-28
HW: 3.1.2 – problems 31-35
Announcements: We have a lot going on this week with five days of math. We will be covering the chapter 2 closure on Monday, and taking the chapter 2 test in 2 portions over the rest of the week as we begin chapter 3. Just like the chapter 1 test, each section should take students about 15-20 minutes at most per day. Students tend to perform better on these tests when they are split up over multiple days so that they can concentrate on just a few learning targets at a time. As a reminder, the deadline to turn in any lingering homework, or any otherwise missing, assignments from chapter 2 will be Friday 11/13. Last week, I said that I expected to send home a math progress report on Monday 11/2; math progress reports will instead be sent home Wednesday 11/4. The reason for this delay is because Synergy was down for some extended maintenance at times throughout the week last week, and I was unable to post grades on homework & pre-assessments. I expect to update grades on Monday evening to be able to send home the progress report on Tuesday. The progress report is due back in class, signed, on Friday 11/6. Student-Led Conferences the evening of Thursday (11/19), and the end of the Fall Trimester Friday (12/4) are quickly approaching. I expect our class to have completed chapter 3 in the text, and perhaps be into chapter 4 by the end of the term. Here is the assignment list for chapter 3: Chapter 3 Classwork & Homework. The assignments are subject to change at my discretion based on the needs of the class. Please keep up with the weekly blog posts for updates. Have a great week!
KK
_____
Week at a Glance: Week of 10/26-10/30
Monday 10/26: What have I learned so far?
CW: Chapter 1 & 2 Station Activity Review
HW: None
Tuesday 10/27: How can I find products efficiently?
CW: Math Notes: Generic Rectangles, 2.3.2 – problems 60-62
HW: 2.3.2 – problems 65-69
Wednesday 10/28: How can I understand products?
CW: Math Notes: Greatest Common Factor, 2.3.3 – problems 62, 70-72
HW: 2.3.3 – problems 75-79
Thursday 10/29: How can I rewrite products?
CW: Math Notes: Distributive Property, 2.3.4 – problems 80-82
HW: 2.3.4 – problems 87-90
Friday 10/30: What have I learned this chapter?
CW: Chapter 2 Closure 91-99
HW: None
Announcements: This week we will finish chapter 2. We will take the chapter 2 test in 3-4 small portions over the course of next week so students can concentrate on one type of skill at a time. Students have until Friday 11/13 to turn in any lingering assignments from chapter 2 that they have failed to turn in yet. Student-led conferences will be coming up on the evening of Thursday 11/19. They will be demonstrating to you their proficiency in the learning targets that we have covered in class so far, and also showing you some of the work that they have done. A math progress report will be sent home on Monday 11/2, and be required to be returned by Wednesday 11/4. At this point, no more make-up work from chapter 1 will be accepted as the final deadline was on Friday 10/23.
KK
_____
Week at a Glance: Week 0f 10/19-10/23
Monday 10/19: How else can I represent data?
CW: Math Notes: Place Value, 2.1.2 – problems 11-14.
HW: 2.1.2 – problems 15-19.
Tuesday 10/20: How can I measure with square units?
CW: Math Notes: Rounding, LT 6.2.M Pre-Assessment Quiz, 2.2.2 – problems 29-32.
HW: 2.2.2 – problems 34-38.
Wednesday 10/21: Is there a relationship between perimeter and area?
CW: Math Notes: Comparisons, 2.2.3 – problems 39-42.
HW: 2.2.3 – problems 46-50.
Thursday 10/22: How can I make the largest area?
CW: Math Notes: Area, Rectangles, and Square Units; LT 6.2.2 Pre-Assessment Quiz, 2.3.1 – problems 51-54.
HW: 2.3.1 problems 55-59.
Friday 10/23 (Early Release: Periods 4-6): How can I use a rectangle to multiply?
CW: LT 6.2.3 Pre-Assessment Quiz, finish 2.3.1. All make-up work from chapter 1 is due.
HW: None
Announcements:
This week we have a full week of math. Friday is an early release day, and students will go to periods 4-6. Students will have until the end of the school day on Friday to turn in any and all make-up work from chapter 1. Here is a copy of the assignments from chapter 1: Chapter 1 CW & HW Problems.
Any student who wishes to re-take an alternate version of the Chapter 1 test needs to inform me that they will do so at least a day in advance so I can set it up with the other 6th grade teachers.
As a reminder, students do not need to, and cannot, re-take a pre-assessment regardless of the score that they receive. The pre-assessments I give serve as baseline data from which we can show improvement or regression on a particular math skill when they are tested again. In short: pre-assessments in my math class do not impact the grade, but are reported on synergy; tests impact the grade, and are also reported on synergy.
Here is a list of the probable assignments for chapter 2 (I will post an update to this if it changes): Chapter 2 CW & HW Problems.
Official school progress reports have been submitted by all of your student’s teachers. You should receive these from the school soon. Please remember that it is a progress report, and not a final grade for trimester-long classes . If you, and/or your student, are not happy with a specific score, your student has another 6 weeks to improve the score. Figure out with your student – and please email the teachers to check-in – what your student needs to work on in order to improve his/her scores. If you and your student are happy with the scores then figure out how your student can best maintain those scores by focusing on what they did well during the first half of the term and continuing to do that. Please use me as a resource if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.
KK
_____
Week at a Glance: Week of 10/12-10/16
Monday 10/12: How can I find and use patterns?
CW: Math Progress Reports are sent home (due Wednesday 10/14) 1.2.4.1 – problems 73, 74, 76, 78. Lesson 1.2.4 RP – needed to complete homework.
HW: 1.2.4.1 – problems 85-89.
Tuesday 10/13: What have I learned this chapter?
CW:Formative Assessment 1.M, Chapter 1 Closure – problems 95-101
HW: 1.2.4.2 – problems 90-94.
Wednesday 10/14: How have I improved over the course of the chapter?
CW: Math Progress Reports are due. Finish Chapter 1 Closure Activity. Chapter 1 Test on Learning Targets 1.1, 1.2, 1.M.
HW: None
Thursday 10/15: How can I represent data?
CW: 2.1.1 – problems 1-2, 4-5. Finish Chapter 1 Test on LT 1.1, 1.2, 1.M
HW: 2.1.1 – problems 6-10.
Friday 10/16: No School – Fall Trimester Mid-Term Progress Reports
Announcements:
This week is the end of the first half of the trimester. We have our first chapter test on Wednesday & Thursday. Although grades for school progress reports are being compiled on Friday, and will be sent home thereafter, I am sending a math progress report home on Monday. This progress report is more detailed than what is being sent home by the school. I am requiring all students to have this signed by a parent/guardian, and returned to math class by Wednesday. I typically like to send one of these home every 1/4 trimester (about every three weeks) because it is important that students have conversations at home about what is going on in the classroom.
KK
_____
Mid-Term Progress Reports – Friday 10/16
On Friday 10/16 this week teachers will be working on mid-trimester progress report grades. These grades are not final grades in math, and can be improved. These will be available on ParentVue at the end of next weekend, or will be sent home in the mail by our office. However, I want to make sure that your student is talking to you about his or her progress in math. I will be sending home a paper progress report on Monday 10/12. This report that I am sending home will have each graded assignment itemized; it will show you exactly what your student has turned in, and what they have not. Students are required to return this progress report to class, signed, on Wednesday 10/14. If this is not turned in by Wednesday, students will owe lunch detention until it is turned in. I will send an email reminder to this effect on Monday and Tuesday.
KK
_____
Deadline for Chapter 1 Homework: Friday 10/23 @ 4:00 PM. Chapter 1 Test: Wednesday 10/14
We will be completing the first chapter in our books this upcoming week, and with that, will be having our first chapter test. The test will cover the three learning targets that we focused on in this chapter. This will not be the last time that students will have practice problems that focus on these learning targets, nor will it be the last time that students will be assessed on their grasp of them. Students will continue to have homework problems that focus on these skills throughout the school year, and we will be having a learning target challenge in the late spring that assesses their skills regarding the learning targets again. The first test will be given on Wednesday 10/14, and will be finished on Thursday 10/15.
The deadline for any and all makeup work from a chapter is typically going to be the day of the chapter test. However, I will allow students to turn in work from chapter 1 until Friday 10/23. This will be the only time that I will extend a homework deadline to this extent this school year, but I want to make sure that students are able to start the year on a positive note.
KK
_____
Classwork & Homework for Chapter 1
This is a document that has all of the assignments for chapter 1. Again, CW (classwork) is done in class, and does not need to be turned in, and HW (homework) is done outside of class as reinforcement and practice, and does need to be turned in.
KK
_____
Learning Targets for Chapter 1
6.1.1: I can calculate perimeter and area of rectangular shapes.
6.1.2: I can show different representations of quantities using whole numbers.
6.1.M: I can round and compare decimals.
Week at a Glance: Week of 10/5-10/9
Monday 10/5: How Can I Organize Information Visually?
CW: Graphing Data from Frog Jumping Challenge, Pre-assessment 1.1: Finding the Area and Perimeter of Rectangular Shapes, Team Roles
HW: None
Tuesday 10/6: How Can I Compare Numerical Expressions?
CW: CPM 1.2.2 – Problems 52-55.
HW: CPM 1.2.2 – Problems 57-61.
Wednesday 10/7: (Kordon gone all day for a workshop)
CW: Pre-assessment 1.2, Finish 1.2.2, Go Over Problems 57-61.
HW: None
Thursday 10/8: What Can a Rectangular Array Show?
CW: CPM 1.2.3 – Problems 62-65.
HW: CPM 1.2.3 – Problems 68-72.
Friday 10/9: No School – Statewide In-service
Announcements: Kordon will be gone on 10/7 for a workshop along with Mr. Jett & Mr. Malcolm. Mr. Malcolm and I are part of a program being run by the University of Oregon to build cross-curriculuar units between Math & Science. There is no school on Friday 10/9 as there is a statewide teacher in-service. The first summative assessment (test) for the information covered in chapter one will be next week. All makeup work is due no later than Thursday 10/15. Mid-Trimester Progress Reporting is Friday 10/16.
KK
_____
CPM Homework Help – 10/1/15
It was great to meet those of you who were able to attend Open House last night. I hope that you came away feeling confident and optimistic about your child being able to succeed at 6th grade math. I heard a few stories of students spending multiple hours on a homework assignment at a time. The goal of these assignments is not to get your student to have to work at them for hours, but to provide 30-45 minutes of practice a few times per week. Moreover, the goal of the problems in the homework at this point is not for students to have mastered them, but to maintain their exposure as we continue to work on them.
Like I said at Open House, there are a lot of resources available to both you and your student to assist with math homework. One of the resources available to you and them is a website built by CPM that guides students through some of the problems that are regularly assigned for homework. There is no login required. The website is organized by chapter, lesson, and the homework problems. When you click on the problems they are presented just as they are in the text (a great resource if your student forgets his/her textbook at school). Not only that, but the problems are supplied with hints if they get stuck, and some problems even have the answer after the student goes through a few hints. Here is the link to the website: http://homework.cpm.org/cpm-homework/homework/category/CC/textbook/CC1
I hope this resource is helpful!
KK
_____
Week at a Glance: Week of 9/28-10/2
This is a very busy week! On Monday 9/28 the students have school pictures, on Wednesday 9/30 we have Open House, and on Friday 10/2 we have the Riverwalk fundraiser. Look for this week at a glance to get updated with more information over the weekend. I hope everyone had a good week!
Monday 9/28: How can I organize information visually (part 3)?
CW: Finish Posters, Poster Presentations, CPM 1.1.4.1 problem 25
HW: None
Tuesday 9/29: How can I make sense of logic problems? (Kordon was out sick)
CW: CPM 1.1.5 – problems 33-34 (35 if time)
HW: CPM 1.1.5 problems 36-40.
Wednesday 9/30: How can I organize and represent data?
CW: Team Roles, CPM 1.2.1 problems 41-44
HW: CPM 1.2.1 problems 46-50
Thursday 10/1: How can I organize and represent data?
CW: CPM 1.1.4.2 – 26a, 27, 2nd Annual Kelly MS 6th Grade Frog Jumping Contest, Frog Jumping Challenge
HW: None
Friday 10/2: Class Does Not Meet – Riverwalk
Announcements: School pictures are on Monday 9/28. Open House is on Wednesday 9/30. Riverwalk is on Friday 10/2 – math class will not meet on Friday. Homework assigned on Thursday will be due on Monday 10/5. A future reminder that Mr. Kordon will be gone on Wednesday 10/7.
KK
_____
9/24/15 – Bringing Materials to Class
The first few weeks of 6th grade can often be a bit of a shock for students. There’s a lot going on, and sometimes students can get overwhelmed with all of the new responsibilities they have and the expectations that their teachers have of them. One of the expectations that many students tend to struggle with initially is to come to class prepared. It is a requirement in math that students come to class each day with their textbook, pencils, paper, and any work that is due that day. I and the other 6th grade teachers understand that life happens sometimes, and every once in a while the textbook might get left at home, homework might go unfinished, or a writing utensil might get lost. These things are ok – every once in a while. However, when they become habitual, then a problem arises. Grades drop, referrals get written, and students fall behind in class. Parents/Guardians, please reinforce the importance with your student this weekend of coming to class prepared so they can start this first trimester on a positive note. Thank you so much for all you do.
KK
_____
9/21/15 – First Grades
The first grades of the fall trimester will be posted this upcoming weekend. The first week and a half has been spent getting to know the students, setting classroom expectations, and doing some formative assessment to help me figure out what students need (formative assessment is assessment that helps form my teaching and lessons for a particular unit, chapter, or even the trimester, but does not affect a student’s grade). We have started working in the book as of today, so classwork and homework will become more regularized going forward. Grades are posted on ParentVue and StudentVue on Synergy. There will be another post in the next couple of days about my grading system which is more proficiency-based than points-based.
KK
_____
9/21/15 – Homework Policy
I went over my policy regarding homework today in detail, and I wanted to reiterate the key points so both parents and students are clear on the expectations. Homework will be assigned 4-5 nights a week, and will consist of 3-5 problems. The exception to this would be the chapter closure assignments which are typically 5-10 shorter problems. Unless stated otherwise, homework problems are due the day after they are assigned (problems assigned on Monday are due on Tuesday, those assigned on Friday are due the following Monday, etc.). I do understand that “life happens” sometimes, and will allow students to turn assignments in for credit up until the chapter/unit test or the end of the trimester (whichever happens first). Students will be given full credit for these, but the majority of the benefit comes from doing the homework on a nightly basis. Students need to do 70% of the homework in order to be proficient at the district learning target directed at work completion. I will collect homework on a daily basis, and keep a record of who is doing homework regularly and who is not towards this learning target. Students should be writing down the homework assignments on a daily basis in class. This information is also included in my weekly agendas as well. The information in the agendas will be updated as necessitated by how the class is doing. Please let me know if you have any questions.
KK
_____
9/20/15 – CPM e-Book Access
Along with the physical textbook, each student has access to an electronic version of the textbook online. If a student forgets his or her textbook at school this should not be an excuse for not being able to do their homework. The website is: http://ko5574.textbooks.cpm.org, and each student has his/her own username and password. The username is their first initial of their first name, first initial of their last name, and typically the number “1.” This is different for only one person. So, my daughter Olivia would have a username of “ok1,” as an example. I have these username and passwords if you ever should need them. The only thing it does is provide access to the e-book so I am happy to email it to you if they ever forget it as they are not sensitive materials. The students were also given this information on a physical card in class last week.
KK
9/20/15 – Week 2 at a Glance
Here are the topics I expect to cover in class this week (9/21-9/25). This list is subject to change based on the needs of the class (sometimes we might go slower, sometimes faster depending on what students are able to do). Here is a link to a document that describes how to read my weekly agendas: Week at a Glance Key.
Week at a Glance: Week of (9/21-9/25)
Monday 9/21: How can I use a graph to get information?
CW: CPM 1.1.1 Team Roles, 1.1 Pre assessment, CPM – 1.1.1 1-2
HW: CPM 1.1.1 – 3-4 on CPM 1.1.1B Resource Page
Tuesday 9/22: How does a change in Area affect the Perimeter of an object?
CW: CPM 1.1.2 – 5-6, 8-9
HW: CPM 1.1.2 10-14
Wednesday 9/23: How can recognizing sequences help me figure out patterns?
CW: CPM 1.1.3 – 15-18, Place Value
HW: CPM 1.1.3 – 19-23
Thursday 9/24: How can I organize information visually (part 1)?
CW: CPM 1.1.4.1 – 24-25.
HW: CPM 1.1.4.1 – 28-32.
Friday 9/25: How can I organize information visually (part 2)?
CW: Student Presentations – Visually representing patterns & data using pictures, numbers, and words. Problems 15, 18, 19,
HW: None
Announcements: EasyCBM Fall Math Benchmark was completed last week. Mr. Kordon will be gone the day of October 7.
KK
_____
9/20/15
Here is what was covered in class last week (9/14-18).
6th Grade Math 2015-2016
Kyle Kordon
Welcome to a new school year. I am looking forward to getting to know all of you. I would like to take this time to tell you a little about myself. I earned my bachelor degree from Chapman University in 2009, and played both baseball and football while in college. Thereafter, I worked in the admissions department for a university based out of Chicago, Illinois. I returned as a student to the University of Oregon in 2010 and earned by Masters of Education in 2013. While this is my third year on staff, I also served as a student teacher in the building in 2012 while earning my Master’s degree. I serve as the sprinting coach for the Kelly track team, am one of the three WEB coordinators for the school, am the 8th grade team leader, and manage and play for my own baseball team during the summer. I teach 8th grade science, and 6th grade math, but have taught language arts and social studies in the past as well. My wife and I also recently celebrated our daughter, Olivia’s first birthday over the summer, and she recently began to walk without the use of furniture to hold herself up. This will be an exciting year with a lot going on, so please do not hesitate to contact me if you need anything.
Supplies
You must have all your supplies every day at the beginning of class. If you come to class unprepared you will be considered tardy. Repeated tardiness will result in lunch detentions and office referral. I expect everyone to have all supplies by Monday, September 21.
- Your school binder with:
- Pencil pouch
- Eraser
- Several pencils
- Red pen – for correcting
- Notebook/journal for homework & classwork.
- Your student planner
- CPM Textbook
Grades
Proficiency-Based Grading. Students will be assessed on specific key learning targets as identified by myself and other teachers in the district as vital topics and skills required for understanding and mastery by the end of the 6th grade. Students will receive feedback of their performance on these specific learning targets with the following marks:
4-Proficient
3-Almost Proficient
2-Developing Proficiency
1-Not Proficient.
For work that goes above and beyond proficiency, students may earn a (5) Highly Proficient, but such scores are rare. With this authentic grading system rather than one that is simply points-based, students know exactly how well they are performing on specific skills at a given time, and can see precisely what they need to improve on.
Homework will be assigned on average 3-4 times per week, and will typically consist of 3-5 problems. Regular homework completion is vital (and is a learning target) as it reinforces the concepts covered in class – especially important because the CPM curriculum we use spirals (e.g. instead of learning just fractions for 4 weeks, students might get fractions for 2 weeks, and then have problems in the homework that go back to fractions over the course of several weeks to keep it fresh in students’ minds). If students forget their textbook at school they can use the CPM e-book to gain access to their homework problems for the evening. Please email me if you need this, or if your student misplaces it.
Test and quizzes will be scored on accuracy with specific learning targets in mind. For each learning target, I will give a formative pre-assessment (short quiz that assesses a student’s proficiency in a specific learning target) during a unit, and then a summative post-assessment (a test including 3-4 learning targets previously tested upon during the unit). Students can improve their scores on specific learning targets throughout the term. I will allow students to retake a post-assessment if they score a “developing proficiency” or worse. Retakes will be slightly different, and need to be arranged at least a day in advance to allow me time to generate an alternate assessment.
Letter grades will be awarded based on the standard grading scale by averaging scores on the proficiency scale. You should check your grades on synergy at least once a week.
90-100% A
80-89% B
70-79% C
60-69% D
Less than 60% F
Make-up Work
If you are absent or miss an assignment for any other reason, it is the student’s responsibility to complete all missed work. You will find what we did while you were gone in my math notebook, my planner, or the class website. An assignment missed for any reason will be accepted for credit only until the chapter/unit test for that assignment or the end of the trimester (whichever happens first). I am happy to help students before school or after school if they are having difficulty with the concepts in class. Any plans to come in need to be confirmed with me no less than 1 day in advance as I often have meetings with other staff and administration throughout the week during these times – this is especially true during track season starting in March.
Class Website
I have designed a class website as a math resource for this upcoming year. A couple of times a week, I will post assignment resources, readings, etc. to the site. This is a great resource to use if you are gone for an extended period, or if you have misplaced an assignment, and want to get caught up. Here is the URL for the website: http://blogs.4j.lane.edu/kordon_k/
How to Get Help
Homework help can be found by following this link:
http://homework.cpm.org/cpmhomework/homework/category/CC/textbook/CC1
Once at this website, select the chapter and section for the homework you are working on, then the problem number. Here you will find hints and selected answers. An electronic copy of the textbook is also available to the students with additional online learning tools. Students can access the e-book and practice help here at school or at home.
I will be available to give extra help to students most days before school starting at 8:30. If your child is coming in the morning, they will need to check in with the front office to make sure I am available. During that time I can further explain concepts and work on a more one to one basis with students. If the morning does not work for your family other times can be arranged, but must be scheduled first. There are also after school homework clubs offered four days a week here at Kelly Middle School through out BEST after school program.
Contact
The best way to contact me is via email. I will generally take no longer than 24 hours to respond to an email, and never any longer than 48 hours. If you need to schedule a one-on-one meeting for any reason, please contact the office to set up a time to meet.
KK
_____
Welcome to 6th Grade Math! Use this page to keep up on what is going on in class. I will post assignments, resources, and helpful links on here so that you can have a successful year.
~KK