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Welcome
Welcome to Mr. Miller's 7th grade math class. You are entering upon a journey that will prepare you for success in both high school and life. It is not always an easy journey but there is nothing you will face this year that you are not able to do. It will take a lot of work from you and myself to reach a successful end. I believe every student can succeed if they try. This class is difficult at times, but in the past it has been the highest scoring 7th grade math class in the Gadsden School District.





Year Round School!
This year (1999-2000) is the first school year we will be on a year round schedule. Hopefully this will not result in any major problems and the three week breaks every nine weeks will offer us all a chance to rest and prepare for the next nine weeks session. Let's all work together and make this a rewarding year.

Rules for Mr. Miller's Classroom

These rules are important for each and every student in order to provide you with the best possible opportunity to learn. We all make choices every day. I sincerely hope you will make good choices this year.


      1. Respect ALL others and their property at 
	     all times.

      2. YOU are responsible for your own actions. 
	     No one else can do it for you and no one 
		 else wants the job.

      3. Come to class properly prepared each day.

      4. Use your time in class wisely and properly.

      5. Follow all school rules as outlined in the 
	     student handbook.
   
Course Outline
In case you are wondering just what we will be doing this year read on!

At times you will be asked to write at least one page (250 words) on what you did, and learned recently. In addition this paper should explain something of what it meant to you and how it relates to real life situations and probably include sample problems of the important things you learned. This paper is an important part of your portfolio and your grade. You should do the very best you can on it!

Be prepared to learn math, which is not the same as arithmetic. During your years in school so far you have learned a lot of arithmetic, now it is time to go beyond that.

You will have ample opportunity to practice arithmetic, but it will be done in a math setting. Unfortunately this means you will be required to think.

There will be a lot of puzzles this year that require logical thinking and/or new ways of looking at math. For example, if a clock takes 2 seconds for a clock to strike 2 o'clock how long will it take to strike 3 o'clock? (Be careful, this is not as easy as it looks!)

In general we will cover the following topics:
    
    
    Terminology     The meaning of math words will be 
	                discussed in all areas
    
    Properties of 
    Numbers         primes & composites, factoring, 
	                figurate numbers, series & sequences,  
					Pascal's triangle, etc.
   
    Whole numbers   expanded notation, order of operations, 
	                arithmetic
   
    Decimals        expanded notation, arithmetic, converting 
	                to a fraction
    	
    Fractions       LCM, LCD, reducing, comparing, arithmetic, 
	                converting to a decimal
   
    Percent         changing to decimals and fractions, 
	                arithmetic
    		
    Area            area of various geometric figures, 
	                square, rectangle, circle, triangle, etc.
    
    Volume          volume of various geometric figures, 
	                rectangular solids, pyramids, prisms, 
					cylinders, spheres, etc.
    
    Probability     calculation of odds of something happening.
    
    Ratio and 
    Proportion      changing sizes or measures for recipes, 
	                maps, etc.
    
    Percent         part of a whole, taxes, sales and 
	                discounts, interest
   
    Angles          measuring, using to solve triangles and 
	                other figures
    
    Geometric 
    figures         properties of points, lines, squares, 
	                rectangles, circles, 
                    triangles, Pythagorean theorem, etc.
    
    Measurement     English & Metric measure, conversion  
	                between systems, adding and subtracting 
					measures, 
   		
    Statistics 
    and Graphing    range, median and mode, average, ordered 
	                pairs, line, circle, and bar graphs.
Wherever possible these will be combined and include problems related to real life situations. Word problems will be found in great abundance!
What You Should Expect From Your Teacher
    1.  You have a right to expect your teacher to do 
	    everything possible to insure you both learn 
		and pass.
   
    2.  You have a right to expect your teacher to treat 
	    you with respect.
   
    3.  You have a right to expect work that is on a proper 
	    level for you.
    
    4.  You have a right to expect a proper learning 
	    environment.

    5.  You have a right to expect an appropriate amount
	    of work without excessive homework.
    
    6.  You have a right to fair treatment and grading 
	    standards.
    
    7.  You have a right to have your questions and 
	    concerns answered.
    
    8.  You have a right to end this year knowing what 
	    you need to know to succeed in future years.
What Your Teacher Expects From You!

The single most important thing expected of you in this room is to respect all other people and their belongings.

Your teacher wants you to succeed by learning the math you will need for the future. For you to do this there are several things you will need to do.

    1.  You must come to class every day properly 
	    prepared and ready to learn. Bring your book, 
		paper and pencil, and any other items that 
		will be needed that day. Missing a day could 
		put you behind and cause later problems, 
		particularly if you miss something that is used
		later.

    2.  You will need to complete each assignment. If 
	    you are absent it is your responsibility to get 
		your makeup work and complete it within the 
		required time. Attendance is very important and 
		when you are absent you could miss something 
		important you will need later!

    3.  In general, late work will not be accepted - 
	    turn in work when it is due!

    4.  Your teacher wants you, and your classmates, 
	    to have the proper setting for learning. You 
		will need to follow all school rules and in 
		particular the classroom rules for Mr. 
		Miller's room.
	
    5.  If you show these five characteristics you 
	    will do fine this year. They are respect, 
		caring, citizenship, fairness, trustworthiness, 
        and responsibility.
Grading Standards
Grading is on a four point scale. In general, your grade will be determined as shown below.
   5.  Your paper demonstrates exceptional work and 
       learning beyond what is expected.
   
   4.  Your paper is complete. There may be a few minor 
       errors but your work indicates you fully 
	   understand the math in the assignment.
    
   3.  Your paper indicates that you mostly understand 
       the work although this might be unclear to me in 
	   places. There will be at least one error 
	   indicating a lack of understanding.
   
   2.  Your paper indicates an adequate understanding of 
       the work involved but should be better.
    
   1.  Your paper indicates a minimal understanding of 
       the work involved. There are many errors some of
	   which are serious.
    
   0.  Your paper indicates a total lack of understanding
       or a paper was not turned in.  
Because of the different types of errors that might be made it is possible for two people to miss the same number of problems and yet get different grades. Remember your work is judged primarily on your understanding of the material.
Types of Assignments

Daily Grades:
    You should expect an assignment every day. They 
	will be checked for completeness and a grade for
	these will be recorded each week. This will count 
	as approximately one-fourth of your total grade. 
	    
Quizzes:
    You should expect to be given quizzes on a regular 
	basis . Quizzes will count about one-fourth of your 
	grade. Normally, you will be told ahead of time to 
	allow time to prepare. On occasion you will NOT be 
	told ahead of time so be ready at all times.

Assessment Tasks:
    You will be given tasks to complete on a regular 
	basis. These will count about one-fourth of your 
	total grade. You will usually be given time to 
	complete these outside of class although some 
	will be done in class.

Portfolio:
    You will be required to keep a portfolio. It should
	include samples of your work, including the 
	assignment tasks described above. You may select 
	samples of your best work to include and the teacher
	will require some items be included.

Group Work:
    You will receive both a group grade and an 
	individual grade for group work done in this 
	class. Your individual grade will depend on you 
    contribution to the group as determined by the 
	teacher and also your fellow group members. This 
	will be part of your daily grade.

Materials Needed
During the school year there are several things you will need. You should get these as soon as possible although some may not be used until later.
   
   1.  Notebook paper and pencils.
     
   2.  Ruler that measures both inches and centimeters
     
   3.  Graph paper (quarter inch square paper is best.)
	
   4.  Calculator - preferably one that will do square 
       roots.
		
   5.  Protractor (for measuring angles) and a compass 
       (for drawing circles)
   
   6.  Colored pencils
   
   7.  Scissors (a small plastic pair will work fine)
   
   8.  Folder or notebook for portfolio. May be
       a cheap 20 cent paper folder. 
   
   9.  A flexible yardstick such as the type
		used in sewing.
   
   10. The teacher provides tissue but it would be 
       appreciated if each student would bring a box 
	   to be stored and given out to students as needed.
A Final Note
It is my hope that each and every one of you will do well this year. It will take a lot of work on both our parts. I will always try and do my part and I expect you to do yours. Be prepared to look at math differently this year. Math and numbers can provide an interesting and exciting journey for those who are willing to take it. Do NOT expect to simply fill in answer blanks and be done. You WILL BE REQUIRED TO THINK! You will find yourself doing a lot of writing this year as you explain how you solved a problem and why you did what you did.
Good Luck and Let's Have a Great Year Together!


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Year Round Calendar 1999-2000  (Sch-Cal.gif)









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