Math Fundamentals – This week sixth graders dove into integers. A submarine analogy was used to help understand adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers. This can be a challenging topic! Chat with your sixth grader about negative numbers in the real world (finances, elevation, temperature, etc) to support their learning.
Integrated Math – Integrated Math students have been working on an independent study of scientific notation. Using Desmos, they have developed and understanding of scientific notation and how it works. It is a very useful tool for representing very large or very small numbers. Students have also been introduced to functions. This will be the focus of our next unit, with students developing a formal definition and learning the various different ways that functions can be represented.
Algebra 1 – Algebra 1 students have been learning about solving quadratic equations. At first, equations were solved using reasoning, then as the equations increased in complexity, more tools were needed. Students began to discover the zero product property surrounding quadratic equations, which states that if any factor of a product is zero then the product will also be zero. This enables students to find solutions to equations in factored form. This is the first of the many ways that students will solve quadratic equations this year.
Geometry – We have started our unit on coordinate geometry. In this unit students will be applying previous learning to new applications on the coordinate plane. The first few lessons examine transformations in the plane, as well as similarity and congruence.
