Week of Sept. 12th

This week we will be discussing mixed numbers with a twist.  The standard we are working on is add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational numbers fluently.  So our fractions will be both positive and negative.  You just have to remember your fraction rules and integer rules in the same problem.

Students will also get their Chromebooks this week.  Mance Park is now a One to One campus which means everybody gets a Chromebook as long as they have turn in their technology form.  A really good resource for the Chromebooks is the ConnectedEdHive page off the district website.  It tells you how to care for and use your new Chromebook.  The main thing students need to remember is the Chromebook they get will be their's for at least 3 years.  They need to take care of it.

Schedule in math this week:

Monday - Chromebook Check out
Tuesday - Decimal Operations - Homework
Wednesday - Add and Subtract Mixed Numbers
Thursday - the assignment for Wednesday's lesson - What you don't finish is homework
Friday - Multiply Mixed Numbers - Assignment will be completer on Monday.

Bonus Question of the Week

To receive credit for this problem you must copy the question down on paper, show your work, and provide your with its correct label.  A correct answer will get you 10 bonus points.  This question is due Friday, Sept. 16th by the end of the school day.

The length of 5 small paper clips is equal to the length of 2 large paper clips. The length of 8 small paper clips is equivalent to the length of how many large paper clips? Express your answer as a mixed number. (2016-17 Mathcounts Hanbook)

Welcome to Pre-AP 7th Grade Math

I just wanted to say Welcome to Mance Park Middle School and to Pre-AP 7th Grade Math.  I hope this year will be your best ever.

I maintain this blog so that I can provide a few extra tutorials or extensions to what we are doing in class.  I also like to post Bonus questions here to offer an opportunity to earn a few extra points through out the six weeks.  So here is your first Bonus question.

Bonus Question of the Week!

Jose uses regular coffee and a mocha blend that is half mocha and half regular coffee. He puts 4 tablespoons of mocha blend and 3 tablespoons of regular in the coffee maker. What is the fraction of regular coffee in Jose's mixture?

This problem is worth 10 Bonus points.  To receive credit you must write the problem on a sheet of notebook paper, solve the problem, which means you have to show your work, you can't just have an answer, highlight or circle your final answer with its correct label, and turn it in by Friday, September 2nd.

Well, good luck with it.

Mr. Nash

Week of Feb. 15th

Over the last couple of weeks we have been working on the following topics:
   - Probability
   - Perimeter
   - Circumference
   - Area of rectangles, triangles, trapezoids, and circles
I have noticed that overall the 7th graders are weak in these areas.  Below is a list of videos from www.virtualnerd.com by Pearson that might help some students.  These videos can also be accessed on a smart phone with the Virtual Nerd app.

Probability
- How Do You Find the Probability of a Simple Event?
- What is the Complement of an Event?
- Independent Events

Measurement
- How Do You Find the Perimeter of a Shape?
- How Do You Find the Area of a Rectangle?
- How Do You Find the Area of a Trapezoid?
- How Do You Find the Area of a Triangle?

- What is Circumference?

- How Do You Find the Area of a Circle if You Know the Radius?
- What is Pi?
- How Do You Find the Circumference of a Circle if You Know the Radius?
- How Do You Find the Circumference of a Circle if You Know the Diameter?
- How Do You Find the Diameter of a Circle if You Know its Radius?
- How Do You Find the Area of a Circle if You Know the Diameter?

- How Do You Find the Area of a Composite Figure?

This week we will begin discussing 3D figures and finding volume.

Bonus Question of the Week

Please copy the problem, not the picture, show your work, and circle your final answer.  Turn your answer in by Friday, Feb. 26th for 20 Bonus points.

You have a simple house but you would like to redo the floors in each room of your house.  In each bedroom and the living room you would like to add hardwood flooring which will cost $5.30 per square foot.  In the kitchen you want tile that costs $1.98 per square foot.  A friend is going to help you install the flooring so you won't have any labor cost.  However, you want to give your friend $200 for his help.  How much will it cost you to redo the floors in your house?

Week of Jan. 18th

Over the past two weeks we have been learning about Probability.  We have looked at simple probability, which is just the chance that something is going to happen, to finding the probability of independent and dependent events.  Here is a link to the vocabulary we have covered during this unit.

We will have a test over probability Thursday, January 21st.

Bonus Question of the week:

Please copy the problem down, answer the question, and show how you got that answer.  Turn your problem in by Friday, January 29th for 10 bonus points.

A card is chosen at random from a standard deck of 52 playing cards. Without replacing it, a second card is chosen. What is the probability that the first card chosen is a queen and the second card chosen is a jack?

Week of December 14th

This is the week before Christmas break.  This week, we will continue making the connection between the model, the algebraic expression, the t-chart, and the graph.  In class, this is know as BBOA or the Building Blocks of Algebra.  Monday and Tuesday we will be given t-charts and be asked to find the expression that makes the t-chart.  Wednesday and Thursday we will be working on an activity where, if I give you one part of the BBOA you will give me the other four.  Friday, we will be looking at BBOA on the Graphing Calculator.

I wish all and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Bonus Problem of the Week

Copy the problem down, solve, and label your final answer.  Please turn your answer in before you leave for Christmas Break.

One of your friends is heading north for the Christmas holiday and the other friend is heading south. If their destinies are 1029 miles apart and one car is traveling at 45 miles per hour and the other car is traveling at 53 miles per hour. How many hours before the two cars pass each other?

Week of Nov. 9th

Last week we began a unit over ratios, unit rates, proportions, and percents.  This series of lessons are probably the most important and most useful lessons we will cover because students will use them in one form another for the rest of their lives.  We started week learning how to convert fractions to decimals.  We were assigned 41 Fraction to Decimal Equivalents to memorize.  We have been working on them for a week now and will continue to practice this week for a series of 5 minute quizzes.  Please make sure you are studying.  Click Here for a list of the equivalents we need to learn.

This week we will be:
Monday - Solve Proportions using cross multiplication
Tuesday - Write and Solve Proportions from Word Problems
Wednesday - Find Percent of a Number using Multiplication
Thursday - Calculate Sales Tax, Discount, and Tip
Friday - Complete a Hallway activity over Proportions

Bonus Question of the Week

In order to receive 20 Bonus points this week you need to copy the problem down, work the problem showing the work, and answer the problem with the correct label.

BestBuy is having a sale on TV's.  The TV you are going to buy is a 65" Samsung 4K Ultra HD LED TV.  It costs $2,299.99.  It is on sale for 30% off the retail price.  You must pay 8% sales tax on the sale price.  You also need help getting the TV home.  BestBuy will deliever your new TV to your home for an additional $69.99.  How much money will you have to pay to purchase the TV? (Remember: Money is rounded to the nearest hundredth.  Round each answer to the nearest cent before you make the next calculation.)

Week of Oct. 26th

It has been awhile since I have posted.  I apologize for that.  Over the last two weeks we have been studying equations.  We have learned to solve 1 and 2-step equations for an unknown.  Here's an example:

2x + 3 = 15

2x + 3 + (-3) = 15 + (-3)

2x = 12

 2x  =   12 

2          2

x = 6

I teach students that solving an equation is a process that you do over and over again.

Step 1:  Get rid of your addition or subtraction

How:  Add the opposite to both sides of the equation.

Step 2:  Get rid of your multiply and divide.

How:  You do the opposite to both sides of the equation.

We have now moved on to solving 1 and 2-step inequalities.  The major difference between an equation and an inequality is that an inequality can have multiple answers that will make the problem true.

Example:

2x + 3 > 15

2x + 3 + (-3) > 15 + (-3)

2x > 12

 2x  >   12 

2          2

x > 6

So, any value greater than 6 will make this problem true.

2(8) + 3 > 15

16 + 3 > 15

18 > 15

This week we will finishing solving inequalities, take a Common Assessment over equations and inequalities, and learn how to play Sumdog.

Remember, Friday is Parent / Teacher Conference Day.  There will be no school for students.  Monday is a Staff Development day so students actually have a 4 day weekend.  Enjoy.

Bonus Question of the Week:

Roger is having a picnic for 78 guests. He plans to serve each guest at least one hot dog. If each package, p, contains eight hot dogs, which inequality could be used to determine how many packages of hot dogs Roger will need to buy?

A.  p > 78                     C.  8 + p > 78

B.  8p > 78                   D.  78 - p > 8

Also, how many packages will he need to buy?

To receive Bonus points you must write the problem on a sheet of paper, solve the problem, and turn it in by Thursday, Oct. 29th.

Have a good week!