Middle School Math Courses Change in 07-08
As educators, we constantly evaluate our instructional programs and practices based on current research and various student data. We strive to make improvements that will ensure academic success for all students. The Board of Education recently approved a proposal to change math course offerings that we feel will provide our students with a more solid foundation to build upon in high school.

The State Department of Education recently adopted new state standards. Unlike years past, these standards are grade specific causing a shift in focus from course titles to standards-based instruction.

Beginning in the 2007- 08 school year, seventh grade students will take either Math 7 or Math 7 Plus. Both classes are charged with teaching the seventh grade Kansas math standards. The majority of students will enroll in Math 7, but students fitting an established criterion will be placed in Math 7 Plus. These criteria will consist of previous state assessment results, NWEA scores, class math grades, etc. In addition to the seventh grade math standards, students in Math 7 Plus will also be exposed to Pre-Algebra concepts.

Eighth grade students will take Math 8 or Math 8 Plus. Both classes will be charged with teaching the eighth grade Kansas math standards, but students in Math 8 Plus will also be exposed to Algebra concepts. 

We will continue to offer the Math Lab as an enrichment class for students identified as needing additional assistance in mastery of math standards. Students identified as gifted will still have the opportunity for acceleration if this is determined to be in the student’s best interest.

It may also be of interest to parents that the high school has changed the order of course offerings in math to strengthen its program. Beginning next fall, the order of offerings will be Algebra I, Geometry, and then Algebra II. 

1. NWEA Tests are administered in the fall at each grade level during math and English classes. These computerized adaptive tests measure the academic progress of each student over time in the areas of math and reading. Tests are aligned to the Kansas Curricular Standards. These assessments are used for program evaluation and to identify strengths and weaknesses of each student to better meet his/her needs. 
2. State Assessments are administered during the months of March and April. During the 2007-2008 school year, all seventh grade students will complete the math, reading and science state assessments. All eighth grade students will complete the math, reading and social studies state assessments. These assessments indicate how well students are mastering the Kansas Curricular Standards that make up each subject’s curriculum.

State Math Standards

1. Standard 1: The student uses numerical and computational concepts and procedures in a variety of situations.
a. Benchmark 1: Number Sense 
b. Benchmark 2: Number Systems and Their Properties
c. Benchmark 3: Estimation 
d. Benchmark 4: Computation
2. Standard 2: The student uses algebraic concepts and procedures in a variety of situations.
a. Benchmark 1: Patterns
b. Benchmark 2: Variable, Equations, and Inequalities
c. Benchmark 3: Functions
d. Benchmark 4: Models
3. Standard 3: The student uses geometric concepts and procedures in a variety of situations.

a. Benchmark 1: Geometric Figures and Their Properties
b. Benchmark 2: Measurement and Estimation
c. Benchmark 3: Transformational Geometry
d. Benchmark 4: Geometry From an Algebraic Perspective
4. Standard 4: The student uses concepts and procedures of data analysis in a variety of situations.
a. Benchmark 1: Probability
b. Benchmark 2: Statistics

1. Standard 1: The student reads and comprehends text across the curriculum.
a. Benchmark 1: The student uses skills in alphabetics to construct meaning from text.
b. Benchmark 2: The student reads fluently.
c. Benchmark 3: The student expands vocabulary.
d. Benchmark 4: The student comprehends a variety of texts (narrative, expository, technical, persuasive)
2. Standard 2: The student responds to a variety of text.
a. Benchmark 1: The student uses literary concepts to interpret and respond to text.
b. Benchmark 2: The student understands the significance of literature and its contributions to various cultures.

1. Standard 1: The student writes effectively for a variety of audiences, purposes, and contexts.
a. Benchmark 1: The student writes narrative text using the writing process.
b. Benchmark 2: The student writes expository text using the writing process.
c. Benchmark 3: The student writes technical text using the writing process.
d. Benchmark 4: The student writes persuasive text using the writing process.
2. Standard 2: The student responds to a variety of text.
a. Benchmark 1: The student uses literary concepts to interpret and respond to text.
b. Benchmark 2: The student understands the significance of literature and its contributions to various cultures.
3. Standard 3: The students write effectively for a variety of audiences, purposes, and contexts.
a. Benchmark 1: The students use writing as a tool for learning throughout the curriculum.
b. Benchmark 2: The students use a writing process that includes preparing, drafting, revising, editing and publishing to produce a written text.
c. Benchmark 3: The students use ideas that are well developed, clear and interesting.
d. Benchmark 4: The students use organization that enhances the reader’s understanding.
e. Benchmark 5: The students use authentic and appropriate voice.
f. Benchmark 6: The students use effective word choice.
g. Benchmark 7: The students use clear and fluent sentences.
h. Benchmark 8: The students use standard American English conventions.
i. Benchmark 9: The students use a variety of modes of writing for different purposes and audiences.
4. Standard 4: The student applies reading and writing skills to demonstrate learning.
a. Benchmark 1: The student uses effective research practices.
b. Benchmark 2: The student uses ethical research practices.

In an effort to focus on enhanced student performance, the staff of GMS has developed a plan to engage students in high quality improvement activities in reading and math throughout the school year. This plan will be implemented at varying levels in all classes across the curriculum. 
Our Commitment to Every Child’s Academic Success in Math

• Teach math standards in all math classes.
• Speak common math vocabulary in every content.
• Incorporate math computation in every content.
• Apply problem solving strategies in every content.

• Teach reading standards in all reading classes.
• Speak common reading vocabulary in every content.
• Reinforce vocabulary skills in every content.
• Strengthen comprehension in every content.
• Integrate reading and writing in every content.

1. Narrative – It is often fiction. It tells a story and contains well-developed characters. It contains a setting and a plot with a problem and a resolution. It contains a theme. Vocabulary is used to enrich understanding. It may be written in first, second, or third person. The passage makes sense when read from beginning to end. Examples: drama, diaries, excerpts from novels, fables, fantasies, folk tales, historical fiction, legends, mysteries, myths, novels, personal narratives, plays, poetry, mysteries, science fiction, short stories, tall tales
2. Expository – It is nonfiction in which the author seeks to explain or inform. The information can be verified as true. Common structures within expository text include description, definition, classification, comparison/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution, sequence, or a combination. It is subject oriented to focus on a specific topic. Examples: autobiographies, biographies, essays, book reports, brochures, graphs and charts, interviews, journals, lists, newspaper/magazine articles, research papers, speeches, textbooks
3. Technical – It is nonfiction in which the author gives information to the reader than may be used to perform a task. The material to be read may include explicit steps to follow or the steps may be implied in a graphic. Sentences are commonly shortened or fragmented and numbered or bulleted lists are commonly used. It uses dictionary meaning of words and focuses on an identified topic. It is organized in a logical and orderly way. Examples: brochures, classified ads, directions, floor plans, forms, graphs, charts, how-to guides, instructions, job preparation manuals, maps, menus, recipes, schedules, transcripts, warranties
4. Persuasive – It is nonfiction in which the author intends to convince the reader to adopt a particular opinion or to perform a certain action. It attempts to solve a problem by invoking change. It is written to convince the reader to adopt the writer’s point of view. It focuses on a central purpose and sometimes relies on propaganda and sarcasm. The author tries to appeal through reason, emotion, endorsement of an influential figure, testimonials, citing authority, statistics. Examples: Advertisements, book reviews, charitable campaign appeals, commercials, debates, editorials, letters to the editor, movie critiques, political campaign literature, editorials

1. Word Parts - Words can often be “broken down” into smaller parts.  If the meaning of the smaller parts is determined, students gain a better understanding of the whole word.
• Prefixes - A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of a base word. Each prefix has a general meaning. (For example, the prefix “pre” means before. Knowing this would help a student determine that pretest means “a test before material is taught” or preschool means “school attended before public school.”)
• Suffixes - A suffix is a word part added to the ending of a base word. Each suffix has a general meaning. (For example, the suffix “ant” means “one who” or “the performer of a task.” Knowing this would help a student determine that assistant means “one who assists.”)
• Roots - A root is a base upon which a word is built. Often students can begin to understand the meaning of an unfamiliar word if they can determine the base root.
2. Context Clues - These are other words or phrases to help with the understanding of a new word. These words or phrases are built into sentences around the difficult word. If students become more aware of the words around the difficult words encountered in their reading, they will save themselves many trips to the dictionary. Instead, they will be able to make logical guesses about the meaning of words.
• Definitions - The sentence itself defines a word. The tip off for this type of clue is often the form of the verb “be” (am, is, are, was, were).
• Synonyms - A second, more familiar word that is similar in meaning to the unknown word is stated in the text.
• Antonyms - A second, more familiar word that is opposite to the unknown word is stated in the text.
• Comparisons - An unfamiliar word is used in a comparison with a familiar word that has a similarity or likeness to the unknown word. Comparisons are signaled by words such as like or as.
• Contrasts - An unfamiliar word is used in a contrast with a familiar word that has differences to the unknown word. Contrasts are signaled by words such as but, on the other hand, unlike, on the contrary.
• Restatements - An unknown word is restated in other words. Demonstrative pronouns such as this, that, these, those may indicate restatements.
• Items in a Series - An unknown word could be part of a series of words that are more familiar to help.
• Cause and effect - When one event triggers, or causes, another event, meaning of unknown words can be gained by studying that cause/effect relationship.
• Inferring Meaning - Not every word in context is signaled by key words or clues. Many times the student must piece together hints in the context. Using the hints, a student can make educated guesses, or inferences, about the meaning of the unknown words.
3. Word Origins - English began with a prehistoric language called Intro-European. Over a long period of time, several other languages came from this same source causing many similarities between the English language and other parts of the world. Great numbers of words entered English from Latin, Greek, early Germanic languages, and French. If students become more aware of word origins, they can begin to determine the meanings of unknown words.
• Borrowed Words - The process of borrowing words from other languages continues today. For example, the words canyon and ranch are Spanish and the word canary is African.
• Words from Names - New words may be based on the name of a person or place. For example, herculean, which means “having great strength,” comes from the Greek myth about Hercules.
• Clipped Words - New words are shortened forms of existing words. For example, cab was clipped from “cabriolet.”
• Combined Words - Words may be put together from two existing words or word parts. For example, brunch is a blend of the two words “breakfast” and “lunch.”
• Words from Sounds - Words can imitate sounds. Examples include chirp, creak, and hush.
4. Reference Tools - There are many reference tools available to help determine the meanings of unfamiliar or unknown words. Some of these include the thesaurus, glossaries, encyclopedias, etc. The most common tool is the dictionary. By taking a closer look at words through reference materials, a greater understanding of words and the various contexts, connotations and meanings can be gained.

PREFIXES	SUFFIXES	ROOT WORD
amphi – both, around  amphibious, amphitheater anti – against  antibiotic, anti-abortionists auto – self autobiography, automatic bene – well, good  benefit, benefactor, benign  bi – two  bikini, bicycle bio – life biology, biography co – together  coauthor, coexist  com – together with commune, combine  de – to make less, off, apart deduct, degrade, deactivate dis – not, not any  disbelieve, disrespect equi – equal equality, equitable e/ex – out exit, elusive, evacuate, extinguish fore – before  forerunner, forefathers geo – earth geography, geology in – not inactive, inappropriate inter – between, among  interrupt, interfere mal – bad, badly malign, malignant, malicious mis – wrong, bad misbehave, misprint mono – one, single  monogamy, monologue non – not nonsense, nonabrasive omni – everywhere, all omnipresent, omnipotent per – through  permeate, permit poly – many polygon, polygamy post – after posterior, postpone, postscript pre – before  preview, precede, pretest pro – forward proceed, promote  re – again return, reunite semi – half semiannual, semicircle sub – under, below  substandard, submerge, submarine super – greater, beyond supernatural, superstition trans – across  transpire, transcontinental  uni – one unilateral, unity un – not unacceptable, unlikely	able/ible (adj.) – able to, can do  likeable, flexible acy/acity – having the quality of democracy, tenacity ance/ancy – action, process, state assistance, allowance, truancy, defiance ant (adj.) – performing agent  assistant, servant  ary/ery/ory (n.) – relating to, quality dictionary, bravery, dormitory ate (v.) – cause, make liquidate, segregate, inculcate ation – changes a verb to a noun  creation, starvation  cian (n.) – having skill or art musician, magician, beautician, physician cide – to kill or cut homicide, genocide, suicide cle/cule - small  particle, miniscule, molecule  crat – to rule democrat, aristocrat cy (n.) – action, function hesitancy, prophecy, normalcy dom (n.) – quality, realm, office  kingdom, wisdom, freedom, dukedom ee/eer – one who employee, volunteer, auctioneer er – more  wiser, harder, stronger  er/or (n.) – one who dancer, rider, baker, teacher, doctor  escent – becoming adolescent, convalescent, fluorescent est – most wisest, hardest, strongest  ful/full (adj.)  quantity (n.) playful, cupful, careful  fy (v.) – to make or cause to become purify, magnify hood (n.) – order, condition manhood, womanhood, brotherhood ic (adj.) – nature of, like metallic, heroic, poetic, acidic ice (n.) – act of, time of, condition, state justice, malice, service, novice ism – forms nouns criticism  ist – someone who is  conformist, cyclist ize – turns n. and adj. into verbs modernize, hospitalize, dramatize less (adj.) – without  fearless, motherless, careless let – little booklet, pamphlet, bracelet logy/ology – study of biology, psychology, anthropology ly (adj.) – having the quality of, like, manner of  manly, motherly, miserly, carelessly ment – changes verbs to nouns entertainment, amazement ness – state, quality kindness, happiness, friendliness or – one who  donor, orator, tractor, doctor  ory/orium (n.) – place where observatory, planetarium, factory ship (n.) – office, state, skill friendship, authorship, dictatorship some (adj.) – like, apt, tending to  lonesome, threesome, gruesome tude (n.) – state of, condition of  attitude, gratitude, multitude ward (n.) – in the direction of eastward, forward, backward y (adj.) – inclined to, tend to cheery, crafty, faulty	acri/acer - sharp, bitter  acrid, acute, acid act - do  action, react, enact amicus - friend amicable, amiable aud - hear audience, auditorium, audible cred – believe credible, credit, incredible, discredit chron – time chronology, synchronize, chronicle dic – speak predict, dictate, contradict flu - to flow  fluent, superfluous, affluent fid - trust, have faith fidelity, confidant, diffident greg - flock, herd congregate, segregate luc/lumen – light lucid, elucidate, luminous pathos – feeling apathy, sympathy, empathy pug – fist pugilist, repugnant plac - make calm placate, placid, complacent spec/spic - to see, observe conspicuous, perspective, spectacle tract - pull, drag tractor, distract, contract vid – see video, provide, evidence

UPIC PROBLEM SOLVING METHOD
U – Understand the problem (What is the problem asking me to do?)
P – Pick a Strategy (What do I need to do in order to solve the problem?)
I - Implement the strategy (Do the work.)
C – Conclude (Answer the problem and ask yourself if your answer makes sense.)

Sample Problem
If a baseball player gets 43 hits in 126 at-bats, what is his batting average?
U – Find the players batting average
P – # of hits divided by # of at-bats = batting average
I – 43 divided by 126 = 0.341269841…
C – Batting Average = 0.341 
       (43/126 is a little over 1/3 so my answer makes sense)

MATH VOCABULARY WORDS
Numerator- number of equal parts in a whole (top number of a fraction)
Denominator- number of parts you are dealing with (bottom number of a fraction)
Equation- a math sentence that contains an equal sign
Exponent- the number that expresses how many times the base is used as a factor
Inequality- a comparison of two expressions using: <, >, ?, or ?
Mean - the average of a set of numbers
Mode- the number that occurs most often in a set of numbers
Median- the middle number in a set of numbers if the numbers are in order
Range – the highest number minus the lowest number
Variable- a letter that represents a number
Factor- a number that divides into another number without a remainder
Multiple- the product of two numbers
Sum- answer to an addition problem
Difference- answer to a subtraction problem
Product- answer to a multiplication problem
Quotient- answer to a division problem
Parallel – lines that never intersect
Perpendicular – lines that form a right angle
Prime Number – a whole number with exactly two factors, one and itself
Composite Number – a whole number that has more than two factors

CONVERTING METRIC AND STANDARD UNITS 
Distance
1 kilometer = 1,000 meters
1 kilometer = 100,000 centimeters
1 kilometer = 1,000,000 millimeters
1 meter = 100 centimeters
1 meter = 1,000 millimeters
1 centimeter = 10 millimeters
1 mile = 1,760 yards
1 mile = 5,280 feet 
1 mile = 63,360 inches
1 yard = 3 feet
1 yard = 36 inches
1 foot = 12 inches

Mass
1 kilogram = 1,000 grams
1 kilogram = 1,000,000 milligrams
1 gram = 1,000 milligrams
1 ton = 2000 pounds
1 pound = 16 ounces

Volume
1 liter = 1,000 milliliters
1 gallon = 4 quarts
1 gallon = 8 pints
1 gallon = 128 fluid ounces
1 quart = 2 pints
1 quart = 32 fluid ounces
1 pint = 16 fluid ounces 

ORDER OF OPERATIONS
Step 1 – Grouping symbols (parenthesis)
Step 2 – Powers 
Step 3 – Multiplication and Division from left to right
Step 4 – Addition and Subtraction from left to right

MATHEMATICAL FORMULAS 

MULTIPLICATION TABLE 

x	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
1	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
2	0	2	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20	22	24
3	0	3	6	9	12	15	18	21	24	27	30	33	36
4	0	4	8	12	16	20	24	28	32	34	40	44	48
5	0	5	10	15	20	25	30	35	40	45	50	55	60
6	0	6	12	18	24	30	36	42	48	54	60	66	72
7	0	7	14	21	28	35	42	49	56	63	70	77	84
8	0	8	16	24	32	40	48	56	64	72	80	88	96
9	0	9	18	27	36	45	54	63	72	81	90	99	108
10	0	10	20	30	40	50	60	70	80	90	100	110	120
11	0	11	22	33	44	55	66	77	88	99	110	121	132
12	0	12	24	36	48	60	72	84	96	108	120	132	144

Analytical Rating Guide Summary

Ideas & Content	Organization	Voice	Word Choice	Sentence Fluency	Conventions
5	5	5	5	5	5
• Clear, focused and interesting • Insightful • Relevant details • Balance: main ideas stand out • Writer in control • Writer shapes ideas and makes connections	• Compelling • Moves the reader through the text • Lead and conclusions are strong • Pacing well-controlled • Transitions smooth • Reader hardly has to think about the organization • Sequencing logical and effective	• Writer speaks directly to the reader • Expressive, engaging • Honest; written from the heart • Can sense the person behind the words • Language is natural • Tone/voice seem appropriate	• Interesting, precise, and natural • /Words are specific, accurate; just right • Imagery is strong  • Powerful verbs • Language is natural • Expression is fresh/appealing	• Easy flow and rhythm when read aloud • Sentences well built • Strong and varied structure • Fragments used for effect; dialogue sounds natural • Sentences display and effective combination of power and grace • Fragments and dialogue work well	• Good grasp of standard conventions • Paragraphing is sound • Punctuation is smooth • Spelling generally correct (difficult words) • Requires only light editing to polish for publication • Writer may manipulate for effect
3	3	3	3	3	3
• Clear and focused • Development limited • Some trouble moving from general observations to specifics • More information is needed to “fill in the blanks” • Main points lack originality	• The order or structure moves the reader without undue confusion • Lead not strong; conclusion not satisfying • Connections are fuzzy • Sequencing is logical • Pacing is fairly well controlled • Organization does not seriously get in the way	• Writer not genuinely engaged or involved • Moments of amusement, surprise, etc. • Writing hides as much of the writer as it reveals  • Writer weighs words for distance or to avoid risk	• Language is functional • Lacks punch; does get the message across • Words are correct and adequate, but not precise • Writer avoids experimentation • Writer uses redundancy or cliché, but does not rely on them	• Lacks rhythm and grace • More businesslike or mechanical • Not literary • Good control over simple sentence structure • Favors a particular sentence patter • Reader has to hunt for clues to link sentences	• Reasonable control over limited conventions • Spelling usually correct (easy words) • Terminal punctuation almost always correct • Paragraphing attempted • Errors somewhat distracting
1	1	1	1	1	1
• No clear sense of purpose or central theme • Information is very limited or unclear • Text is repetitious; reads like a collection of random thoughts • Writer has yet to define the topic or sense of direction to guide development	• Lacks clear sense of direction • No identifiable sense of structure • Sequencing, if it exists, needs work • No real lead or conclusion • Transitions not clearly defined • Hard to understand main point	• Writer seems indifferent, distant • Monotone • Writing is flat, lifeless or mechanical • Functional; no attempt to move or involve the reader • Writer does not connect with audience	• Limited vocabulary • Language vague/abstract • Persistent redundancy • Uses clichés as crutch • Words used incorrectly in more than one or two cases • Writer does not select words to help reader	• Difficult to follow or read aloud • Choppy, incomplete, rambling, awkward • Sentences do not sound natural • Sentence structure obscures meaning  • Little or no real variety in sentence length or structure	• Errors in spelling, punctuation, usage and grammar repeatedly distract the reader • Requires extensive editing to polish for publication • Paragraphing is missing or incorrect • Reader must first decode, then reads for meaning