ISTEP Week: April 30-May 4

ISTEP - ISTEP testing wraps up this week for the year with the online multiple choice section of the test. Sixth grade students will be testing in the mornings on Monday through Wednesday and Friday. No tests for sixth grade are scheduled on Thursday. You can check my page on the Maxwell website for a detailed look at the assignments and schedules for the coming week.
     ( http://apps.gcsc.k12.in.us/blogs/jellars/files/2010/08/April-30-May-4.pdf )

Algebra - We'll be continuing our introduction to algebra in math classes this week with a look at using the distributive property to simplify expressions with parentheses.
     Example:  5 * (2a - 4) can be simplified to (5 * 2a)  - (5 * 4)  or  10a - 20

We'll also begin looking at finding solutions to equations such as  5 (y + 4) = 100 - y

Mathematicians - If we have time this week, we'll start looking at the lives and contributions of some of the important persons in the history of mathematics.

ISTEP Review

The multiple choice section of the ISTEP test for 2012 will be administered to our students next week (April 30 - May 4). The test for fourth and sixth grade this year will be an online exam taken in one of our computer labs at school.

We'll be working this week on reviewing important material covered this year, practicing computer testing procedures and test taking skills and strategies.

Students will bring home short review homework assignments each evening Monday through Thursday to sharpen some of the important skills.

Attendance is very important next week. Also important will be plenty of rest the night before and a good breakfast each morning.

Ratio and Proportion

For some extra instruction on ratios and proportions, take a look at these videos from the Khan Academy at khanacademy.org

1. http://www.khanacademy.org/math/arithmetic/basic-ratios-proportions/v/introduction-to-ratios--new-hd-version.

2. http://www.khanacademy.org/math/arithmetic/basic-ratios-proportions/v/understanding-proportions.

3. http://www.khanacademy.org/math/arithmetic/basic-ratios-proportions/v/ratios-as-fractions-in-simplest-form.

4. http://www.khanacademy.org/math/arithmetic/basic-ratios-proportions/v/find-an-unknown-in-a-proportion-2.

5. http://www.khanacademy.org/math/arithmetic/basic-ratios-proportions/v/finding-unit-rates.

6. http://www.khanacademy.org/math/arithmetic/basic-ratios-proportions/v/finding-unit-prices

Hard at Work in Math Class

Students working on ratios and proportions.

Grandmas and Trolls

Here's a fairly easy brain teaser from the Braingle website. (www.braingle.com)

You are on your way to visit your Grandma, who lives at the end of the valley. It's her birthday, and you want to give her the cakes you've made.Between your house and her house, you have to cross 7 bridges, and as it goes in the land of make believe, there is a troll under every bridge! Each troll, quite rightly, insists that you pay a troll toll. Before you can cross their bridge, you have to give them half of the cakes you are carrying, but as they are kind trolls, they each give you back a single cake.How many cakes do you have to leave home with to make sure that you arrive at Grandma's with exactly 2 cakes?

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For a peek at the puzzle and its solution (along with an online calculator) see:
[ http://www.braingle.com/brainteasers/21087/grandmas-and-trolls.html ]