Monday, 11/30/15: Finishing Reviewing Unit 1 Performance Task

No formal homework was assigned tonight, as we used today to complete reviewing the Unit 1 Performance task.  (It was important that we do so.)

Tuesday we will be working with factoring via the GCF (Greatest Common Factor) method, and we have a major Unit 2 test coming up next week.  It is on modules 9, 14, 15, and 16, and in the next several days I'll be passing out a parallel practice test that we will be working with.

Friday, 11/20/15: Reviewing Unit 1 Performance Task

No formal homework is assigned during the break.  Wishing all of you a Happy Thanksgiving with family and friends.  I am thankful for this terrific educational community!

Thursday, 11/19/15: Reviewing Homework on Factoring Differences of Squares and Perfect Square Trinomials

No homework was assigned tonight.  Tomorrow we will be reviewing the Unit 1 Performance Task.  I'll need to start in on it immediately.

Wednesday, 11/18/15: Factoring Differences of Squares and Perfect Square Trinomials

Tonight's homework is from a photocopy I distributed today, which we marked as "II. Difference of Squares."  All problems are assigned, except for the problems which are crossed out.

Period 5:  I forgot to mention that not every trinomial at the bottom of the page is a perfect square trinomial!  Remember, to be a perfect square trinomial:

• first term has to be a perfect square
• last term has to be positive and a perfect square
• if you take "half of the middle coefficient and square it" and get the last term, then it's a perfect square trinomial

If you find that the trinomial is not a perfect square trinomial, you can try diamond trash on it.  If it's not a perfect square trinomial and you can't factor it with diamond trash, then it's prime (cannot factor).

Tuesday, 11/17/15: Reviewing the Diamond Trash Method of Factoring

Tonight's homework is problems (28-39) from the same photocopy students used for last night's homework, "V. Diamond Trash."  Students are to factor these trinomials.

Monday, 11/16/15: Factoring Strategies: Diamond Trash

Tonight's homework is from a photocopy, that in class we labeled "V. Diamond Trash."  From this photocopy I assigned problems 17, 19-21, and 23-27.  This strategy won't be found in most textbooks, including ours.  If you need help, search "diamond trash factoring" within Youtube.

Friday, 11/13/15: Reviewing Work on Graphing Systems of Linear Inequalities

No formal homework was assigned this weekend.  We will be working with the five factoring strategies beginning on Monday.

Thursday, 11/12/15: Practicing Graphing Systems of Linear Equations

I was out today for a district-level data analysis meeting.  Tonight's homework is for students to complete problems 1-21 of a photocopy, entitled "9-6 Exercises." 

Tuesday, 11/10/15: Whiteboard Practice on Factoring

The vast majority of my Per.5 and Per.6 students performed at Disneyland today.  No new homework was assigned for today, although the students know that Thursday they have due problems (1-17) from a worksheet on adding, subtracting, and multiplying polynomials that I distributed Monday.

Veterans, thank you for your service.  Wishing you a meaningful Veterans Day, as our nation expresses its gratitude to you.

Monday, 11/9/15: Reviewing Weekend Homework on Operations with Polynomials

Tonight's homework is from a photocopy on polynomials, (#'s 1-17).

For those music students performing at Disneyland on Tuesday, we will be doing whiteboard practice on factoring in class that day.  No homework will be assigned Tuesday night.  Armistice Day (Veterans Day) allows us the chance to express our gratitude to our nation's veterans.  Vets, thank you for your service.

Friday, 11/6/15: Introduction to Polynomials

We are working on polynomials, the five factoring strategies, and the four methods for solving quadratic equations, for the remainder of 2015.

This weekend's homework is page 517 (1-10).

Thursday, 11/5/15: Lesson 9-5: Examining How Systems of Linear Inequalities Are Used in Real Life

No formal homework was assigned for tonight, although the weekend's homework assignment will be pages 317 & 318, (8, 10-13).

Wednesday, 11/4/15: Lesson 9-5 on Solving Systems of Linear Inequalities

Tonight's homework is from the textbook:  p.317 (5-7, 9).

Tuesday, 11/3/15: Reviewing Lesson 9-3 Homework from the Weekend

No formal homework is assigned for tonight, although students can review Lesson 9-5.  We will be in that section Wednesday, with homework that night.