Happy December eMATHinstruction users. We are in our last week of classes here in upstate New York before everyone retires for the next few weeks to rest and recover. We’ve been working hard to generate new resources for you, including videos for our middle school classes and add-ons for our high school courses. Let’s get into exactly what we are adding this month.
In Common Core Algebra I Add-Ons we have three new resources for you. To begin, we have a practice set of problems from Unit 5 (Linear Systems) on solving equations graphically. This skill becomes increasingly more important as students get older because of the prevalence of equations that cannot be solved algebraically. We wanted kids to have another chance at practicing this essential skill. We have now added the Unit 5 Form D Assessment. We also have the Unit 6 (Exponents) Exit Tickets.
For Common Core Geometry Add-Ons, we have three resources as well. First, we bring you a new lesson in Unit 4 (constructions) on using constructions to translate points and figures. This is a great application of the parallel line construction and reinforces the properties of translations and their ties to parallel lines. We also bring you the Unit 5 (Coordinate Geometry) Form C Assessment. Finally, we also have the Unit 6 (Quadrilaterals) Exit Tickets.
In Common Core Algebra II Add-Ons, we have one resource for Unit 5 and two for Unit 6. First we have the Unit 5 (Sequences and Series) Form D Assessment. We then bring you the Unit 6 (Quadratic Functions) Exit Tickets. Finally, we also have a new lesson for Unit 6 on the vertex form of a parabola. This is an increasingly important form for students to work with. We supply a lot of practice problems, both theoretical and applied, so that students can see how to model quadratic functions given their turning point and another point.
Finally, in our Algebra 2 with Trigonometry Add-Ons we bring you the Unit 5 (Complex Numbers) Form C Assessment. We also have the Unit 6 (Polynomial and Rational Functions) Exit Tickets. We also offer a Unit 6 Activity this month on rational expression puzzles. These are really “fun” problems where students first experiment with numbers to decide on a pattern and then try to explain the pattern using skills they have learned throughout the rational expressions part of this unit. This is a great activity for extra credit or for a day right before a break.
Besides add-ons, we’ve been busy working on materials for our three new middle school courses. We have been spending our time working on the videos for each lesson. By the end of this week, we should be done with about 50% of all of these with a projected date of late March to be done with all of them. Meanwhile, we are also moving along on the Unit Reviews and Answer Keys for these courses. We plan to be able to provide formal quotes for the 2020-2021 school year in January of 2020. We won’t have sample books until later in the spring, with a target date of May of 2020 for those first books to be done.
That’s about it for now. We hope here at eMATHinstruction that you have a wonderful winter break, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Yule, or nothing at all. This is a great time for students, teachers, and parents to relax and revitalize. Take care and I hope that the roaring 20’s start off well for everyone!!!