Welcome back to the start of the 3rd Term

Summary:

Students were provided with a letter of reintroduction today that details policies and routines they can follow to be successful in this third term. Parents are encouraged to ask students to see a copy. Students initiated their first quiz of the third term, an assessment that is based on themes/topics explicitly laid out in the Boston Public Schools math pacing guide. We are continuing to seek proof of long-term understanding of math topics and this quiz is a component of this goal. Finally, in alignment with our theme of starting long-term projects in the math classroom, students were assigned a two day assignment for their first home nugget.

The lesson is reproduced below and its FCAs follow.

Home Nugget #1 of the 3rd Term
Imagine the headmaster bursts into the class one day and declares in an accusatory, menacing tone, “this class and all you students are a fraud! I have reason to believe that no real math learning is taking place and so I have decided to recommend to the district that you all attend a mandatory two month summer school crash course.”
Tonight, your job is to write a two-page letter of appeal to the headmaster, Mr. Stembridge, to convince him that he has misjudged you and your peers. Your letter cannot be comprised of empty fluff however, and must provide irrefutable evidence that you are, in fact, an improved math student compared to when you arrived in September.

Your letter of appeal MUST contain ALL of the following elements to be considered convincing (and to receive credit):

FOUR MANDATORY ELEMENTS
1. Proof or evidence of math topics (AT LEAST 4) you have learned about or improved upon this year.
2. Specific examples (AT LEAST 3) of the topics you mentioned in element #1.
3. Your individual idea of how you would be willing to show or prove your competency in the math topics you claim to have learned. (Taking tests, giving a presentation, writing a persuasive essay, etc.)
4. An actual work sample or a collection of cut and pasted samples from the 1st and 2nd term that you feel illustrate some of your strengths as a math student. This sample must include a clear explanation of what was so special or significant about the specific products you chose.

Home Nugget #1
Assigned on Wednesday January 3, 2007
Due on Thursday January 4, 2007
Lesson is pasted above in detail

FCAs:
4 points: have a two page letter, not including the work sample (element #4), that demonstrates responses to the first three requirements for the lesson. This will be spot-checked in class and is an all or nothing grade.