Math 9 PREP

2017-2018 Cardston High School 403-653-4951

Mrs. Shaw
jessica.shaw@westwind.ab.ca
Course Overview: shawj.weebly.com
Math 9 Prep is designed to support students and ensure academic success in Math 9.
Coverage of previously learned concepts and skills that will be required in both Math 9 and
future course will be strengthened through addition teaching and learning opportunities.
Mastery of certain concepts is crucial and Math 9 Prep will assist in that goal through
focused practice.
At the beginning of the course students will write a pre-test that will be analyzed to
determine exactly the areas each individual student will need to focus their skill development. Students will then be
guided through additional learning of these topics and structured practice. Upon completion of all skills required,
students will focus their attention on two projects which are required to be completed by the end of Math 9. The
projects will allow students to take a front seat role in their learning and pair their interests with math concepts.

Grading
As a result of Math 9 Prep being a course designed to review previously learned concepts and skills, there will not be summative
grades reported. Progress of each skill will be reported but will not influence the students final Math 9 grade. This being said
student must complete Math 9 Prep with the same vigour as a typical course. Success in Math 9 is highly dependant on the work
completed in Math 9 Prep. Formative assessments will be given continuously throughout this course and will be tracked and
shared with students and guardians
Homework
Materials As with any skill, a certain amount of
Students must come prepared for class each practice is required to reach mastery.
day with the following: Math is no exception. At the high school
level students are expected to put in
* pencil, eraser, pen, etc.
time outside of school hours to reach the
* ruler level of mastery requires. This being
* gluestick said, homework will be assigned most
* binder and paper days. It is expected that students use
homework to practice the skills that the
* duotang to be left in the classroom require for this course and future
* scientific calculator (TI-30XA, or courses. Students who do not complete
anything with sin cos tan but not a their homework will have the
graphing calculator!) opportunity to complete it during Flex
period.
Course Outline

Absences
If a student is absent it is essential that all
missing work and assessments are
completed as soon as they are back. A new
lesson is taught each day so it is very
important that a student has as few absences
as possible.
Students will have to make up the work that
they missed at a time other than during class
time.
Attendance is directly linked to your success
in this course.
Flex
Students who have missed class time
and/or any assessments will be
required to attend Flex with Mrs.
Shaw until caught up. Any student
who has a grade below 60% will also
be attending Flex as this is time
designated for students to receive
additional help in a course. Flex is a
privilege to be excused from and
students are not to expect to use it
as a free period. This is an excellent
opportunity to gain extra
instruction on topics student may be
struggling with as well as help with
homework and review for
assessments.
PowerSchool
Parents and students can regularly log
into PowerSchool to keep grades and
attendance.
Retakes
Retakes of an assignment, quiz or test
will be granted if the students has
effectively shown that additional
learning has occurred. Retakes will not
be allowed for students who simply
failed to study the night before.

Class Policies
Be Safe, Be respectful, Be Responsible
Failure is an event, not a permanent condition

I know that every student is able to be success in this course and thus have high expectations of each student. Completion of
assignments, projects, quizzes and tests should reflect the students best effort. If work is handed in that does not reflect such, the
student will be supported in a number of ways to help achieve their best work. Utilization of flex time, lunch, after school, and
phone calls home will be used as need to support the student.

If after these supports have been offered and student work is still not turned in, or does not meet high standard, then the student,
Mrs. Shaw and administration will work with you through academic monitoring every week until you are caught up.

Tardies: Student who are not ready when the bell rings are counted tardy, as well as those who arrive late. Those arriving late are
asked to come into class quietly, write their name on the board (so that I do not forget to change the absence to a late) and sit in
the first available desk so as not to interrupt class activities.
Students must receive my permission to leave during class time. A conference will result if students abuse the hall pass privilege,
and the privilege may be revoked.
Students are expected to take responsibility for learning. This means that students will arrive on time; bring all materials with
them to class; listen to directions; use class time for completing the assigned tasks; and keep distracting items at home or out of
sight.
Students are expected to respect the rights of others. A learning environment needs to be maintained, so this means that students
must work quietly; use appropriate language; and show courtesy and respect towards those in the classroom.
Students are expected to treat property with respect. Textbooks, furniture, computers and any other school property are to be
taken care of; students may borrow the property of others only after asking permission.
Students are expected to act in a safe and healthy way. Furniture and materials will be used appropriately; hands and feet will be
kept to self; school rules relating to safety will be followed in the classroom.
Students are expected to follow the rules in the Parent/Student Handbook in this classroom.
Consequences will be applied on an individual basis and according to the school districts discipline policies and procedures for
those students who will not be respectful of the behavior expectations (see last page).

Course Outline
 Below is a tentative schedule for the topics to be covered. This schedule is subject to change.

September 6 & 8 Pre Test

September 11 & 13 Long Multiplication
September 18 & 20 Long Division
September 22 Rounding / Comparing Integers
September 25 & 27 Adding Integers
October 2 Subtracting Integers
October 4 & 11 Multiplying Integers
October 13 Dividing Integers
October 16 Equivalent Fractions
October 18 Simplifying Fractions
October 23 Mixed Numbers to Improper Fractions
October 25 Improper Fractions to Mixed Numbers
October 27 & 30 Multiplying Fractions
November 1 Dividing Fractions
November 6 , 8 & 13 Adding Fractions
November 15 & 17 Subtracting Fractions
November 20 Comparing Fractions / Converting Between Fractions, Decimals, Percent
November 22 & 27 Order of Operations
Nov. 29 & Dec. 1 & 4 Solving One Step Equations
December 6,11,13 & 18 Solving Two Step Equations
December 18 Graphing on Coordinate Plane
January 8 Area of 2D Shapes
January 10 & 12 Surface Are of 3D Objects
January 15 & 17 Volume of 3D Shapes

Additional Help
A series of videos and notes will be posted on Mrs. Shaws website (shawj.weebly.com) for additional help. These are great
resources for students who students who are absent as well!

Course Outline
How Do I Assess Student Learning?
In my classroom, I use a variety of ways to determine if students are understanding and learning what is being taught in the
classroom. My classroom is a little different than students may be used to because I only put summative assessments into the
computer as part of their grade in the classroom. Here is a brief explanation of the difference between summative assessment
(what they know at the end of the outcome) and formative assessment (information that guides my teaching). Feel free to
contact me if you still have questions or concerns.

Summative Assessments are given periodically to determine at a particular point in time what students know and do not know.
Summative assessment at the district/classroom level is an accountability measure that will be used as part of the grading
process. The list is long, but here are some examples of summative assessments:
Provincial assessments
District benchmark or interim assessments
End-of-unit or chapter tests
Outcome quizzes
End-of-term or semester exams

Scores that are used for accountability for schools (AYP) and students (report card grades).
The key is to think of summative assessment as a means to gauge, at a particular point in time, student learning relative to
curriculum standards. Although the information that is gleaned from this type of assessment is important, it can only help in
evaluating certain aspects of the learning process. Because they are spread out and occur after instruction every few weeks,
months, or once a year, summative assessments are tools to help evaluate the effectiveness of programs, school improvement
goals, alignment of curriculum, or student placement in specific programs.

Formative Assessment is part of the instructional process. When incorporated into classroom practice, it provides the
information needed to adjust teaching and learning while they are happening. In this sense, formative assessment informs both
teachers and students about student understanding at a point when timely adjustments can be made. These adjustments help to
ensure students achieve, targeted standards-based learning goals within a set time frame.

Think of formative assessment as "practice." We do not hold students accountable in "grade book fashion" for skills and
concepts they have just been introduced to or are learning. We must allow for practice. Formative assessment helps teachers
determine next steps during the learning process as the instruction approaches the summative assessment of student learning.
A good analogy for this is the road test that is required to receive a driver's license. What if, before getting your driver's license,
you received a grade every time you sat behind the wheel to practice driving? What if your final grade for the driving test was the
average of all of the grades you received while practicing? Because of the initial low grades you received during the process of
learning to drive, your final grade would not accurately reflect your ability to drive a car. In the beginning of learning to drive,
how confident or motivated to learn would you feel? Would any of the grades you received provide you with guidance on what
you needed to do next to improve your driving skills? Your final driving test, or summative assessment, would be the
accountability measure that establishes whether or not you have the driving skills necessary for a driver's licensenot a
reflection of all the driving practice that leads to it. The same holds true for classroom instruction, learning, and assessment.
Another distinction that underpins formative assessment is student involvement. If students are not involved in the assessment
process, formative assessment is not practiced or implemented to its full effectiveness. Students need to be involved both as
assessors of their own learning and as resources to other students. There are numerous strategies teachers can implement to
engage students. In fact, research shows that the involvement in and ownership of their work increases students' motivation to
learn. This does not mean the absence of teacher involvement. To the contrary, teachers are critical in identifying learning
goals, setting clear criteria for success, and designing assessment tasks that provide evidence of student learning.
One of the key components of engaging students in the assessment of their own learning is providing them with descriptive
feedback as they learn. In fact, research shows descriptive feedback to be the most significant instructional strategy to move
students forward in their learning. Descriptive feedback provides students with an understanding of what they are doing well,
links to classroom learning, and gives specific input on how to reach the next step in the learning progression. In other words,
descriptive feedback is not a grade, a sticker, or "good job!" A significant body of research indicates that such limited feedback
does not lead to improved student learning.

Some examples of formative assessments include but are not limited to:
Exit slips
Homework problems
Student whiteboard work in class
Class and group discussion
Graphic organizers
Think, pair, share

In addition to reporting on the academic portion of a students progress, four additional skills will be reported.
Initiative
Responsibility
Respect
Homework 4 3 2 1

These skills are important as they

give an insight to another
component of a students
education but as they are not a
product of learning outcome,
they will be reported separate
from the course grade. Skills will
be assessed using the rubric and
numbering system to the right.

Students will complete a self-

evaluation of these skills for each
reporting period which will
accompany Mrs. Shaws
evaluation.

Course Outline
BEHAVIOR Handout

A student who intentionally creates a disturbance in class that directly interferes with the teacher's ability to instruct the class
and with other students' ability to learn is considered disruptive. Disruptive behaviour can have negative effects on not only the
classroom environment, but also on the school experience as a whole.

A student who monopolizes discussions or speaks on particular subjects with no relevance to the current lesson is exhibiting a
disruptive behaviour called grandstanding, or showing off.

Excessive talking with other students during class or passing notes is another type of disruptive behaviour, which can affect the
entire class by making the teacher difficult to hear or forcing the teacher to interrupt the lesson in order to stop the chatter.

The learning process for other students is affected when one or more students behave in a disruptive manner.

Constant interruptions can interfere with focus. Students are forced to wait while the behaviour is addressed, or they are
sidetracked by the disruptive student's attempts to be noticed.

Although I have been asked several times to stop exhibiting this disruptive behaviour, I have failed to do so and therefore have
been asked to report to the office.

I am aware that my parents will be notified and I am required to return this note signed by a parent or guardian.

Date:____________________

Students name:_____________________________

Parent/Guardian name and signature:_________________________