Wednesday, August
22, 2007
Welcome to
Pre-Algebra with Mr. Dennis!
These are my expectations, rules, consequences, and grading
procedures.
Please read through these carefully with your parents.
This is your first homework assignment!
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Class Expectations
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Show up on time. ALL tardies are
reported to the office.
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Have all your supplies (calculator,
pencils, binder, etc.) with you EVERY DAY.
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Pay attention and take notes in class.
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Begin homework at the end of class, if
time permits.
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ALWAYS finish your homework and come to
class prepared with questions.
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Class Rules
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Come to class prepared.
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Do not chew gum, eat, or drink in class.
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Do not cause distractions during a
lesson. Always raise your hand before speaking during a lesson.
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RESPECT!! Respect each other, each
other’s personal property, and school property.
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Return all class items to their
appropriate locations before leaving class (pencils, calculators,
classroom books, etc.).
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Consequences for breaking class rules
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Verbal Warning
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Phone Call Home
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After School Detention
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Referral to Mr. Koehne
** The consequence I assign will be based upon the number of offenses, as well
as the level of severity.
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Grading Procedures
You will be graded on each of the following:
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Homework – Each assignment is worth 5
points. Please see the Homework Rubric on the last page.
Unless due to an excused absence, late work is not accepted.
For the first quarter ONLY, we will take work one day late for
half the credit.
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Daily Warm-Ups - Every Monday, I will
provide students with a sheet of warm-Up problems for the week.
I don’t grade these problems for accuracy, only for effort.
I will collect this sheet on Friday, and it is worth 5 points.
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Quizzes – Students will have a quiz or
test nearly every week. Quizzes are worth 50 points.
There are generally 2-3 quizzes per unit.
Please see the course outline at the end for topics covered in
each unit.
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Tests – Tests will occur at the end of a
unit. We will spend the day before a test reviewing. Tests are worth
100 points.
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Quizlab – This is an internet assignment
given on Monday, which is due Friday. The purpose of this assignment is
to review key concepts learned throughout the year. We will spend some
time in class learning how to do these assignments. The point value
will range from 10-15 points.
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Extra Credit – There will be extra
credit opportunities throughout the school year. Keep your ears open!
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There may be other assignments
throughout the year, varying in point value.
Other Points
of Interest:
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Books
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Each student is given a copy of our textbook. This book must be kept in
good condition. This EXACT book must be returned during the last week
of school. I will keep track of the book numbers. Please write your
name (in ink) in your book.
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We have enough books to have a classroom set. This means you can leave
your textbook at home! If there are additional books, I will arrange to
have some in the various study halls throughout the school.
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You are able to access your textbook online. I will show you how to do
this sometime during the first couple weeks of school.
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Calculators
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I will keep a few of these on hand for use in my classroom ONLY. They
are not for study hall use. Do not always count on using one of
my calculators. There are only a few, and we often run out. You’re out
of luck if you don’t have one to use. I highly recommend that you buy
your own.
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Grades
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Grades and assignments may be checked using your Progress Book account.
The school office should have already sent instructions on how to do
so. I encourage both students and parents to check this as often as
possible. I make every effort to
contact parents of struggling students, but please do not assume that I
will do so. I feel that it is an extremely important tool to help
students be successful and stay on track.
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Communication
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Please feel free to contact me! You may do so either by phone or
email. My voicemail is 272-7320, and my email address is
kdennis@mariemontschools.org. I am usually able to respond by email
faster than by phone call.
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Binders
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Student Binders are a helpful organizational tool, and are to be
sectioned as follows:
1) Notes 2) Work 3) Warm-Ups
4) Quizzes 5) Tests
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Please put loose-leaf paper in the “Work” section.
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We will spend part of the day tomorrow putting binders together.
Please make sure you have your binders, divider pages, and loose-leaf
paper with you.
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Hold on to ALL quizzes and tests
throughout the year, as they are helpful study tools.
Tools Needed
for Success in 7th Grade Math!!!
Mr. Dennis’ Supply List...
1. Scientific Calculator
Recommended: TI 34II
Scientific Calculator ($19.98 Staples), Casio fx - 300MS plus ($9.99 Staples),
115 WPlus Scientific Calculators ($14.99 Staples). Any calculator with
sin, cos, tan functions is acceptable, although most students find working with
a 2 line display, such as these, is easier. Please do NOT buy
your child an expensive graphing calculator- they will not be necessary, and I
would need to clear their memories before use on quizzes or tests.)
2. Blue 1"
Binder with at least 5 dividers 
3. Lots of
pencils with erasers
4. Loose- Leaf
Paper, College- Ruled
Other Tips for Success!!!
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Have a good attitude. Your attitude can make all the difference in your
grades, plus it keeps you out of trouble!
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Keep an organized binder. I will help you with this.
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Have all your supplies ready EVERY day!
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Take notes, study, and ASK QUESTIONS!
Good luck and best wishes for a great year!
Sincerely,
Kevin
Dennis
2007-2008 Pre-Algebra Course Outline
The following Course Outline was created by taking into
consideration the Ohio Academic Content Standards and Benchmarks, as well as the
Mariemont City Schools Grade 7 mathematics curriculum.
Standard I:
Numbers, Number Sense, and Operations
Unit 1: Number Concepts and
Representation
- Integers and
absolute value
- Adding,
subtracting, multiplying and dividing integers
- Exponents
- Square roots
- Scientific
notation
- Rational and
irrational numbers
Unit 2:
Computation
- Divisibility,
factors, and greatest common factor (GCF)
- Prime and
composite numbers
- Prime
factorization
- Multiples and
least common multiple (LCM)
- Equivalent forms
of numbers (fractions, decimals, and percents)
- Order of
operations
Standard II:
Patterns Functions and Algebra
Unit 3: Expressions,
Equations, and Inequalities
- Equivalent
expressions
- Simplifying
expressions
- Solving equations
and inequalities
- Graphing
inequalities on a number line
- Applying equations
and inequalities
Unit 4:
Graphing Linear Equations and Inequalities
- Coordinate plane
- Graphing linear
equations
- Graphing linear
inequalities
Unit 5:
Patterns, Relations, and Functions
- Number patterns
- Linear and
nonlinear progressions
- Relations and
functions
- Linear and
nonlinear relationships
Standard III:
Measurement
Unit 6:
Proportions and Rates
- Metric system
- U.S. Customary
System
- Proportional
relationships
Unit 7:
Geometric Measurement
- Area
- Area of composite
shapes
- Converting units
of area
- Surface area
- Volume
- Converting units
of volume
- Comparing surface
areas and volumes
- Change in
dimensions
Standard IV:
Geometry and Spatial Sense
Unit 8: Polygons
- Triangles
- Sum of interior
angles
- Pythagorean
theorem
- Quadrilaterals
Unit 9:
Geometric Concepts
- Congruent figures
- Congruence of
triangles
- Similar figures
- Scale factors
- Transformations
- Transformations on
a grid
Unit 10:
Solids
- Faces, edges, and
vertices
- Euler’s formula
- Prisms, pyramids,
cubes, cylinders, spheres, and cones
- Nets
- Views of
three-dimensional figures
Standard
V: Data Analysis and Probability
Unit 11: Statistics
- Measures of
central tendency (mean, median, and mode)
- Choosing the best
measure
- Range
- Quartiles and
interquartile range
- Sampling
Unit 12:
Representations of Data
- Bar graphs
- Histograms
- Line graphs
- Circle graphs
- Stem-and-leaf
plots
- Box-and-whisker
plots
- Misrepresentations
of data
Unit 13:
Probability
- Theoretical
Probability
- Experimental
Probability
- Probability of
Independent Events
I will mostly use the
textbook to teach these topics.
However, I will not follow the order of the topics presented in the textbook.
I will pick and choose sections from the textbook, which best fit the
order of the course outline. I will
usually give page numbers for assignment purposes.
However, I may refer to a particular section in the textbook.
For example, if I refer to “section 4-3”,
I am referring to chapter 4, lesson 3 from the textbook.
I may throughout the course
of the year find it necessary to make changes to the course outline.