Introduction to Math at YouthBuild

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Dear Students and Sponsors, Welcome to Math at YouthBuild! This class is designed to help build your numeracy skills your ability to solve math problems using a variety of strategies. You will earn benchmarks in this class related to whole numbers, fractions, decimals and percents. Strong numeracy skills are critical for your success in both school and the real world! This first and most important step toward our success in math class is to follow our community expectations. Remember it is important to do your best to follow these expectations and continually improve your habits. If you need a reminder, here they are:

Safety
Are you refraining from drug use while you are here? Are you refraining from threats or harassment (sexual, physical or emotional)? Are you maintaining a weapon-free environment?

Cell Phone
Is your cell phone on silent mode? Is your cell phone out of sight during class time, service and morning meeting?

Respect
Are you respecting the class, staff and yourself by behaving appropriately? Are you talking in turn? Are you using appropriate language? Are you respecting differences of opinions, cultures, and personalities? Are you respecting the property of others by not vandalizing or stealing?

Attendance
Are you present? If you need to leave have you notified the appropriate staff member?

Prepared
Are you on time? Are you dressed appropriately and professionally? Do you have your homework? Are you ready to follow directions and give your full attention when a group discussion begins?

Participation
Are you actively participating? Are you cooperating with peers and staff members? Are you listening and contributing?

Sent Out of Class

Keep in mind that when you are unable to follow classroom expectations you will be forced to leave class and meet with a case manager to discuss your behavior. As a teacher, I will follow the following protocol with all students: 1st Warning: You will be asked to change whichever behavior needs fixing. If you do so, this is the end of the discussion and there will be no penalty. 2nd Warning: If you continue this behavior and are reminded to fix it a second time, you will lose one point from that class. Keep in mind one point is worth approximately 3 dollars and this will come out of your paycheck. 3rd Warning: You will be sent out of class with a sent out of class slip and you will check in with any available case manager. If no case manager is available you should wait out front by Alisons desk or in the staff desk area until a caseworker becomes available. All teachers will follow this procedure. In order to remain in the YouthBuild Just-A-Start program staff will constantly be looking for improvements on any behaviors that need changing. Behavior patterns will be noticed and YouthBuild reserves the right to impose any penalties on students that are not willing to respect the expectations and processes.

I ___________________________ promise I will do my best to uphold YouthBuilds community expectations. I understand that failure to adjust my behavior, respond to redirection, and maintain a respectful classroom environment may result in my removal from the classroom and possibly the YouthBuild Just-Start program.

Signature: Sponsor Signature: Date:

Essential Components of Math

1) Computational Fluency How do I solve addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems accurately and efficiently? What are some strategies I can use to remember important math facts? 2) Mental Math/Exploration How can I solve problems without a paper and pencil? How can I get close enough by estimating? How do I use mental math and estimation to solve math problems in the real world? 3) Problem Solving What are some different strategies I can use to solve problems (for example, making diagrams or tables, using rounded numbers, or guessing and checking) How do I know which strategy to choose? 4) Reasoning and Communication How do I know if my strategy is working or if my answer makes sense? How do I apply what I know to word problems? How can I explain what I know and where I get stuck? 5) Perseverance How do I feel about math and how do these feelings affect my progress? How can I stay motivated even when I get frustrated? How can I build my confidence in math?

Math Class Objectives

Build mental math and estimation skills Develop a variety of strategies for solving problems Improve your math vocabulary Identify patterns that will help you solve problems Increase your confidence in doing math Complete portfolio projects Earn benchmarks* Fill gaps so that you can move ahead faster

Our Ultimate Goals

All GED candidates will score above 450 on at least one Math Practice Test All GED candidates will score > 440 on the GED Math Test All Diploma candidates score > 230 on MCAS All students will increase TABE Math score by 2.5 grade levels

Benchmarks
Benchmarks are proof that you have learned and mastered a skill. They are what you will need to move forward in math class. Each unit in math will consist of some number of benchmarks. After you have earned all the benchmarks for that unit, you will be able to move forward. This system is useful because: It will help you keep track of your progress in math class. It will allow you to work at your own pace. It will allow students to work together to master material.

Work at Your Own Pace

In class, you will be expected to be fully present each day in class and complete all required work. If you cannot finish the work in the given class period, or you miss class for any reason, it is up to you to find extra time to make up the work or get extra help. I am available during lunch or before school by appointment for extra help. I can also make myself available at any other time in order to accommodate your schedule and help you succeed. Check in with me beforehand and I will make extra time to help you finish any benchmarks you need for the class or to reinforce skills. If you get ahead of the class in terms of your benchmarks, you have two options. Option A: Act as a classroom tutor during independent work time after you have completed a given benchmark. You may help other students finish their benchmarks and potentially earn extra points for your efforts. Option B: Work on Skills Tutor and make sure you record and take notes on any lessons you complete. This work can be used to complete future benchmarks in this class.

Class Currency
In this class you will have the opportunity to earn math dollars for extra points. One dollar is worth one point. I will give extra points for a different category each quarter. During the first trimester extra points will be awarded for displaying examples of excellent group work and teamwork. If I see students working exceptionally well together or helping each other out, I will award them a math dollar. Each math dollar will be worth one extra point, or three dollars on your stipend. The only requirement for earning your extra point is that you turn in the dollar to me during non-class time and write the reason you earned the dollar on the back of it. 4

YB 19 First Trimester Math Curriculum

Competency Number Sense Benchmark 1. Understand place value. 2. Add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers. 3. Solve word problems using appropriate operations. 4. Solve problems involving exponents and roots. 5. Solve problems using order of operations. 6. Use factors, multiples and divisibility rules. 1. Read and interpret single step and multistep word problems with whole numbers. 2. Use estimation to solve word problems. 1. Write/draw fractions to demonstrate real world understanding. 2. Reduce and recognize equivalent fractions. 3. Convert improper fractions to mixed numbers and vice versa. 4. Perform fraction addition and subtraction. 5. Perform fraction multiplication and division. 6. Understand decimal place value. 7. Correctly round numbers to given place values. 8. Perform decimal addition and subtraction 9. Perform decimal multiplication and division. 10. Understand percents. 11. Convert flexibly between fractions, decimals and percents. 12. Solve percent of a number problems. 13. Solve real world problems involving percents. 1. Calculate mean, median, mode and range. 2. Describe and analyze bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, stem and leaf plots, box plots and scatter plots. 3. Select appropriate measures to describe and display sets of data. 1. Order integers on a number-line. 2. Solve problems involving absolute value. 3. Add, sub, multiply, div integers. 4. Use Order of Ops. With integers. Evidence

Problem Solving Plan

Fractions, Decimals and Percents

Analyzing Data

Working with Integers