Mr. Becker’s Math and Science

Looking to do more research on your CFC paper at home?  Use the following link to access all the websites we used at school.

My apologies for such a long break.  In January I began to get behind in posting homework and received no complaints.  It made it seem that no one was using the website which makes it awfully difficult to set aside time each day to continue the maintenance of it.  Well,  the website is back and I hope that you use it to maximize your student’s 7th grade experience.  Here’s a little update for each class:

Pre-Algebra:  We have begun getting to the largest part of our curriculum - equations!  Beginning this week we are graphing equations, and solving equations, and laying a strong foundation for your future math careers.  These skills will be paramount in all future math classes, which is why I’m aiming for real mastery of the concepts.

Math 7:  Math 7 is taking their final quiz this week on our geometry unit.  We’ve been measuring, drawing, and calculating to find the surface area and volume of different objects.  Students have been working with various formulas as we try to develop a deeper understanding of these concepts.  Later this week we will be moving from a very visual concepts like geometry to the concrete numerical of averages.  We will be refreshing means, medians, and modes while delving into ranges, quartiles and several other ways of looking at data.

Science:  Our science classes are just turning in our CFC research paper.  Students have spent two days in the computer lab researching, one day composing outlines, and 2 days typing papers.  All papers are due Thursday February 19th.  Remember, although we assigned 500 to 700 words, I would rather get something than nothing.

This week we are beginning our unit on the body systems.  We will work our way through the skeletal, digestive, muscular, circulatory, endocrine, excretory, and reproductive systems.  It’s quite a lot of content, but is a lot more engaging because it’s very personal.  We will be concentrating on some of the structures of each system and the overall function of each system.

Any questions?  Never hesitate to email me at jbecker@wcpss.net

Today (Friday, September 26th, 2008) grades were sent home with your child.  I’m very excited that parents don’t just see a letter grade, but have access to each individual assignment.  Some students have already expressed dissatisfaction, and they should.  Over the last couple of weeks I have seen many students fail to complete homework assignments.  I also would like to stress that we give plenty of time in class to work.  For example we spent two whole class periods working on the atmosphere layers graphic organizer, yet I still received some that were mostly incomplete.

My belief is that these are just interim grades.  If a student missed one assignment it could really drop their grade depending on what category it was in.  They serve as a very temporary snapshot of what has happened so far.  I have graded every piece of paper that has come across my desk so far.  If there were any errors (or no name papers) then please check SPAN frequently to see any changes.

If you are still concerned feel free to email me at jbecker@wcpss.net.  I’m looking forward to more quality work and learning as we move on into October.  Thanks for all your work to help these students achieve the very best.

-Mr. B

Use the links on the left to find the class your looking for.  Or you can use the links below to see other websites that might be helpful.

Ms. Shirley’s Webpage

WMMS Webpage

WCPSS Webpage