The eMATHinstruction blog

Spring is on the horizon and the ever-so-strange school year continues into its final chapters. As always, we want to recognize the hard work and dedication of all of the amazing teachers out there who are doing their best to educate our kids in ways that they never envisioned when becoming teachers. We also wanted to give a shoutout to all of the parents and students themselves who are working so hard to learn valuable math this year, even when likely seeing their teachers only a few times a week. It is our great hope that the 2021-2022 school year will return us to something much more familiar.

We’ve got many new resources for you this month. In our middle school courses this month, we have finished posting the resources for the year. First, we have published the Unit 11 and Unit 12 Assessments for N-Gen Math 6. For N-Gen Math 8, we have published the Unit 11 Assessment. The unit assessments for N-Gen Math 7 were completed last month. We have also added the remaining SMART Notebook files for all three N-Gen middle school courses. Next year we plan to add a variety of new resources for the N-Gen middle school series. These may include a second unit assessment for each unit, exit tickets for each lesson, mid-unit quizzes for lengthy units, and Spanish language editions of the lessons and homework sets. We’d love to hear suggestions from middle school teachers in the final months of this school year on what they would like to see added on.

In Common Core Algebra I this month, we have a nice practice set of problems for Unit 9 (Radicals and the Quadratic Formula). The practice set is entitled Additional Practice Solving Quadratic Equations. This collection of problems emphasizes every technique students have seen to solve quadratic equations including factoring, completing the square, using the quadratic formula, and solving equations graphically with and without technology. It’s a great problem set to review these techniques and see connections amongst them. Additionally, we’ve published the Spanish language versions of the Unit 10 (Statistics) assessments (Forms A, B, and C).

For Common Core Geometry this month we bring you add-ons for Unit 8 (Right Triangle Trigonometry). First, we have a set of mid-unit quizzes, both a Form A and a Form B version. We then bring you the Unit 8 Form D Assessment.

In Common Core Algebra II this month we have two additional practice sets of problems. First, in Unit 10 (Polynomial and Rational Functions), we bring you a worksheet on Polynomial Long Division practice. This is a great sheet of problems that gives students lots of extra practice with polynomial long division, both with and without remainders. We also bring you a Unit 11 (Circular Functions) worksheet on Solving Trigonometric Equations Graphically. Although solving trig equations is not an official part of Common Core Algebra II, we thought a worksheet on this technique was a great way to look at both solving equations graphically and graphing sinusoidal functions.

Finally, in Algebra 2 with Trigonometry this month we have three new assessments. First, we bring you the Unit 10 (Exponential and Logarithmic Functions) Form D Unit Assessment. We also bring you a set of mid-unit quizzes for Unit 11 (Probability).

As we look ahead to April, May, and June, eMATHinstruction is closely monitoring the high school testing situation in New York State. It looks like the U.S. Department of Education will force New York State to administer, at the bare minimum, the Common Core aligned Algebra I Regents exam. It is our tentative plan to do at least one, if not multiple, YouTube Live review sessions in early June to help give kids a last look at the material on this exam. We will flesh out more details about the review sessions once we are certain the test will actually be given. For now, enjoy the warmer weather if it has come to you and enjoy the idea that spring is one the way!