Phone:
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Mr. Jon Gordon
Welcome!
Effective mathematics education provides students with a balanced instructional program. In such a program, students become proficient in basic computational skills and procedures, develop conceptual understandings, and become skilled at problem solving. Standards-based mathematics instruction starts with basic material and increases in scope and content as the years progress. Similar to an inverted pyramid, where the entire weight of the developing subject, including readiness for algebra, rests on the foundation built in the early grades.
In Grade 7, instructional time will focus on four critical areas: developing an understanding and applying of proportional relationships; developing an understanding of operations with rational numbers; working with expressions and linear equations; solving problems involving scale drawings and informal geometric constructions; working with two-and three dimensional shapes to solve problems involving area, surface area, and volume; and drawing inferences about population based on samples.
Course Competencies/ Learning Objectives
Students who successfully complete this course will be competent in the following areas:
● Students will be able to analyze proportional relationships
● Students will be able to perform rational number operations
● Students will be able to generate equivalent expressions; solve problems using linear equations and inequalities
● Students will be able to understand geometric relationships; solve problems involving angles, surface area and volume
● Students will be able to analyze and compare populations, find probabilities of events
Course Texts / Online Resources
Boswell, Laurie and Larson, Ron, Big Ideas Math. 2014
- Math.com
- Purplemath.com
- Manipulatives
- Graph paper you can print
- Website for fun games to test yourself on Pre-Algebra & Algebra topics. Also links to other websites.
- Need math vocabulary words
- Khan Academy
- 7th Grade Math Videos
- Grade 8 Math Videos
- Mathantics.com
Required Materials
Pencils
Textbook
Chromebook
3-Ring Binder (1 or 1.5 inches)
3 Binder Dividers
White Lined Paper
Attendance Policy
Regular and prompt class attendance is an essential part of the educational experience. The Barnegat Township School District expects students to be responsible and exercise good judgment regarding attendance and absences. Students accept full responsibility for ensuring that they complete any/all work missed due to absences.
Course Topic Outline
Please find a list of the units for this course:
Content Area: Mathematics
Course Title: General Mathematics
Grade Level: 7
Unit 1: Proportional Relationships (Ratios, Rates, and Circles)
31 Days
Unit 2: Numbers and Operations (Addition and Subtraction of Rational Numbers)
16 Days
Unit 3: Numbers and Operations (Multiplication and Division of Rational Numbers)
16 Days
Unit 4: Algebraic Thinking (Expressions, Equations, and Inequalities)
31 Days
Unit 5: Proportional Relationships (Percents and Statistical Samples)
22 Days
Unit 6: Geometry (Solids, Triangles, and Angles)
29 Days
Unit 7: Probability (Theoretical Probability, Experimental Probability, and Compound Probability)
28 Days
Student Grades
The grading system for this course is based on the category weights listed in each department’s policy. For this course, those weights are listed below. Each marking period, students will have a minimum of three (3) Major Assessments and seven (7) Minor Assessments (explained below). Uncollected homework is graded as part of Course Participation, which is assessed twice per marking period using the district rubric. Collected homework assignments are graded for accuracy and are recorded as Minor Assessments.
Major Assessments
50% of marking period grade
Minor Assessments
30% of marking period grade
Course Participation
20% of marking period grade
- Examples of Major Assessments include items that are summative in nature, such as: tests, projects, research papers, formal presentations, reports, or any other type of assessment used to capture evidence of learning at the culmination of a unit of study.
- Examples of Minor Assessments include items that are formative in nature, such as: quizzes, exit tickets, collaborative learning, small-scale research activities, notebook reviews, in-class worksheets, or any other type of assessment that is diagnostic in nature and used to guide instruction and provide ongoing feedback to students.
- Note: grades for individual assignments are entered into Genesis for the marking period in which the assignment is assigned and collected, and not a subsequent marking period.
- Extra Credit will only be available for assignments that have been approved ahead of time by the teacher and department supervisor.
- In this course, it is expected that students will submit only their best work, and teachers reserve the right not to accept work that is substantially below what a student is capable of producing.
- Please speak to your teacher about the opportunity for earned Second Chances on certain Major Assessments.
Course Participation Rubric
Academic Social Skills
Readiness to Learn / Study Skills
Homework
Classwork
21st Century College and Career Readiness
Meeting Expectations
20 points
Student consistently demonstrates high levels of age-appropriate academic social skills by showing initiative and independence in all of the components below:
· Self-advocacy
· Persistence ”grit”
· Identifying one’s own needs and communicates needs to others
Student’s classroom behavior is focused, on-task, and serves as a role model for others; the student does not require support from teacher, parents or others.
20 points
Student
· consistently arrives prepared for class and ready to learn;
· demonstrates high levels of organization, motivation, and ownership of his/her learning.
Student consistently produces notes and other materials that demonstrate: effort to learn &
• identification of the curriculum’s main ideas and important supporting details.
20 points
Student consistently completes the assigned homework and rarely misses a task, if at all.
Student consistently expends his/her best efforts to complete assigned tasks.
Homework consistently reflects high levels of care and pride in work.
Homework is consistently done in a manner that advances learning.
20 points
Student
· consistently completes assigned classwork tasks;
· voluntarily and actively participates in classroom activities on a consistent basis;
· consistently remains focused and on task;
· contributes to class discussions in a meaningful way, by actively listening, asking questions, or sustaining discussion;
· consistently demonstrates leadership in collaborative activities.
20 points
Student consistently demonstrates competency in the following NJSLS Career Ready Practices.
CRP1.
CRP2.
CRP4.
CRP5.
CRP6.
CRP7.
CRP8.
CRP9.
CRP11.
CRP12.
*A full description of these items is listed at the bottom of the rubric.
Approaching Expectations
15 Points
Student usually demonstrates age-appropriate academic social skills such as persistence or self-advocacy, but may require teacher prompting or direction.
Student’s classroom behavior is generally focused and on-task, but sometimes requires redirection or support from teacher, parents, or others.
15 Points
Student usually arrives prepared for class and/or demonstrates developing levels of organization, motivation, ownership of learning.
Student frequently produces notes and materials that demonstrate effort to learn and identification of mean ideas, but may also require prompting and direction.
15 Points
Student frequently completes the assigned homework but occasionally misses tasks, or tasks are completed with inconsistent effort.
Homework usually reflects high levels of care and pride in work, but not always.
Homework is generally done in a manner that advances learning.
15 Points
Student
· usually completes assigned classwork tasks and generally produces his/her best work;
· frequently participates in classroom activities but sometimes requires direction and prompting;
· during class discussions, usually contributes by actively listening, responding, and/or asking questions.
15 Points
Student frequently demonstrates competency in the following NJSLS Career Ready Practices, but may need direction and support.
CRP1.
CRP2.
CRP4.
CRP5.
CRP6.
CRP7.
CRP8.
CRP9.
CRP11.
CRP12.
Not
Meeting
Expectations
10 Points
Student occasionally demonstrates age-appropriate academic social skills such as persistence or self-advocacy, and/or often requires teacher prompting or direction.
Student’s classroom behavior is generally unfocused and off-task, and frequently requires redirection or support from the teacher, parents, or others.
10 Points
Student rarely arrives prepared for class and/or demonstrates limited levels of organization, motivation, ownership of learning.
Student seldomly produces notes and materials that demonstrate effort to learn and identification of mean ideas, and often requires prompting and direction.
10 Points
Student rarely completes the assigned homework and frequently misses tasks, or tasks are completed with limited effort.
Homework rarely reflects high levels of care and pride in work.
Homework is generally not done in a manner that advances learning.
10 Points
Student
· seldomly completes assigned classwork tasks and generally does not produce his/her best work;
· usually does not participate in classroom activities and often requires teacher direction and prompting;
· during class discussions, usually does not contribute by actively listening, responding, and/or asking questions.
10 Points
Student rarely demonstrates competency in the following NJSLS Career Ready Practices, and needs direction and support.
CRP1.
CRP2.
CRP4.
CRP5.
CRP6.
CRP7.
CRP8.
CRP9.
CRP11.
CRP12.
*New Jersey Student Learning Standards for 21st Century Life & Careers / Career Ready Practices
CRP1. Act as a responsible and contributing citizen and employee.
CRP2. Apply appropriate academic and technical skills.
CRP4. Communicate clearly and effectively and with reason.
CRP5. Consider the environmental, social and economic impacts of decisions.
CRP6. Demonstrate creativity and innovation.
CRP7. Employ valid and reliable research strategies.
CRP8. Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
CRP9. Model integrity, ethical leadership and effective management.
CRP11. Use technology to enhance productivity.
CRP12. Work productively in teams while using cultural global competence.
Plagiarism, Cheating, and Academic Integrity
The Barnegat Township School District places a strong emphasis on students’ integrity, and the district will not tolerate instances of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism is the practice of copying words, sentences, images, or ideas for use in written or oral assessments without giving proper credit to the source. Cheating is defined as the giving or receiving of illegal help on anything that has been determined by the teacher to be an individual effort. Both are considered serious offenses and are subject to consequences described in the Student Handbook and Board Policy #5701.
Classroom Expectations
- All school rules and policies apply to this class.
- The teacher and students will work together for a respectful, safe classroom.
- Students will come to class on time, prepared, and ready to learn.
- Students will complete all assignments, including homework, by all deadlines. Make-up work is only accepted after an excused absence. It is your responsibility to see me for your work before or after school.
- Students will actively participate in class discussions and other activities in order to enhance their learning experiences.
- Cell phones, iPods, or any other personal electronic devices are prohibited in class at any time.
Extra Help and Support
Occasionally, students will require additional help to master the content and skills in this course. If you need additional help, there are a variety of options for you, including:
- Before school help sessions with your teacher
- Afterschool assistance program
- Peer tutoring from NHS / NJHS students
- Free online tutoring with Brainfuse (available from the Barnegat Library website
***IF YOU NEED HELP, JUST ASK!