ALGEBRA 1:

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS
MS. GORMAN
GENERAL EXPECTATIONS:

1. SHOW RESPECT: Listen and do not speak when others are talking. These
are your peers and you should treat them kindly. Remember the Golden Rule:
Treat others the way you want to be treated!
2. ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE: Ask questions, volunteer to show your work, help
your classmates when working in groups. The more you participate, the more
fun you will have and the more math you will learn!
3. COME PREPARED: If you come to class each day with everything you need
(homework, pencil, paper, etc.) then class will run smoothly and we can
move on to more important things, like linear equations!
4. BE RESPONSIBLE: If you ever feel behind in class or that you are
struggling, come find me and we can work through anything you dont
understand. The more you practice the more you will understand! I am more
than happy to help answer questions.

GRADING SCALE

Tests (50%): There will be a total of 8 tests this year. Of these eight tests,
six will be in class after each unit. Each of these three unit tests are worth
5% of your grade. The midterm and the final exams will be worth 10% of
your grade and will be taken during finals week. The final exam and the
midterm are cumulative to the semester, but dont let this word scare you.
As long as you actively participate in class and do all of the homework, then
you will be fine.
Homework (25%): Homework is graded for completion every day. Homework
will vary from selected problems in the book to problems and worksheets
that I have created or found. Homework could also be as simple as
completing one problem. As long as you do it, or attempt to do it, you will
receive credit. *See homework policy for details.
Classwork/Participation (25%): Participation is calculated at the same
percentage as your homework is. This class is mainly discussion based and
your participation is crucial. Each week you will grade your group members
and yourself on your participation. I will assess these grades and make
adjustments where I see fit. I also give points for actively participating in
whole class activities and discussions. If you present a problem to the class,
then good for you, you will receive a point! Woohoo!

HOMEWORK POLICY :

Absences: If you are absent for any parent excused reason, you will need to
complete the homework for the day(s) you missed by that many day(s) after.
So say you missed two days of school because you have the flu. Then you
will have two days to complete the makeup homework. For the homework

that was due on the first day you missed, that will need to be turned in to me
the day you get back. Homework will also be posted on the website the day
it is assigned so if you want to get ahead, you can do so through my website.

Now that weve gotten the rules out of the way we can move onto
the good stuff: Math!
THIS YEAR YOU WILL LEARN:
Concepts:
Real Numbers and Expressions: We will spend about 4 weeks on real
numbers and expressions. This is an exciting topic that will set the basis for
the rest of the year. Once you get this concept down it will make the rest of
the year go smoothly for you.
Functions: When people think of algebra, this is what they think of.
Functions are really fun to do and we will get to explore the meaning behind
them. We will spend about 4 weeks working on functions and their meanings.
Linear Equations and Inequalities: Now Im sure youve seen the
symbols >,<, , and before right? This may take some time to get used to
when dealing with linear equations in the mix, but the more time you spend
on it, and the more explorations we do you will catch on. This topic is a little
more extensive, so we will spend about 8 weeks learning these.
Systems of Equations and Inequalities: This topic we will pick up second
semester. It goes along with linear equations and inequalities so it will be a
good topic to pick up after winter break. We will spend about 2 weeks
working on this topic.
Quadratic and Exponential Equations and Functions: This is a topic
that may take you a while to grasp. We will spend a long time on this
because it is a very important topic for you to know. We will spend about 10
weeks on quadratics and exponentials.
Statistics and Data Analysis: We will be able to cover statistics in about 4
weeks. This is how we will end the year. This is a topic that comes with a lot
of fun explorations so it is a good way to end the year with a bang!
Skills: There are also many skills you will learn in this class.
1. Teamwork: We will be doing a lot of group work so you will be depending
on your peers for some of your classwork and participations points. Working
in teams is something you will experience no matter what career you go into.
2. Problem Solving: Not all of our tasks are going to be centered on solving
naked number problems. In most of your group work and homework you will
be given a task and asked to find a solution. It will be more in depth than just
solving an equation.
3. Familiarization with Technology: You will be required to get a TI-84 or
TI-83 calculator. We will be using these as tools for class. Occasionally we will
bring in the iPads and computers to work on explorations and projects. You
will become familiar with these technologies throughout the course of the
year.
4. Mathematical Thinking: When you leave this class you will be able to
think mathematically and abstractly. This means finding multiple ways to go

about a problem and thinking logically. You will be able to find the best
possible solution to most problems.

I look forward to getting to know each and every

one of you this year. It is going to be a stimulating
year filled with a lot of fun math! I hope this year
brings out your love for math like algebra did for
me!