Thursday, December 13 Assignments

Writing: If you have written an essay, revise it based on my comments. All others please write your essays in response to the question posted last week on improving Richmond.

Math: Geometry-Right Triangles-do p.618 #5-10

Homework:

• Writing-comment on other's blog postings using holistic scoring chart, stay in touch with each other via your blogs over winter break


• Math-self directed use of math websites in the right column of this blog under Resources over winter break

Tuesday, December 11 Assignments

Writing: Answer this question that we created as a class-

• What would you do to improve Richmond? Why? How? Use your own knowledge, observations and personal experiences to support your answer. Give specific details.

Test-Taking Strategies: Class discussion of handout

Math: Geometry-Right Triangles-read p.616, do p.617 #1-4

Homework:

• Geometry-Right Triangles-p.618 #5-10


• Writing-Finish essay above, post to blog. Comment on others' writing.

What I Would Do to Improve Richmond

I would improve Richmond in several ways because this city does not live up to its potential. By honestly addressing racism, as well as public school teachers' and parents' attitudes towards children, our town could make significant progress.

First, we must deal with white racism. I realized this when I helped a neighbor kid bring his dog to the vet. Steven was black, and only nine years old, and I am white. When we walked across the parking lot of the vet's office, a white man and his young son stared at us. The father grabbed his child by the arm and the two of them seemed to look at us in disgust. I felt that they were stereotyping a kid whose life was just starting out without knowing anything about him. To solve this problem, people of different backgrounds need to get to know each other in order to break down prejudices. A more economically and racially integrated community would help to achieve this.

Second, teachers' attitudes towards kids in the City school system must improve. I have seen teachers tell middle schoolers they're stupid, and offer high schoolers coloring handouts instead of real work. Teachers with this kind of approach should be warned, then fired if they don't shape-up. Then, they can be replaced with better paid, more skilled teachers with better attitudes. This will help to turn out students who have better outlooks themselves, and who are more likely to succeed.

Lastly, parents need an attitude check too. If kids are ever to fix the mess we've made, parents can't keep threatening them with physical violence as a solution. Children who learn that only reason not to break the rules is because they'll be beaten don't necessarily understand the underlying reasons for controlling their behavior. My wife went to get a flu shot the other day, and she heard a mom say to her 2 year old kid, "If you don't shut up, I'll have them stick you with that needle!" Parents need to respect their kids and do better parenting by reading up on child development, and talking to each other about their concerns. Then, we'll raise a new generation of Richmonders with more positive views than many of the adults causing problems.

So to sum up, I would improve Richmond in three ways: deal with racism by helping people to get to know each other, hire better teachers to replace the negative ones, and encourage parents to stop using threats and start using respect as a way to raise children. I believe those points would go a long way towards fixing our problems.

Thursday, December 6 Assignments

click here to see proposed improvements for Richmond

Writing: Post comments to my essay response to this question on your blogs:

• What would you do to improve Richmond? Why? How? Use your own knowledge, observations and personal experiences to support your answer. Give specific details.

Math: Geometry - Irregular Shapes, p.615 #1,3,4

Homework:

• Geometry - Right Triangles, read p.616, do p.617 #1-4
• Writing: Repsond to essay above, comment on others' blogs

Tuesday, December 4 Assignments

Get ready for fun with right triangles on Thursday!

Writing: As a class, we will create a GED Essay formatted writing prompt to which we will all respond. The question will focus on a matter of general knowledge, and support will come from the writers' knowledge, personal experiences, and observations.

Math: Congruent Figures and Proportions in Geometry, pp.610-611, do p.612, #1-6

Homework:

1. Writing: If you finish all the assigned essays and recommended revisions, please post blog comments on others' writing using the scoring chart. Look for Felecia's and Jamisha's postings to fellow students' blogs as examples.


2. Math: If you complete all the assigned Geometry, continue on to read Irregular Figures, p.613-614 in your textbook. Then complete p.615, #1-4.