Common Core Algebra 2 Homework Answer Key

[Deb Cartelli]

Ihave been struggling with having my students write clear, complete, and accurate responses that include sufficient detail. Additionally I have had difficulty with having them write out all steps when solving their problems, even those that they think are obvious. Finally, I have had to constantly tell them make sure to read all parts of problems/tasks to make sure that they are answering not only all parts of the question, but even that they are answering the correct question.

I have a hard time getting my students to show all their work. Many of them want to take shortcuts and end up with an incorrect answer. I demonstrate how this should look as I explain and show how to solve the problems on the board.

I also have problems getting them to completely answer all questions. It seems like the majority is always looking for a quick and easy solution even though we discuss what it would take to completely answer the question as a whole group.

Functions is the basis of Algebra. Fully understanding a function will help all students in understanding Algebra. Although I feel the definition of function is lost and forgotten in the daily or weekly conversations that contribute to my classroom.

I am always trying to focus on the correct vocabulary when discussing but after reading the article I am realizing that they may not fully understand the vocabulary they are using, (domain, range, independent variable etc.)

I try to use word problems in every lesson. I will admit that I do not necessarily have the students make the connection between vocabulary and word problem. That will definitely help their understanding of function and the vocabulary words.

I have a hard time getting students to show their work. They focus on getting the answer right and I want them to focus on the process. Although getting the answer right can re-confirm the process they will sometimes circumvent the process all together and try to guess the answer. My goal would be to instill in them an appreciation for hard work, not simply an appreciation for success.

My students have trouble with word problems, common core problems, multiple step problems, etc. They will get lost in the length of the problem and start to shut down. They feel overwhelmed and often do not know where to start. In the past I have used strategies like TTQA but those no lobger seem effective with the new common core questions. I have started to focus on showing the students how to break down the problems into steps and tackling it one step at a time. When I give the students basic problems they do great but as the problems become more wordy they struggle. I find my students have trouble understanding the concept of functions so I will try the strategy in the article that the pre-alegbra teacher did with focusing on vocab then moving on from there.

Another topic that might seem super simple that my onlevel and special ed 7th graders have difficulty with are fractions. When it came time to figuring out unit rate or if two things were proportional they were bogged down thinking they were dealing with fractions. I saw it comes down to some not having a secure foundation with multiplication tables and others not having a firm number sense with fractions in general.

Lastly with word problems my students have difficulty picking out the important information or translating the words into a mathematical sentence to figure out what to do. We talk about the meanings of is and of and discuss terms for various operations.

General knowledge: In my accelerated algebra class, I am constantly looking for ways to make sure that students understand the why (conceptual) and not just the how (procedural). I believe that some of my students are just not ready for the level of math that the class involves and therefore the why is beyond them. For those that are ready as soon as they understand the why, the how is easy and they remember it because they know why it is the way to solve the problem.

Writing equations and solving them: Many times my students (especially when the task involves whole numbers or even integers) and solve word problems in their head and do not see the necessity in writing the equation, going through the mathematical steps on paper to solve and then checking their answers so I will give them problems that involve fractions or decimals that would be very difficult to do without writing down and then they realize that they have to go through the steps.

Exponential functions: Students have written, solved and used linear equations for a couple of years by the time they get to my class and are very familiar with them but when I introduce exponential functions they struggle to understand them. Because students are new to exponential functions as well as the fact that exponents in general are not in their core math understanding as are the four basic operations used in linear functions, students struggle to grasp exponential functions. By using real-world examples and activities, students can better relate to and understand exponential functions.

There are students that are unable to distinguish dependent variables from independent variables. So, I usually present a related situation and ask to identify what could be considered as variables and which one that could affect the other one. Some students may respond very well while others may not.

Written Homework: 50 points

WebWorK Online Homework: 50 points

Quizzes: 100 points

Exam 1 (Thursday, February 23; 5:00-6:50 pm): 100 points

Exam 2 (Thursday, April 6; 5:00-6:50 pm): 100 points

Comprehensive Final Exam (Wednesday, May 10; 7:30 am -9:30 am): 100 points

Written Homework: (50 points) Homework (HW) problems to be handed in will be posted here. For some of the homeworks, you may need to download and print a .pdf file. Some problems will be designated as practice problems, and some problems will be assignments to be handed in. Assigned homework will be collected, and selected problems will be graded. See the course calendar for the HW Schedule. One HW assignment will be dropped. If you fail to hand in a HW assignment, you will receive a zero. No late HW will be accepted. Please visit office hours for HW questions that are not answered during in-class problem sessions.

Each of the 11 written homework assignments will be worth the same number of points. A complete solution to a written homework problem must include not only the final answer but also the (legible!) work needed to obtain the solution. Do not leave it until the evening before the due date to work on the homework problems, as you would likely run into time problems. Homework that is turned in should NOT look like scrapwork. It must show all of your relevant work clearly and legibly.

WebWorK Online Homework: (50 points) We will be using the system WebWorK (there is no relation to the University's RamCT, and you cannot access it through RamCT) for part of the homework assignments. To do these problems, you have to log in to WebWorK and then select the log in link. Your user name is set to your university eName. This is typically your university email name, e.g. the address myn...@rams.colostate.edu has eName myname. Your initial password is set to your CSU ID number (this is the 9-digit number on your university ID card, starting with 8). Please as a first step change your password. As the login is not encrypted, do not choose the same password as used for any important login (such as banking or email). Webwork homework is due at 8pm on the days indicated on the course calendar or indicated by your instructor (usually, these days are Wednesdays and Fridays). However, there is a grace period until midnight (on the server!) that is to make up for clock drift or network issues. We initialize the data base for WebWorK with the students registered the weekend before classes start. If you registered for the course late, you might not yet have been added to WebWorK. In this case, talk ASAP to your section instructor to be added. You must provide your CSU eName and your CSU-ID, otherwise we will not be able to transfer grades correctly. Also talk to your section instructor in case you cannot log into WebWorK or have forgotten your password. Your WebWorK score out of 50 points will be determined by the your percentage correct on the WebWorK assignments (that is, (the number of points you get on WebWorK assignments divided by the total number of points possible) multiplied by 50).

Quizzes: A quiz will be given most weeks on days indicated on the calendar (or by your instructor). If you miss a quiz, you will receive a zero (no make-ups). However, your lowest three quiz grades will be dropped, including any zeros. This includes missed quizzes due to illness or emergencies. Missing a quiz is strongly discouraged. Readings on topics of mathematics and biology are linked on the calendar. You may earn one extra credit point (up to a maximum of 10 extra credit points) by correctly answering a question on the quiz pertaining to the reading or an extra credit problem, as determined by your instructor.

Exams:There will be two common exams and a final. Note that the midterm exams are held on Thursday evenings on the days noted above, and you are REQUIRED to be there.

Cellphones must be turned off during the exam and must remain in a bag during the entire exam. A ringing cellphone or use of an unauthorized electronic device (in any form: clock, calculator, camera, notepad, toy, ...) during the exam may lead to disqualification (0 points) from the exam. Exam scores cannot be contested after the following exam.

Exam conflicts/Alternate arrangements: The only excused absences from exams are official university-approved absences. If a CSU event conflicts with an exam or the final, or if you are ill, you must submit the alternate exam time request form, together with supporting documentation (e.g. a letter from the athletics department) to your section teacher. This request, including documentation, must be submitted at least 8 days before the exam (or, in the case of sudden illness, as soon as reasonably possible). If you need alternate exam arrangements through Resources for Disabled Students, submit the RDS qualification letter at least 8 days before the first exam to your section teacher. Alternate exam requests are processed once per exam; failure to submit requests, including documentation, in time can mean that no alternative arrangements will be possible! If you have questions concerning alternate exams, please contact the course coordinator, Dr. Shipman.

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