6th Grade PreAP Math Syllabus 2010-2011

Unit 1: Shapes and Designs

(Two-Dimensional Geometry)

August 27- September 15

Students will sort and classify polygons based on properties. Students will use angle rulers and protractors to measure angles, but only after estimating their measures based on a comparison to a right angle. By measuring the angles in polygons, students will determine the relationship between the measure of interior angles and the number of sides.

Textbook Reference

Identifying & Classifying Angles (7.2)

Triangles (7.3)

Quadrilaterials & other polygons (7.4)

Unit 2: Bits & Pieces II

(Fraction Operations)

September 20- October 29

By the end of this unit, students should be able to understand how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide with fractions. Students should also be able to recognize when each operation is appropriate and be able to use number sense and benchmarks to estimate solutions and determine whether or not answers are reasonable.
 

Textbook Reference

Estimating with fractions & mixed numbers (3.1)

Adding & subtracting fractions (3.2)

Adding & subtracting with mixed numbers (3.3)

Multiplying fractions (3.4)

Dividing fractions (3.5)

Unit 3: Covering and Surrounding

(Two-Dimensional Measurement)

November 1- December 9

Students will participate in investigations that will lead to an understanding of area, perimeter, circumference, and conversions. Tables and symbols are used to represent the relationships found in conversions, area, perimeter, and sequences.

Textbook Reference

Estimating perimeter and area of a rectangle (8.1)

Areas of parallelograms (8.2)

Areas of triangles (8.3)
Areas of other figures (8.4)

Circles: Area and circumference (8.5)

Semester Exam Review: December 14- 15

Semester Exams: December 16- 17

Unit 4: Bits & Pieces III

(Computing with Decimals and Percents)

January 4- February 15

This unit provides experiences in building algorithms for operations with decimals, as well as to consider when the four basic operations are useful in solving problems. Students will also use knowledge of operations with decimals to further develop students' understanding and skill in solving percent problems where a% of b = c.

Textbook Reference

Adding & Subtracting Decimals (1.2)

Multiplying Decimals (1.3)

Dividing Decimals (1.4)

Unit 5: How Likely Is It?

(Probability)

February 16- March 10

Students will investigate experimental and theoretical probability, consider the topics of probable, possible, and likely, and determine whether or not games are fair. Probability will be analyzed through organized lists and tree diagrams. Games of chance, spinners, and genetics will provide the contexts for the investigations.

Textbook Reference

Probability (12.1)

Experimental probability (12.2)

Compound events (12-4)

Unit 6: Data Distributions/ Samples and Populations (Introducing Algebra)

March 21- April 15

Algebra is the study of relationships among quantitative variables. Throughout the unit, students represent these changing situations verbally, in tables, and in graphs, and the representations are compared to one another to elicit the strengths of each representation. Students will understand how to interpret the “story” told by the shape of a graph.

Textbook Reference

Displaying & analyzing data (11)

Reporting frequency (11.1)

Spreadsheets & data displays (11.2)

Stem & leaf plots (11.3)

Estimating population size (11.5)

Using data to persuade (11.6)

Scatter plots (11.7)

TAKS Review:  April 18-25

TAKS Math Test: April 26

TAKS Reading Test: April 27

Unit 7:  Variables & Patterns

(Variability, Data and Statistics)

May 2- May 26

Students will deepen their understanding of measures of central tendency, their use, and their relationships to the shapes of distributions. They will determine the best way to answer questions using the measures of central tendency. They will also discover how a change in shape of a distribution affects the mean and the median. Students will be introduced to histograms and box-and-whisker plots to group and compare distributions. Students will explore how samples are related to populations and how to select a sample. Data will two variables will be analyzed on scatterplots so students can determine if a relationship exists.

Textbook Reference

Evaluating and writing algebraic expressions (4.1)

Using number sense to

solve equations (4.2)

Solving equations by adding

or subtracting (4.3)

Solving equations by multiplying

or dividing (4.4)

Final Exam Review: May 27- 31

Final Exams: June 1- 2