Homework log: Every week, you must print the assignment from this web page (I recommend copying and pasting just that week’s assignment into a blank Word document) and place a check mark next to items as you complete them (do not check them off frantically during the first few minutes of class!). Bring the printout (your “homework log”) to class. If your printer is not working, you may e-mail me your homework log before class.
Prioritizing: I will list the homework items in order of importance each week. If you don't have enough time to complete all the homework in a given week, just do as many items as you can, in the order listed, and catch up the following week if possible. I suggest that you develop a weekly homework plan every Wednesday: print the homework log, look at your daily planner, note the days on which you have less school homework (or more free time), and decide which items of Core Skills homework you will do on particular days that week. Do not wait until Monday to start your Core Skills homework! Vocabulary assignments and other memorization work, for example, can be completed in small chunks of time -- 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there -- throughout the week.
Due 5/4
- Finish Alice (through p. 110). Prepare for discussion of the book, as well as a hard vocabulary test on words appearing through p. 20 (this includes the prefatory material with Roman-numeral page numbers). Harvest words. I may let you use notes during the test.
- As you read, underline anything that seems important, and mark words that are unfamiliar to you. Harvest all unfamiliar words and prepare to play the vocabulary game, focusing on words from everything you've read so far in Alice.
- In addition, as you read, think about the following questions: What is Carroll's take on "sense" vs. "nonsense"? What is "real" and what is not? What role does language play in the book and in our lives -- in terms of communication, identity, and our quest to make sense of the world we inhabit? What role does imagination play in the book and in our lives? If Alice is on a journey, what is her destination or goal?
- Review HW 1-5, paying close attention to spelling as well as definitions.
Due 4/27
- Catch up. Read further in Alice.
Due 4/20
- Catch up as needed (see assignments below).
- McGraw-Hill: by now, you should have completed Ch. 9-13. Do Ch. 7 for this coming Tuesday.
- Read further in Alice -- as far as you can, but at least from p. xxiii to p. 75.
- As you read, underline anything that seems important, and mark words that are unfamiliar to you. Harvest all unfamiliar words and prepare to play the vocabulary game, focusing on words from everything you've read so far in Alice.
- In addition, as you read, think about the following questions: What is Carroll's take on "sense" vs. "nonsense"? What is "real" and what is not? What role does language play in the book and in our lives -- in terms of communication, identity, and our quest to make sense of the world we inhabit? What role does imagination play in the book and in our lives? If Alice is on a journey, what is her destination or goal?
- Review the fractions, decimals, percents, and squares -- Damien and James especially!
- HW 4-8, RS 9-10.
Due 4/13
- Make sure you are fully caught up.
- Read further in Alice -- as far as you can, but at least from p. xxiii to p. 56.
- As you read, underline anything that seems important, and mark words that are unfamiliar to you. Harvest all unfamiliar words and prepare to play the vocabulary game, focusing on words from everything you've read so far in Alice.
- In addition, as you read, think about the following questions: What is Carroll's take on "sense" vs. "nonsense"? What is "real" and what is not? What role does language play in the book and in our lives -- in terms of communication, identity, and our quest to make sense of the world we inhabit? What role does imagination play in the book and in our lives? If Alice is on a journey, what is her destination or goal?
- Review the fractions, decimals, percents, and squares -- Damien and James especially!
NO CLASS ON 3/30.
Due 4/6
E-mail me to let me know when you receive the book. It should be available at Borders and B&N, but call before you go to the store.
Read pp. v-xxi.
After that, start reading the book (you are welcome to go as far as you want, as fast as you want, as long as you make sure to harvest words assiduously along the way.)
This book is one of the great works of literature, full of meaning and symbolism; you are now mature enough to understand it and appreciate it on a deeper level than before. You will get a lot out of reading and closely analyzing this book.
- McGraw-Hill: read Ch. 12-13 and do the problems. Flag anything you don't understand and ask me about it in class.
- Review HW 1-6, RS 1-7.
Due 3/23
- McGraw-Hill: read Chapters 10-11 and do the problems. If you have time, go on to Ch.12 & 13; I will assign those chapters next week.
- Review HW 3-6, RS 4-7.
- This weekend I will select a book (novel) for the class to read, discuss, and write about this spring. E-mail me if you'd like to suggest a book. I will consider all suggestions seriously.
Due 3/16
- Catch up as needed. Scroll down to make sure you have completed all prior assignments, including all the work in the SSAT study guide and the KC book.
- McGraw-Hill: read Ch. 9 and do the problems. If you have time, go on to Ch. 10, 11, 12, 13; I will assign those chapters over the next two weeks.
- Review HW 1-5, RS 1-5.
Due 3/9
- Prepare for a vocabulary quiz or game on words from last week's NYT articles. No notes will be allowed, so memorize pronunciation, spelling, and definitions. Practice using these words in your conversations and in your writing this week.
- Write an essay on the following topic (based on the Kristof article): "[T]he aim was to encourage people to step off the treadmill of accumulation, to define themselves by what they give as well as by what they possess....'Everyone has too much of something, whether it's time, talent[,] or treasure. Everyone does have [his/her] own half, you just have to find it.'" What could you live without? What items or services would you be willing to give up so that you could use that money to help others in need? Will you actually give up any of those items or services? Explain your choices, and explain how you define yourself in the context of the quotation above.
Due 3/2
- Catch up as needed. By now you should have finished all the material in the SSAT study guide. Have you in fact finished the entire prep book?
- Do the following math problems without a calculator. Copy and paste them into a Word document, leave extra space for scratchwork, print the Word document, and solve the problems.
1. An item is on sale for $45. The sale price represents a discount of 35% off the original price. Sales tax is 6%.
a. What was the original price? Set up an equation and solve it.
b. How much do you pay, including tax? Round to the nearest cent.
c. How much would the item have cost originally, including tax? Round to the nearest cent.
2. The ratio of boys to girls in a class is 5:3.
a. What percent of the class consists of girls?
b. What percent of the class consists of boys?
c. What is the smallest number of total students possible?
d. Assume that the class is as small as possible. Then, one new boy joins the class, and one girl leaves the class. Now answer questions a through c, using the new numbers.
3. The radius of a circle is 3 cm.
a. What is the circumference of the circle?
b. What is the area of the circle?
c. If the radius is increased by 100%, what is the new radius, and by how many percent does the circumference increase? What is the new circumference?
d. If the radius is increased by 100%, by how many percent does the area increase? What is the new area?
e. If the original radius is decreased by one-third, what is the new radius, and by how many percent does the circumference decrease? What is the new circumference? f. If the radius is decreased by one-third, by how many percent does the area decrease? What is the new area?
g. Do the same calculations (revised radius, circumference, area, percentage increase in area and in circumference) assuming the newly decreased radius is now increased by 300%.
- Make sure to bring ALL your books for this course to class this week.
Due 2/23
- SSAT study guide: finish the upper-level practice tests at p. 129 and p. 159, if you have not already done so, using the bubble sheets at the end of the book. Take each complete practice test in a single sitting, timed. Score yourself and analyze your errors (CE, LOU, LOV, LOT).
- If you have time, skim the lower-level practice tests in the SSAT study guide -- make sure you know how to do all of the problems on those tests.
- Review HW 1-5, RS 1-5; study HW 6-7 and RS 6-7.
Congratulations to recent vocabulary game winners!
2/16: The Penultimates (Sami and Gabby) won with 65 points (vs. 60 for Nate and Conor and 48 for Maddie and Sophie).
2/9: Sophie, Conor, and Natalie (40 points) edged Gabby and Clare (30 points) by winning the math tiebreaker.
Due 2/16
- SSAT study guide: if you have a holiday on 2/15 and can do the complete upper-level practice test I (p. 129) (or II (p. 159), if you previously completed part of test I), using the bubble sheets at the end of the book, please do that -- in a single sitting, timed. Otherwise, do as much as you can of one or the other practice test, in as few sittings as possible.
- If you have time, skim the lower-level practice tests in the SSAT study guide -- make sure you know how to do all of the problems on those tests.
- Review HW 1-3, RS 1-3; study HW 4-5 and RS 4-5.
Due 2/9
- Make sure you have completed pp. 21-64 in the SSAT study guide.
- HW 1-3, RS 1-3. I will administer a WRITTEN vocabulary quiz on this material.
Due 2/2
There was no additional homework due on 2/2.
Due 1/26
Note: Together with Tatyana Stepanova, piano, and Brian Hoffman, cello, I will be performing Schubert's gorgeous B-flat major piano trio on Fri 1/29 and Sat 1/30 in Northbrook and in downtown Chicago. Both concerts are free and will last about 40 minutes. See details here. Let me know if you plan to attend -- I hope to see you there!
I will e-mail spring-term registration forms to your parents shortly.
- Catch up if needed -- especially Lena, Jackson, and those of you who did not print the entire article on animal language, or did not complete the percents worksheet that was due 1/19.
- Complete pp. 26-50 (math) in the SSAT study guide. (Nate, you have the wrong book.)
- Follow instructions carefully and print ONLY the pages specified. Print pp. 12-13, 16-20, 24 (reading), 46-57 (math) of the 2010 7th-grade ISAT sample test. Place a timer or watch in front of you. Then, making sure to do plenty of scratchwork for each question, complete pp. 46-57 (math). Record your start time and end time; do the entire test in ONE SITTING. Don't skip any questions. Record the number of questions you answered correctly and incorrectly, and determine how many CE's and LOU's you have. Write down the numbers of the questions you answered incorrectly (e.g., #5, 14, 16, 23). Bring your test and your test performance analysis to class.
- Then complete pp. 12-13, 16-20, and 24, making sure to underline important points, ideas, facts, and terms and to find specific evidence in the passage for each answer you select. Record your start time (when you started reading the passage -- you must read the passage before looking at the questions) and end time for pp. 12-13, your start/end times for pp. 16-20, and your start/end times for p. 24; do the entire test in ONE SITTING. Don't skip any questions. Record the number of questions you answered correctly and incorrectly, and determine how many CE's and LOU's you have. Write down the numbers of the questions you answered incorrectly (e.g., #5, 7). Bring your printout of the passage and your test performance analysis to class.
- Study the words you don't know yet from RS 1-6 and HW 1-7.
Congratulations to Sami, Lena, and Maddie (collectively known as the "Go-Go Boots"), who won the 1/19 vocabulary game with 30 points (vs. 23 and 12 points earned by the other two teams)! Excellent notes -- and special kudos to Sami, who had detailed and comprehensive vocabulary notes on words from the NYT articles.
Due 1/19
- Type a list of the words from RS 1-6 and HW 1-7 that you are SURE you know the definitions of and e-mail that list to me before class. Make sure your name and the date appear at the top of the document. I will hold you responsible for knowing all the words you put on the list.
- Bring the official SSAT study guide to class.
- Print and complete this percents worksheet; bring it to class. We will review the answers in class.
Due 1/12
- Make sure you have harvested all unfamiliar words from tests you have taken in the Catholic exam book.
- If you participated in the practice test on 12/21 and the test review on 12/22, go over the questions you missed in the math sections especially; complete your CE and LOU analysis if you have not already done so. We will review additional math questions (from the math procedures test in particular) on 1/10.
- Here are the answers to all 75 questions in the ACT English test, for those of you who took the test on 12/21-12/22. Print and check the answers after you have completed all 75 questions.
- If you participated in the practice test on 12/21 and the test review on 12/22, send me an e-mail in which you provide details on how you did, as follows:
Test 1: score (number right / total number of questions); ___ CE's; ___ LOU's; ___ LOV's; _____ LOT's
[use the same format to record your performance on all 7 tests]
Score on the other 53 questions from the ACT English test (for Test 7, you did 22 questions in class on 12/21; I now want to know how you did on the 53 remaining questions that you worked on at home)
A short paragraph explaining what you need to work on the most, based on how you did on 12/21.
- If you took the 12/21 test, you know what you need to study during winter break, based on how you performed on the different sections of the test.
- If you feel you need one or two (or more) private tutoring sessions over winter break, please e-mail me and I'll refer you to a friend of mine, an excellent tutor who specializes in preparing my students for 7th and 8th grade exams.
- Go to the official ACT website and work through all 5 English grammar "passages" (75 questions total). Pay close attention to the answer explanations for each question.
- Review RS songs 1-13 and HW Ch. 1-14. Study vocabulary EVERY DAY during winter break!
Due 12/15
- Continue to harvest and study (i.e., memorize definitions, parts of speech, spelling, and pronunciation) unfamiliar words from the two NYT articles I assigned last week. I will administer a closed-book vocabulary quiz on 12/15.
- Make sure to bring all books and handouts (including your printouts of the NYT articles) to class.
- Make sure you have completed the practice test that was due on 12/1. See below.
- Prepare for a math quiz with problems similar to those we reviewed in class on 11/17 and 12/8 (percents, exponents, simplifying polynomials, etc.). These problems are drawn from the math chapters in your Catholic exam book. Review the chapters, including all sample problems, as needed.
- Review RS songs 1-12 (focus on songs 8-12) and HW Ch. 1-11 (focus on Ch. 8-11). Learn the words (spelling, pronunciation, definition, part of speech). I may administer an oral or written vocabulary quiz on some of these words, or we may play the vocabulary game (notes allowed, with a bonus round during which no notes will be allowed).
- Review fractions, decimals, percents, and squares. Practice mental math on your own or with a parent or sibling. We will do the percents/decimals and squares quizzes (timed) on 12/15.
- Prepare to do a timed 12x12 times-table in class. You should be able to complete it perfectly in 3-4 minutes or less.
Due 12/8
- Catch up as needed!
- Print (click on the "PRINT" link on the right side of the NYT page, near the top) and read the following articles, making sure to harvest words, underline important content, and annotate as needed:
We will have a vocabulary quiz on some words from these articles. We will also discuss the articles in class, and there may be a short (one-paragraph) in-class writing exercise on the articles.
- Prepare for a math quiz with problems similar to those we reviewed in class on 11/17 (exponents, simplifying polynomials, etc.). These problems are drawn from the math chapters in your Catholic exam book. Review the chapters, including all sample problems, as needed.
- Review RS songs 1-11 (focus on songs 7-11) and HW Ch. 1-9 (focus on Ch. 6-9). Learn the words (spelling, pronunciation, definition, part of speech). I may administer an oral or written vocabulary quiz on some of these words, or we may play the vocabulary game (notes allowed, with a bonus round during which no notes will be allowed).
- Review fractions, decimals, percents, and squares. Practice mental math on your own or with a parent or sibling.
Due 12/1
NO CLASS ON 11/24. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
The following assignment represents two weeks' worth of homework. Plan accordingly.
- Complete practice test: Catholic exam book pp. 423-454 (bubble sheet at p. 419). Set aside 2.5 hours and DO THIS ALL IN ONE SITTING, PREFERABLY STARTING AT 8 OR 9 AM. An adult should proctor this test for you and time you precisely on each section. See p. 12 for a summary of the structure of the test.
- Score yourself and analyze your errors (CE's, LOU's, LOV's, LOT's). Calculate your score without CE's on each section.
- EEG Ch. 26-31. Do the exercises IN PENCIL at the end of each chapter. Then check your answers against those in the back of the book. If you already did this in a previous course, carefully re-read and review the material, taking time to re-think each question/exercise at the end of each chapter.
- Review RS songs 1-9 (focus on songs 5-9) and HW Ch. 1-7 (focus on Ch. 4-7). Learn the words (spelling, pronunciation, definition, part of speech). I may administer an oral or written vocabulary quiz on some of these words, or we may play the vocabulary game (notes allowed, with a bonus round during which no notes will be allowed).
- Review fractions, decimals, percents, and squares. Practice mental math on your own or with a parent or sibling.
Some recent in-class test results:
10/20 COOP practice test 1, section 4 (math):
1. Nate (7th) -- 37/40
2. Natalie (7th) -- 35/40
3. Sophie (7th) -- 33/40
4. Maddie (7th) -- 32/40
Due 11/17
Reminder: I will be performing Bruch's gorgeous Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor with the Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra (CBASO) at St James Cathedral in downtown Chicago on Thu 11/19 at 7 pm. The concert will also include Mozart's Overture to the Marriage of Figaro and Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony, all conducted by the CBASO's professional music director, David Katz.
$10 suggested donation; $5 students/seniors; FREE for children 12 and under
General seating; doors open at 6:30. Arrive early for best seats.
I will perform from about 7:10 to 7:35. (The concert will end around 8:20.)
Validated parking may be available at Millennium Center Garage, 33 W. Ontario (between State and Dearborn). See http://www.saintjamescathedral.org/quickinfo.asp#parking.
- Catholic exam book Ch. 4, 5. In addition, review other explanatory chapters if you are not 100% secure on material covered in those chapters.
- EEG Ch. 20-25. Do the exercises IN PENCIL at the end of each chapter. Then check your answers against those in the back of the book. If you already did this in a previous course, carefully re-read and review the material, taking time to re-think each question/exercise at the end of each chapter.
- Review RS songs 1-7. Learn the words (spelling, pronunciation, definition, part of speech). I may administer an oral or written vocabulary quiz on some of these words, or we may play the vocabulary game (notes allowed, with a bonus round during which no notes will be allowed).
We will have some in-class testing on 11/17.
Due 11/10 (no class on 11/3)
[Thank you for your patience. I have finally recovered from my illness and posted the homework. 11/3/09]
- Catholic exam book Ch. 11, 12. In addition, review previous chapters if you are not 100% secure on material covered in those earlier chapters.
- EEG Ch. 14-19. Do the exercises IN PENCIL at the end of each chapter. Then check your answers against those in the back of the book. If you already did this in a previous course, carefully re-read and review the material, taking time to re-think each question/exercise at the end of each chapter.
- Review HW Ch. 1-6 and RS songs 1-6. Learn the words (spelling, pronunciation, definition, part of speech). I may administer an oral or written vocabulary quiz on some of these words.
Due 10/27
I have cancelled the 11/24 class. Please mark your calendars accordingly. See above for details regarding the credit for the cost of that class.
Note: I will be performing in a choral concert at St James Cathedral downtown (Huron & Wabash) on Sun 10/25 at 3:00 PM. (I am a soprano in the St James Cathedral Choir.) See http://www.saintjamescathedral.org/NewsDetail.asp?id=206 for details (free admission for children under 12; $5 suggested donation for students; $10 for adults). The concert will be preceded by a free jazz brunch from 12:30 to 2:30 PM on the Cathedral plaza at Huron & Rush; all are welcome. The concert will end by 4:15 PM.
- Catholic exam book Ch. 9, 10.
- EEG Ch. 12-13. Do the exercises IN PENCIL at the end of each chapter. Then check your answers against those in the back of the book. If you already did this in a previous course, carefully re-read and review the material, taking time to re-think each question/exercise at the end of each chapter.
- Review HW Ch. 1-4 and RS songs 1-3. Learn the words (spelling, pronunciation, definition, part of speech). I may administer an oral or written vocabulary quiz on some of these words.
Due 10/20
- Catholic exam book Ch. 7, 8. If you have time, start working on Ch. 9, 10.
- EEG Ch. 9-11. Do the exercises IN PENCIL at the end of each chapter. Then check your answers against those in the back of the book. If you already did this in a previous course, carefully re-read and review the material, taking time to re-think each question/exercise at the end of each chapter.
Due 10/13
- Make sure that you record in your daily planner the following: all homework assignments given in school (including the due dates of papers, and the dates of any quizzes or tests); all Core Skills classes this fall (and spring); all extracurricular commitments after school or on weekends; other appointments or commitments. Bring your planner; I will inspect it and comment on it.
- Catholic exam book Ch. 4, 6 (including the practice set that starts at p. 126), 7 (including the practice set that starts at p. 154).
- EEG Ch. 7-8. Do the exercises IN PENCIL at the end of each chapter. Then check your answers against those in the back of the book. If you already did this in a previous course, carefully re-read and review the material, taking time to re-think each question/exercise at the end of each chapter.
Due 10/6
- If you missed class or did not have your book on 9/29, tear out the HSPT diagnostic quiz answer sheet at p. 49 of the Catholic exam book and do the test on pp. 51-58 in one sitting, precisely timing yourself as follows:
Verbal skills: 3:12 (3 minutes 12 seconds)
Quantitative skills: 6:00
Reading: 5:00
Mathematics: 11:00
Language: 5:00
The total time required is 30:12. Time each section separately. After you complete each section, you may NOT return to that section if you finish subsequent sections before time is called.
- Catch up on homework logs as needed!
- Bring your assignment notebook or daily planner to class.
- EEG Ch. 4-6. Do the exercises IN PENCIL at the end of each chapter. Then check your answers against those in the back of the book. If you already did this in a previous course, carefully re-read and review the material, taking time to re-think each question/exercise at the end of each chapter.
- Prepare to play the vocabulary game again, based on words that appear in the articles (this time, the focus will be on the David Brooks article). (We didn't have time for this on 9/29.)
- Prepare for a short spelling test on words that appear in the articles or words that appeared on the board on 9/22. (We didn't have time for this on 9/29.)
- Study HW Ch. 1-4. Learn the words (spelling, pronunciation, definition, part of speech). I will administer an oral or written vocabulary quiz on some of these words.
- Review your 9/22 class notes on mean, median, and mode. Prepare for a quiz on mean, median, and mode. (We didn't have time for this on 9/29.)
- Review fractions, decimals, percents, and squares as needed.
Due 9/29
- Again (Nate and others), carefully read everything on this web page (see above and below). Bring a completed homework log (that includes 9/15, 9/22, and 9/29) to class if you have not yet submitted a homework log.
- Catch up as needed (Sami especially!).
- Buy the books on the list I e-mailed you and bring them to class.
- Bring your assignment notebook or daily planner to class.
- Read Ch. 2 in the Catholic exam book (facts about the HSPT).
- EEG Ch. 1-3. Do the exercises IN PENCIL at the end of each chapter. Then check your answers against those in the back of the book. If you already did this in a previous course, carefully re-read and review the material, taking time to re-think each question/exercise at the end of each chapter.
- Continue to review the following New York Times articles (make sure to bring printouts of the articles to class!), looking for words that you have trouble spelling or defining (judging by your performance on the spelling quizzes, most of you have not been paying enough attention to spelling words in the articles). Continue to harvest words as necessary. Ask parents, siblings, or friends to quiz you on spelling and vocabulary from the articles.
- Prepare to play the vocabulary game again, based on words that appear in the articles (this time, the focus will be on the David Brooks article).
- Prepare for a short spelling test on words that appear in the articles or words that appeared on the board on 9/22.
- Study HW Ch. 1-3 and RS songs 1-3. You do not need to memorize the songs themselves; just learn the words (spelling, pronunciation, definition, part of speech). I will administer a written vocabulary quiz on some of these words.
- Review your 9/22 class notes on mean, median, and mode. Prepare for a quiz on mean, median, and mode.
- If you did not earn a perfect score on the 9/15 math quizzes, study what you need to study to do better next time. We will have math quizzes on 9/29.