What's Going On? December 18th through December 22nd

Unit 6: Polygons and Quadrilaterals

This week, we will finish up our sixth unit on Polygons and Quadrilaterals.  On Monday, students will spend the class period working on our summative review.  During Tuesday's class, we will go over questions and students will do a review activity to get ready for the summative.  We will hold a Class Kick session on Tuesday night from 8:00pm-9:00pm for students to ask any last-minute questions.  During Wednesday's class, students will complete the summative assessment.  If any student is leaving for winter break early, please be sure to take the summative BEFORE you leave!  Students are more than welcome to take the summative during class on Tuesday if they will not be in class on Wednesday.

During Thursday's class, students will receive the results of their summative assessment and we will do a short activity.

What's Going On? December 11th through December 15th

Quadrilateral Detectives in Training

We will begin the week by working on a project: "Quadrilateral Detectives in Training".  For this project, students will partner up to graph four different quadrilaterals on a coordinate plane.  Of course, there are some rules for how the figures can be drawn.  For example, the figure cannot contain more than one horizontal or vertical line.  The students need to think about the properties associated with each type of quadrilateral we have studied during the unit in order to plot the points correctly.

Once this is complete, students will switch their projects with another pair.  Students will use their "detective skills" to determine the type of quadrilateral that has been plotted.  Students will use properties of geometry and algebra in order to support their findings.

After the project concludes, we will spend some time reviewing for our unit 6 summative assessment.  Details on the date of the summative and our Class Kick session will be announced during class on Tuesday.

Looking Ahead: Semester Exams

For those of you who like to plan ahead, here is our exam schedule for January.  We will talk about what our exam will look like when we get closer to this time.

What's Going On? December 4th through December 8th

Note: I will be out of the classroom on Monday morning due to Yearbook Club Picture day and on Tuesday and Wednesday due to a conference.  I will still be available to answer questions via e-mail.

Hour of Code

December 4th through December 8th is Computer Science Education Week.  This week, students from all over the world will participate in an activity to learn a little bit more about computer science.  North will hold our own activity after school on Thursday from 3:10-4:10pm in room 300.  During this session, we will work with a Google add-on called "Story Speaker".  In this session, each student will have a chance to write a "Choose your adventure"-style story.  Once the story is written, with all of the different options, students can have Google present the story.  This program can be run via a Chrome browser and also with a Google Home device.

Unit 6: Polygons and Quadrilaterals

This week, students will participate in a little self-directed learning.  I have posted videos of our lessons and students will watch the videos while completing our notes template.  During class on Tuesday, students will complete a short formative so that we can check our current level of understanding.  I will return to class on Thursday for face-to-face instruction to help clear up any questions that may have come up during the first three days of class.  During this time, I would like to remind students that I will be available via e-mail.  Some students may find learning via video to be a difficult experience.  I encourage students to try their best and work together.  Eventually, students will need to complete an online class as part of the school district's graduation requirement.  So, this exercise gives students a taste of what that might look like.

What's Going On? November 27th through December 1st

Welcome Back!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving break and that we are ready to hit the ground running.

Unit 6: Polygons and Quadrilaterals

We have 3 weeks leading up to winter break and for the majority of the time, we will be tackling our sixth unit of the year.  We will spend this week talking about the interior and exterior angles of polygons and then we will switch our focus to different types of parallelograms.

Students should expect to see a formative assessment or two this week so we can make sure that everyone is on track.  This week will be a "JIT" week, so students are more than welcome to come in for some extra help any day this week from 7:00-7:30am.  I will be available from 7:00-8:00am on Wednesday and Thursday.

Interested in Computer Programming?

MSOE has invited students to a special event called "Computer Unknown" on December 8th and 9th.  This FREE event will include a coding competition, some info about MSOE, a Bucks game, Laser Tag, and pizza.  Check out the link for more info: http://www.msoe.edu/campus-life/event/computer-unknown-an-epic-event-in-computer-science/

What's Going On? November 20th and 21st

Thanksgiving Break This Week!

This is just a reminder that we will have Thanksgiving break this week, so we will only meet on Monday and Tuesday.  This means that we will run a Monday-style schedule both days, so be prepared to see all of your classes.  Over your break, I hope you find some time to rest and relax so you can come back refreshed and ready to work for three weeks before winter break.

Unit 5: Relationships in Triangles

Last week, we investigated relationships that exist in triangles.  We were able to construct our incenter, circumcenter, and orthocenter.  Students found the balance point of a triangle when we talked about finding the centroid. 

Before we leave for our break, students will wrap up our fifth unit of the year.  Monday we will spend some time reviewing and on Tuesday we will complete our summative.  Students can also join our ClassKick session on Monday night from 8:30-9:30pm to get some additional questions answered.  Please see me if you have any questions!

Can you crack the code?

I came across this puzzle earlier this week on Twitter.  Can you solve it?

What's Going On? November 13th through November 17th

Unit 5: Relationships in Triangles

This week, we will work on our fifth unit of the year and focus on relationships that exist within triangles.  For this unit, students will need to bring in a compass and ruler in order to perform some of our constructions.  Students will also need to download the app "Construction Tutor Lite" so that we can investigate how we can perform constructions using technology.

This is an extremely short unit.  Students should expect to see a summative assessment before Thanksgiving break.  If students take care of all of their responsibilities in the 7 school days leading up to Thanksgiving, they will have a Geometry-free holiday.

We will start the week by talking about angle bisectors.  After this, we will work with perpendicular bisectors and medians in triangles.  We will finish the week by exploring altitudes in triangles.  Students should expect to see a formative or two throughout the week so we can make sure that everyone is on the right track.

What's Going On? November 6th through November 10th

Wrapping Up Unit 4: Triangle Congruence

This week in Honors Geometry, we will be wrapping up our fourth unit.  On Monday, we will learn how to prove that parts of congruent triangles are congruent, using "CPCTC".  On Tuesday, we will make our figures a little more challenging and look at some overlapping triangles.  We will then apply our knowledge of proving triangle, and their parts, congruent to our overlapping figures.  During class on Wednesday, we will review for our summative assessment and complete the assessment on Thursday.  We will hold a "Class Kick" session as well, so stay tuned for our scheduled time!

If you need a little extra help, I am always available in the mornings!  Please ask questions!  I am here to help!

What's Going On? October 30th through November 3rd

Unit 4: Triangle Congruence

This week, we will continue our study of our fourth unit on triangle congruence.  We will focus on triangle congruence shortcuts.  In other words, how can we tell if two triangles are the exact same size and shape?  Once we have talked about the different shortcuts, we will apply our knowledge to form a two-column proof to prove that two triangles are congruent.  Students should expect to see a couple of formative assessments this week so that we can make sure that we are all on the right track.

What's Going On? October 23rd through October 25th

Short Week This Week!

This is just a reminder that we will run a Monday-style schedule on Monday and Tuesday.  On Wednesday, we have a shortened schedule with early release and students have the day off on Thursday and Friday.  Enjoy your time and find some time to regroup!



Unit 4: Triangle Congruence

During this short week, we will spend some time looking at our triangle congruence unit.  On Monday we will talk about the midsegments of triangles and on Tuesday we will talk about the triangle inequality theorem.  Before our long weekend, we will complete a short formative during class on Wednesday to make sure that everyone is on track with our new unit.




A Note About Grades

One of our math teachers, Ms. Vogg, recently created a blog post about the Waukesha North math department grading policies regarding the number of "IEs" a student can have and still be able to pass the course.  I think she did a really great job explaining the policy regarding passing grades in Geometry.  You can view the post here.  Please let me know if you have any questions.


College, Career and Community Resource Fair 

Monday, October 23rd, the school district of Waukesha will be hosting the 2nd annual College, Career and Community Resource Fair at Waukesha South High School.   The fair will take place from 4:30 to 7:30 PM  in the Fieldhouse and surrounding Classrooms. There are several new additions to the fair and some wonderful resources from last year will also be included.

Here is what the night will entail: 

* 50+ Colleges and Universities (public, private, in-state and out-of-state)

* Over 50 local Career Professionals ready to either share about their career or invite students to job shadow, join internships, or be hired on the spot

* 20+ Community representatives offering volunteer opportunities to students.

* Eight rotating workshop/presentations provided by the many transition services for all students with an IEP or 504 organized by many of our Special Ed. leaders.

* College Applications Assistance from High school counselors.

* Financial Aid Presentations in English and Spanish from financial aid professionals.

* Scholarship information and College Essay writing from Janet Baer and Erin Martin.

* NCAA Eligibility information provided by Paul Darling

* The list of resources go on! 

What's Going On? October 16th through October 20th

Last Day for Unit 2 Summative Retakes

This is just a reminder that the last day for unit 2 summative retakes is Monday.  I will not be available after school, so please make arrangements to complete your retake before school or during lunch.  If you choose to take this during lunch, please be sure to get a pass from me.  Also, be sure to bring your lunch with you so that you can eat while you work.

Finishing Up Unit 3: Parallel Lines

During class on Monday, we will be reviewing for our unit 3 summative assessment by playing a review game, Castle Attack!  For homework, students will have a review to complete.  I will also be hosting a ClassKick session from 8:00pm-9:00pm on Monday night.  If students have questions, please be sure to join this virtual session!  If you are not available during the session, simply log on to the app ahead of time and request that I check your work.  I am able to leave a note for you that you can check later.  Our summative will be during class on Tuesday and will cover two learning targets.

• 1d: I can prove theorems about lines and angles.
• 2a: I can write equations of lines.

Unit 4: Triangle Congruence

Once we finish up with unit 3, we will dive right into our fourth unit on triangle congruence.  We will spend one day talking about the properties of isosceles triangles and our last day of class for the week talking about the midsegments of triangles.  This will lay the groundwork for the following week when we learn how to prove that two triangles are congruent.

What's Going On? October 9th through October 13th

The End of Unit 2

Last week, we finished up unit 2.  Overall, it went really well and we added quite a few "All Stars" to our "Geo All-Stars" door. 

If the summative assessment didn't go as well as you had hoped, please make arrangements to complete a retake.  Please remember the steps that you need to take:

1. Make sure all formative work has been completed for the unit (homework and check-in "quizzes")
2. Make corrections on the original assessment.  You must make an appointment with Mrs. Kamenar to do this.
3. Request extra practice and complete it.
4. Complete the retake before our next summative.  (By Monday, October 16th)

Unit 3: Properties of Parallel Lines

With the excitement of Homecoming over, we will continue on with our study of the properties of parallel lines.  On Monday, we will review what we have learned so far about the angle relationships formed when two parallel lines are cut by a transversal.  We will also review how we can prove that lines are parallel based on angle relationships.  Students will have a quick check-in formative to gauge our level of understanding.

After that, we will focus on how we can write the equations for parallel and perpendicular lines.  This is something that students should have worked on during Algebra and we will spend two class periods reviewing these concepts.  We will end the week with a quick look at the properties of spherical geometry.  This is usually a highlight of the year, as students will be able to visualize the properties by drawing on a balloon.




Honors Geometry Gets Into the Homecoming Spirit

For each spirit day of the week, the Honors Geometry students took a group photo.  Here are the photos we took throughout the week:

Pajama Day:

Hawaiian Day:

Neon Day:

Class Color Day:

What's Going On? October 2nd through October 6th

ClassKick Session Sunday Night 8:00-9:00pm!!!

Need some extra help preparing for Tuesday's summative assessment?  Want some extra "proof" practice?  Join our ClassKick session on Sunday night!  I will be available for help through a virtual session from 8:00-9:00pm on Sunday night!  Can't make it?  Be sure to log into ClassKick before that time and leave some notes (with a hand raised) for me to check your work.  Be sure to log in with our class code.  If you need some help in the meantime, check out the summative review answer key and explanation videos on BlackBoard.


Finishing Up Unit 2: Reasoning and Proof

As you could probably tell from the first announcement in the post, we will wrap up unit 2 on Tuesday with our summative assessment.  Students received their reviews during class on Thursday.  Please be sure to have these completed by Monday so we can go through any questions that didn't get answered during our ClassKick session.  During Monday's class, we will also go over more proof examples.  Be sure to ask questions!



Unit 3: Parallel Lines

Once we make it through Unit 2, we will roll right into talking about parallel lines.  During this unit, we will talk about angle relationships that are formed when two parallel lines are cut by a transversal.  We will learn how to solve for angle measurements as well as how to prove that two lines are parallel based on angle relationships.

What's Going On? September 25th through September 29th

Unit 2: Reasoning and Proof

This week, we will continue our study of reasoning and proof.  We will start off the week by talking about indirect proof.  We will start off by applying our new knowledge of indirect proof to everyday situations.  Once we get the hang of this, we will then try to apply indirect proof to geometry.  By the end of Monday's class, students should be able to write an indirect proof showing that a triangle can have at most one right angle.

During Tuesday's class, we will check in with a short formative assessment to make sure that we are on the right track.  We will spend the rest of the week talking about Algebraic proof and then we will work our way up to Geometric proof. 




Unit 1 Retakes

Students received their tests back from our unit 1 summative last week.  If a student is unhappy with their summative score on one or both learning targets, a retake assessment is possible if the following steps are taken:

1. All formative work from unit 1 must be completed (homework and quizzes)
2. Corrections must be made on the original assessment. Contact me to make an appointment!
3. E-Mail me to request personalized extra practice for the section(s) you would like to retake.
4. Complete the retake by Monday, October 2nd.

Please keep in mind that the retake score will be entered into Infinite Campus, even if the retake score is lower! 


Need Extra Help?

I will be available on Wednesday and Thursday morning before school from 7:00am-8:00am if you would like to come in for help or to make corrections on your unit 1 summative.

What's Going On? September 18th through September 22nd

Finishing Up Unit 1: The Basics of Geometry

During Monday's class, students will be reviewing for our first summative assessment.  In order to prepare for this assignment, students will be given a practice test and an answer key.  Students are encouraged to carefully check their work against the answer key. 

Additionally, students may choose to use the app "Class Kick" in order to prepare for the assignment.  I will be available through the app from 8pm-9pm on Monday night in order to help students with any last minute questions they might have before we take our summative assessment.  In order to take advantage of this extra help session, students can login into ClassKick with our class code.  When a student has a question, they can "raise their hand" virtually through the app.  I am then able to write on that student's iPad in order to check work or to give hints for how to correctly solve the problem.  During class on Tuesday, students will complete the Unit 1 Summative assessment.

Unit 2: Reasoning and Proof

Once the summative assessment wraps up, we will spend our class time on Wednesday and Thursday starting our next unit.  We will focus on deductive reasoning on Wednesday and on logic statements on Thursday.  This will serve as the basis for our unit, when we start to form logical arguments.  Students will learn about how to create a two-column proof.  This style of proof allows students to form an argument stating "what they know" in one column and "how they know it" in the second column.

What's Going On? September 11th through September 15th

Unit 1: Basics of Geometry


This week, we will continue our study of the basics of Geometry.  We will start Monday's class with a quick formative check to make sure that we are all on the right track.  After our short formative, we will start our study of constructions.  For this day, students will need to have a compass and a straight edge.  We are going to accurately construct six basic items, including angle bisectors and perpendicular bisectors.

After constructions, we will talk about deductive reasoning, polygons and how geometry connects with the coordinate plane.  I would expect to see another quick formative assessment or two throughout the week so that I can give students feedback on their mathematical understanding.

Need Extra Help?

This week, I will be available from 7:00-8:00 on Wednesday and Thursday morning for any students who need some extra help.  Students are welcome to drop in at any time and can stay for a few minutes or the entire hour.  Please don't be afraid to ask questions!

What's Going On? September 5th through September 8th

Unit 1: The Basics of Geometry

This week in Honors Geometry, we will start to talk about the basic building blocks that will serve as the foundation for the rest of the course.  We will talk about the three "undefined" terms in Geometry: point, line, and plane.  Though these terms are technically undefined, we will come up with a student-friendly definition that we can all agree upon.

We will also talk about additional terms such as parallel lines, perpendicular lines, and perpendicular bisectors.  Many students may already be familiar with these terms, but we will focus on how to appropriately use naming and labeling conventions along with these terms.

Additionally this week, we will talk about the segment and angle addition postulates.  Basically, these postulates say that the segment (or angle) is equal to the sum of its part.

Welcome to the 2017-2018 School Year, Honors Geometry Students!

Welcome back to school!  My name is Mrs. Kamenar and I will be working with you in your computer science class this year.  This will be my thirteenth year teaching at Waukesha North.  This year I will be teaching Honors Geometry, App Development 1 & 2, AP Computer Science Principles, Programming the Web 1 & 2 and Yearbook.  In addition to teaching at North, I am also an assistant women's cross country coach and the school's yearbook advisor.

I hope that everyone had an enjoyable and relaxing summer.  This summer went by too fast, but I guess it always seems that way.  This summer I got to spend a lot of time with my husband and my two kids, Jack and Laura.  We spent our time going to the zoo, the children's museum, going to the library and swimming.  My family and I took a few days to drive down the coast in California and see a few of the sites.  We were able to visit Disneyland, the LaBrea Tar Pits, and see a few beaches.

My goal is to keep you up to date with what's going on in the classroom through this blog.  Between the blog and our class schedule of events that will be posted on our BlackBoard class website, it is my hope that all students and parents will be informed about what's going on in the classroom.  On Friday we will ease into the year by talking about inductive reasoning and patterns.

I am really excited to get to work with you this year.  I hope we are all able to learn a lot and have some fun along the way!  If you have any questions as we move through the year, please don't hesitate to contact me.  If you have questions, feel free to e-mail me at kkamenar@waukesha.k12.wi.us.  You can also follow me on Twitter: @MrsKamenar.

What's Going On? May 30th through June 2nd

Probability

This week we will be finishing up our last unit on probability.  Students will further investigate permutations, combinations, mutually exclusive and inclusive events.  We will wrap up our study with some investigations, including "Deal or No Deal".

Final Exam

Our final exam for this course will consist of three required learning targets:

• 3c: Area
• 3d: Right triangles (special right triangles and SOH CAH TOA)
• 3g: Volume

Students must also choose at least two additional sections for the exam:

• 1f: Similar Figures
• 1g: Similar Triangles
• 2d: Dilations
• 3h: Non-Right Triangles
• 2b: Equations of Circles
• 3e: Circles
• 3f: Circumference
• 2f: Transformations

Students will have ninety minutes to complete the exam.  Students may choose to complete more than five sections of the exam, if they wish.  However, the entire exam must be finished within the exam period.  

Materials for the Final Exam

Students should bring a pencil, eraser, calculator, compass, ruler, and something to do when the exam is finished.  Students are also allowed to bring in a "cheat sheet".


Cheat Sheet

For the exam, students may use one 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper, both sides.  On this piece of paper, students can include formulas, definitions, and sample problems.  This cheat sheet must be handwritten and will be turned in at the end of the exam period.


Exam Schedule

Please check out the exam schedule for the week.  DO NOT BE LATE FOR EXAMS AS YOU MAY NOT BE PERMITTED TO GET TO THE CLASS IF YOU ARE LATE!!!

Need Extra Help?

I am available for extra help each morning this week between 7:00 and 8:00.  Additionally, I am available for help during each make-up/review/conferencing time during the exam week.  Please stop by to get your questions answered!

What's Going On? May 22nd through May 26th

Monday: Service Learning Day and Celebration Day

This is just a reminder that we will have our service learning day and celebration day on Monday.  On this day, nearly 1200 North students will be participating in a volunteer activity, providing over 3000 hours of community service in one day!

School will begin at 7:35 and students should report immediately to their AE classrooms.  During this AE period, students will get a quick refresher on their assignment for the day and a brief outline for the day's schedule.  DO NOT BE LATE!!!!!  Many students will be riding a bus to get to their service learning day location and the buses are on a really tight time schedule.


Unit 13: Probability

This week we will talk about our probability unit.  We will talk about how to calculate the probability of one event and how to calculate the probability of consecutive events.  We will put our probability knowledge to work with a "Deal or No Deal" activity.

Final Exam Schedule

I wanted to share our final exam schedule for the last three days of school.  Once we get closer to the date, we will talk about more specifics for our exam period.

What's Going On? May 15th through May 19th

Unit 12: Transformations

This week we will be finishing up our transformations unit.  We will spend Monday's class working on our tessellation project where students will create one puzzle piece that will completely cover a piece of paper, without gaps or overlaps.  In order to create a tessellation, students will need to apply translations, rotations and/or reflections.

We will spend Tuesday's class reviewing and we will complete our unit 12 summative assessment during class on Wednesday.

Sophomore ASPIRE Testing

Sophomores will be participating in ASPIRE testing this week on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Some sophomores may be missing our testing class day so these students will complete the test during class while the freshmen are participating in MAP testing at the end of the week.

MAP Testing

On Friday morning of this week, students will complete their final math MAP test for the year.  For students who successfully complete the test will a score of 238 or higher, this will be the final MAP test for high school.  Please be sure to take your time and do your best!!!


Final Exam Schedule

Our final exam schedule has been published for the last three days of school.  Once we get closer to exam time, we will talk more about the details of our exam.  In the meantime, please take a look at the schedule.

What's Going On? May1st through May 5th

Unit 11: Volume and Surface Area

Now that Aspire testing has wrapped up, we can finally get back to learning Geometry!  This week, we will talk about volume formulas for pyramids and cones as well as talk about the surface area and volume formulas for spheres.  We will finish up the week by reviewing our surface area and volume concepts and take our summative assessment during the final class period for the week.

There are a TON of formulas associated with this unit.  Students who have the review completed by the beginning of class on the day of the test will be permitted to use a sheet of formulas.

If students would like some extra help, I am available before school from 7:00-7:30 every morning and until 8am on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  Students can talk with me about possible after school help as well.  Please see me to schedule an appointment.

We are winding down with the school year and will have two more units (transformations and probability & statistics) as well as our final exam.  Please be sure to keep your end goals in mind...especially as the weather starts to warm up!

What's Going On? April 24th through April 28th

Unit 11: Volume

This week we will continue our study on volume.  We will investigate the volume of prisms and cylinders and learn how to solve for missing measurements.

Aspire Testing

This week freshmen will be participating in the Aspire testing.  This means that our class will be disrupted this week for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  Please check your Aspire testing schedule so that you can be sure to attend the correct session.

What's Going On? April 18th through April 21st

Unit 11: Volume

Welcome back!  This week we will start our unit on volume and surface area.  We will explore 3D solids and how much space they take up.

This week we will focus on finding the surface area of prisms and pyramids.  We will end the week with a one-day in-class project on the application for surface area.  For this "Net Project", students will design a container to hold an object.  We will talk about design aspects and the reasoning behind choosing different containers for packaging.