Mid-Chapter Assessment (Passport to Mathematics Style)

I have previously posted pages on Chapter 1 of Passport to Mathematics, in which we looked at the amount of pencil and paper used for writing paragraphs and journals, making lists and tables, writing and making a chapter project, all during math class time.

On this page, let us look at the mid-chapter assessment to determine on what students will be tested midway through the first chapter.

Since this text will probably be used by most schools in the sixth grade, it is critical that this curriculum, or any curriculum, review specific skills and concepts from 5th grade which must be thoroughly mastered before students begin pre-algebra in the 7th grade.

A number of these skills and concepts come to mind, such as review and mastery of:

• multi-digit multiplilcation and long division

• adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions and mixed numbers (all types)

• use of decimals in all 4 operations

• interchanging decimals, fractions

• interchanging decimals, fractions, and percent

• and of course, basic addition, subtractiions, multiplication, and division facts

Hopefully, these skills and concepts are targeted early in Chapter 1 for review.

What concepts do you think would likely be on the mid-chapter 1, assessment/test?

Hopefully, students will have begun a review of basic facts. However, if you look for any fact review, you will not find it in the chapter or on the assessment. Not at all.

Well, you might think, Chapter 1 surely begins a review of 2 or 3 digit multiplication or a review of the long division algorithm. Students forget these skills over the summer, so you would hope to find evidence that these have been reviewed and that a few of these problems are on the first test. But no, you will find not a one on the first assessment.

Oh, you think, a good foundation in fractions is so important. Surely, Chapter 1 has begun a review of fractions and mixed numbers: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Hopefully some of these problems will be on the mid-chapter 1 assessment. No, again. It's not on the Chapter 1 mid-chapter assessment. Not in Passport to Mathematics.

Perhaps, we hope, a review of decimals, or interchanging decimals and fractions, or decimals and percent will have been reviewed and will be on a mid-Chapter 1 test. But no, again. That is not on the test.

Well, surely, students will have definitely begun a review of basic facts in Chapter 1. Some type of fact review will surely be tested in Chapter 1. Wrong again. No drill of facts has been suggested for chapter 1 and none will on the mid-chapter test. (After all, drill of facts is really so boring and is a terrible waste of paper and pencil.)

Now, let's look and see what your sixth grader will be "tested" on for the Mid-Chapter Assessment.

• Your student will need to be able to identify patterns.

• Then your student will need to identify a pattern by its written description and write numbers in that pattern.

• Your student will need to be able to read a table and answer questions about that table.

• Students will need to be able to read a double bar graph and answer questions about the graph.

• He/she will need to be able to make a list to solve a story problem. This list is not what you're thinking. Students are given a problem as:

Tom and Sue will dress as clowns. There are three different clown suits from which to choose and there are three different clown faces. Make a list of all of the number of possible combinations of students, suits, and faces. How many different combinations are there.

• As an alternate assessment, there is also a mid-chapter Partner Quiz. Students will recognize and continue numbers in a pattern, read tables, lists, and double bar graphs and answer questions as partners.

On none of the problems are students required to add or subtract, multiply or divide, except one could argue that continuing the pattern causes students to add. And because one of the patterns (on the partner quiz) involves fractions, one could argue that "knowledge of fractions" are being tested.

As a parent I'd be concerned that, by the halfway point of Chapter 1, no review of basic concepts and skills has begun.

But with the emphasis on constructing chapter projects, writing math journals, drawing and making lists, tables, and graphs, there has not been enough time for serious review of the concepts and skills so vital in the coming pre-algebra and algebra years.

Hopefully, once again, a wise teacher will notice the glaring gaps and will give serious consideration to including a review of these concepts and skills immediately.

-- InterestedTeacher - 13 Jul 2005

Comments

Hi--I just realized, we probably need a 'user page' topic thread.

What do you think?

Definitely give us whatever ideas you have on making the user-wiki pages obvious & available to newcomers (& oldcomers).

-- CatherineJohnson - 14 Jul 2005

Whatever you think. Sounds good.

You and Carolyn decide that. I'm NOT the technician. Just a simple math teacher who loves to help students learn easily and feel successful.

-- InterestedTeacher - 14 Jul 2005

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