1) The document is a letter from Justice Adams, a current 7th grade student, to an upcoming 7th grader about what to expect in Mrs. Brown-Jones's math class. 2) Justice explains that students may be asked to complete special projects applying math concepts, such as PowerPoints, magazines, and comics. 3) Students are also expected to follow all class rules like being prepared, listening, and completing tasks.

1. Expressing Ourselves Mathematically
by Justice Adams

2. “Hi Pal. Are
you ready for
the new school
year?”
“As ready as
I’m going to
be, I guess. I’m
not very good
in math.”

3. “What’s the
problem?”
“I heard that I’d
have to learn
about
expressions, and
I never knew that
math could talk.”

4. “Oh no, Silly.
Math can’t talk,
but it can in
fact be
expressed.”
“Can you
please explain
that?”

5. “Sure. First of all, the
branch of mathematics
that involves
expressions with
variables is called
algebra. A combination
of numbers, variables,
and at least one
operation is called an
algebraic expression.”
“Swell. I
didn’t know
that!”

6. “The numerical
factor of a
multiplication
expression that
contains a variable
is called a
coefficient.”
“So 6 is the
coefficient of
6m?”

7. “Yes! And a variable is
a symbol, usually a
letter, that is used to
represent an unknown
quantity in mathematical
expressions or
sentences.”
“Cool.”

8. “An example is
7y–3b. We’ll let y
represent 3 and b
represent 5.
7(3)–3(5)
21–15 = 6”
“So
5 + (12-3)a, where
a is 12, would equal
113?”

9. “Correct!!!”
“All thanks to
you!!! I’m ready
to tackle those
algebraic
expressions!”

10. Justice Adams
4050 Camelot Lane,
Apt. #3, Box M11
Memphis, TN 38118
May 9, 2013
Upcoming 7th
Grader
American Way Middle School
3805 American Way
Memphis, TN 38118
Re: What you’ll be expected to learn in Mrs. Brown-Jones’s math class next school year, the importance of following all rules and
procedures for this class, how this class is assessed (how you’ll get your grades), and 1 fun thing I did in Math class this school year
Dear Upcoming 7th
Grader,
I’m currently a 7th
grade student in Mrs. Brown-Jones’s Math class at American Way Middle School nearing promotion to the eighth
grade. I would like to share some things with you that you can expect as well as some pointers that will assure that yours is a
successful experience in this class. Mrs. Brown-Jones teaches regular as well as honors math on team 2. I was in her honors math class
the first nine weeks of the school year and opted to take a regular math class. I remained in her class for regular math, and discovered
that there isn’t much difference between these classes. You’ll be expected to come into Mrs. Brown-Jones’s class prepared to learn,
which entails being quiet, listening, following instructions, and completing tasks.
You may be asked to apply concepts that you learn in class to special projects, from creating PowerPoint presentations or pamphlets to
magazines with crossword puzzles (& answer keys), graphs and general computer-generated art, and even comic strips with callouts
or comment/dialogue balloons. If you are not familiar with certain methods of presentation, public libraries are a great place to
familiarize yourself with them and to generally use computers, if Mrs. Brown-Jones is unable to provide assistance or if you are
unable to get assistance in the school library or computer lab, and/or if you do not have a computer or the required software at home.
You may be asked to type all elements of your projects, which is unusual for a math class, and in the event that you are you can
always type mathematical equations in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint by clicking the “Insert” icon, clicking on “Equation” and

11. selecting the appropriate symbol or operation. If you want to type a proper fraction type what would be the numerator first followed
by a forward slash and the denominator with no spaces and press enter.
Microsoft Excel may be utilized to create coordinate planes and crossword puzzles from scratch. Click Insert and Shapes to insert
arrows into coordinate planes, to insert callouts or comment/dialogue balloons into cartoons, to create general art,1
and to draw (click
the “scribble” icon) in both Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. You may color your drawings by clicking on the “Shape Fill” and
“Theme Colors” icons, which appear under “Drawing Tools” during this process.
To create a pamphlet or brochure open a Microsoft Word document and click “File” in the top left hand corner of the page. Click
“New.” Then click on “Brochures” and scroll through to peruse the template choices; select the brochure template that you’d like to
use and down load it. To find additional PowerPoint templates, click “File” and “New” in an opened PowerPoint document. Scroll to
and click on “PowerPoint presentations and/or slides” and select the template that you’d like to use.
You can Google search some resources, like magazine templates, which might require fees for access privileges, or templates for math
crossword puzzles at www.google.com. You may additionally find how-to videos via Google.
You may also be asked to list, define, and exemplify vocabulary words covered during the course of the school year on special
projects, so be sure to make and keep note of those terms as they are presented. This may entail writing down the terms for your own
records in the event that they are collected and not returned.
This class is assessed the way that any other classes are assessed or graded, based upon completed and submitted work, and conduct
grades are based upon conduct.
One fun thing I did in class was participating in a think show project.
I hope that I have been helpful to you, and, again, that yours is a successful experience in this class. Very best of wishes.
Sincerely,
1
Maneuver the different shapes to create distinct objects, animals, and/or people, i.e. select a circle or oval to create the head of a person, straight lines for the
neck and/or body, or shapes, like a triangle for a female and a rectangle for a male torso, straight lines for legs and feet, stars or other objects for hair, a crescent
moon for a hat, etc., rotating each object as necessary to create the desired effects.

12. Justice Adams (7th
grade student & 8th
grade prospect)
2nd
period
Mrs. Brown-Jones’s Math Class