Monday, March 20, 2017

Class Summary - March 19th



Instructor:Uzair Syed
Attendance:Sohaib Hydari, Eman Ansari
HomeworkHOMEWORK DUE ON April 9th, 2017




NOTEBOOK: Solve all the remaining questions in the homework notebook from chapter 1 - 3D Solids

Class Activities:Discussed concepts of 2D and 3D shapes and solved questions from chapter 5A.
Concepts3D Shapes incl. cubes, pyramids and prisms.
Student DifficultiesStudents seem to understand the concept of 3D shapes. It is advised to create 3D shapes on a paper and cut the paper around its dimensions to create a real 3D solid for better visualization as done in the class.
NotesStudents didnot complete their homework for the last week.

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Class Summary - March 12th, 2017



Instructor:Uzair Syed
Attendance:Abdul Qadir, Eman Ansari, 
HomeworkHOMEWORK DUE ON March 19, 2017

NOTEBOOK: Solve the questions marked in the book during the class + upto question 43 from 5A

Class Activities:Discussed concepts of 2D and 3D shapes and solved questions from chapter 5A
Concepts3D Shapes incl. cubes, pyramids and prisms.
Student DifficultiesFor proper undertanding, additional efforts will be required from the students while they solve questions at home.
NotesA copy of the chapter has been emailed to parents for students homework.

Sunday, March 5, 2017

M1 Class Summary for Feb 26



Instructor:
Nouran Awas
Attendance:
Suhaib , Abdul-Qadir , Eman
Homework:
Due March 26
Beast 4B
78, 98, 99, 111, 119, 120
Beast 4D
91, 100
Class Activities :
Finished logic chapter, we covered :
Exercise 75, 79, 80, 100, 102, 112, 114, 115
Covered two topics from the probability chapter :
Exercise 89, 90, 96, 99
Concepts:
  1. Pentomino sudoku
  2. Words problem
  3. Tent puzzle
  4. Time outs puzzle
  5. Complement
  6. Games of chances
Students difficulties :
They didn't know how to count the possible outcome from doing event p.
Notes:
We didn't finish the probability chapter yet.

Monday, February 20, 2017

M1 Class Summary for Feb 19, 2017

Instructor:Fatima Al-Raisi
Attendance:Eman, Suhaib
HomeworkDue Feb 26
Beast 4D
Geometric probabilities problems 69, 70, 71, and 74
Independent and dependent event probabilities: 81, 85
probability
Probability of complements: 89, 90, 91
Class Activities:-Review of probability
-Geometric probabilities: 69, 73
-Probability of independent events: 75, 77
-Probability of dependent events 79, 80, 82, 83, 84
-Probability and counting (revisited): 86
-Probability of complement events (revisited)
Concepts-Probability as fraction
-Geometric probabilities
-Probability of independent and dependent events 
-Probability of complement events (it's sometimes easier to compute the probability of the complement and obtain from it the probability of the event in question)
-Probability and counting 
Student Difficulties-need to review some concepts from counting chapter

1. when given a word problem, students are sometimes confused between arrangement and combination concepts (whether order matters or not which leads to different computation logic) and need to be given explicit instructions about whether order matters in the problem even when it can be deduced from the problem description
2. similar confusion on whether repetition is allowed or not (counting chapter, number of choices concepts) 
Notes-students have not been submitting all homework problems (including those who attended)
-when students miss a class they should still try to do the homework. Parents should check announcements for class summary and exercises
-

Thursday, February 16, 2017

M1 Class Summary for Feb 12, 2017



Instructor:Fatima Al-Raisi
Attendance:Suhaib
HomeworkDue Feb 19
Beast 4D
39, 40
49-53 (inclusive) 
Class Activities:-Review of counting chapter
exercise 19
-Probability
-placing events on  a scale of likelihood
-exercise
-random probabilities: ex. 33, 34, 35, 42
-coin flips: 43-48
-die rolls: 65,66
Concepts-notion of event likelihood
-outcome space
-probability
-probabilities and counting (venn diagrams)
-independent events
-probability as a fraction
-random probability
-probability of independent events
-probability of mutually exclusive events
-coin flips and die rolls  
Student Difficulties
Notes

Friday, February 10, 2017

M1 Class Summary for Feb 5 , 2017


Instructor:
Nouran Awas
Attendance:
Suhaib , Abdul-Qadir , Eman
Homework:
Due Feb 18
Beast 4b
43
73,74
Class Activities :
Still covering logic chapter
Exercise 35, 37, 40, 68, 69, 71
Concepts:
  1. Suduko puzzle
  2. Sum-duko puzzle
Students difficulties :
They still didn't use to use given constraints to help solve problems.
Notes:
We didn't finish the logic chapter. We will continue this week. 

Sunday, January 29, 2017

M1 Class Summary for Jan 29, 2017



Instructor:Fatima Al-Raisi
Attendance:Suhaib
(5 new students joined the class for a short period of time)
HomeworkDue Feb 5
Beast 4b
18,19
25, 26, 27, 28
59, 60, and 61
Class Activities:-Review and summary of counting chapter
exercises 89,93,95
Gently introducing a generalization and the concept of combinations nCr
-Cards
In class exercises 98,102
-Start with logic chapter
Exercises 1-13
Concepts1. Counting summary
a. Permutations  and arrangements, factorials
b. Counting and geometric concepts
c. Counting with Venn Diagrams
d. Combinations:
Examples: creating teams, creating pairs,
Cards examples, nCr
---------------------------------------------------------------
2. Logic:
-from information to valid conclusion
-how to organize information for easy inference
-logic puzzles: exercises 14,15,17
-minesweeper: exercises 20, 23, 25
-shape-number cards: exercises: 30,32
-Liars and truth tellers: exercises: 44-47
Concept of contradiction 
Student Difficulties
Notes

Sunday, January 22, 2017

M1 Class Summary for Jan 22, 2017



Instructor:Fatima Al-Raisi
Attendance:AbdulQadir, Suhaib
HomeworkDue Feb 12
59,60,62,63
78-86 (inclusive)
95 (systematically),97
Optional: 103-106
Class Activities:exercises 57, 58, 61, 67-77
Example: #ways a team of two can be created in our group
ConceptsCounting
1. Venn Diagrams
Set membership, intersection, union, the universal set
In class exercises 57, 58, 61
2. Arrangements Using factorials 
In class exercises 67-77 (inclusive)
3. Counting pairs
Teams of two example,exercise 88
---------------------------------------------------------------
Continue next class:
Start with exercises 89,93,95
Gently introducing a generalization and the concept of combinations nCr
-Cards
In class exercises 98,102
Student Difficulties
Noteswas unable to finish the chapter, need to spend part of next class on combinations concept 

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

M1 Class Summary for Jan 15, 2017

Class Summary Jan 15, 2017

Instructor: Fatima Al-Raisi
Attendees: Suhaib, Qadir, Eman 

Topics and Concepts: 

Counting:

A. Counting the number of items (numbers) in a list
1-list of numbers
2-starting with 1 or 0
3-with 1 as increment
4-starting with arbitrary numbers and with larger increments
5-including/excluding end points 

Strategies:
* for list of numbers with 1 as increment, convert the list to one that starts from 1 and considering the last number
* add 1 for lists that start from 0
* for general lists: (last - first) / increment + 1
* for more complicated lists some strategies are: split the list (even and odd), or count by exclusion (e.g., how many two digits numbers are divisible by 5? Consider all multiples of 5 until 100, there are 20 of them exclude 5 because it's a one-digit number and 100 because it's a 3-digit number)

B. Counting the number of steps/choice in a multi-step/choice procedure/decision 
1-multiplication rule
2-with or without repetition (introduction, simple examples, did not define combinations nCr)
examples: 

-number of ways Ali can can create outfit combinations from 4 shirts (different colors) and 3 pants 
(different colors)

-number of ways different ice-cream flavor/topping combinations can be made when buying a two-scoop ice-cream with a topping from a place with n flavors and m toppings given that the two scoops have to be different flavors 

-number of ways morning-afternoon-evening activity combinations can be made to create a 3-day camping program from a given list of 3 possible morning activities, 4 possible afternoon activities, and 3 evening activities 
-Question given to students as homework: what if we want each day to be different? Note: define different (two days with the same morning and afternoon activities but different evening activities are still different). To simplify the task, students were asked to find the number of different possible 3-day camping program such that each days is entirely different (all three activities are different).

Notes: as students were copying the list of activities for homework, instructor hinted that they only need to note down the number of activities in each category since they are only required to come up with the total number of options not with the actual program.


C. Counting and geometric concepts 
Examples:
-count the number of students standing (evenly spaced) along each side of a square shape classrooms 
-common (wrong) answer: number of students (assuming divisible by 4) divided by 4
-ideas: note these are discrete objects (not points in a line) --> common mistake of double counting in corners, still need to place 4 more students
-generalizing from square to any regular polygons 
-some students were able to generalize and come up with a rule for any number of students
-teacher refined generalizations by placing constraints on the # students in such examples 


General notes: to engage students
1. ask for their input in creating questions (shirt colors, camping activities, ice cream flavors)
2. ask them to work on paper even though the class is small since verbally answering discourages slower students from working out the problem
3. for more challenging problems they can discuss the answer
4. try to ask for alternative ways to solve the problem and compare answers 

Homework assigned from Ch4 Counting: 7-11, 15, 18, 19, 21, 22
Optional: 16 (read and try)

Monday, January 9, 2017

Class Summary for January 8th, 2017


Instructor:Uzair Syed
Attendance:Abdul Qadir, Eman Ansari, Sohaib Hydari
HomeworkHOMEWORK DUE ON Januray 15, 2017
NOTEBOOK: 1 - 106

PRACTICE BOOK: Finish all problems in Chapter 4: Counting(Practice 4B)
Class Activities:Conducted test from the previous session.
ConceptsCounting
Student DifficultiesOverall students did well, figured out the logic. But with a little bit of input from the instructor, they overcame the difficulties while understanding questions. 
Notes

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Syllabus (tentative)

Overview:
This course develops creative problem solving skills for upper elementary school students. For instance, consider the following math problems:
(i) How many different arrangements of the letters in the word ACADEMY are possible if the two A's must be next to each other? For example, AACDEMY and MYDEAAC are counted, but ACADEMY is not. (Source: Beast Academy)
(ii) A bag contains 10 marbles: 5 red and 5 black. Ali draws all ten marbles out, one at a time. What is the probability that the tenth marble he pulls out matches the color of the first marble? (Source: Beast Academy)
(iii) One bell rings every 4 hours, a second bell rings every 6 hours, and a third bell rings every 10 hours. If all three bells just rang together, how many times in the next 100 hours will exactly two bells ring together (including the 100th hour)? (Source: Beast Academy)

In this course, students will practice solving challenging problems such as the ones listed above.

Location, Dates, Time:
MCCGP 233 Seaman Ln, Monroeville, PA 15146
Jan 8, 2017 to May 14, 2017
Sunday 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Tentative Schedule (may change based on student needs):

A8-JanADMISSIONS TEST Test will be based on the content we covered during Fall 2016 from Beast Academy Practice Book 4C and 4D: factors, integers, fractions, and decimals
115-JanCounting (4B)
222-JanCounting (4B)
329-JanLogic (4B)
45-FebLogic (4B)
512-FebProbability (4D)
619-FebProbability (4D)
726-FebProbability (4D)
B5-MarMID-TERM COMPETITION
812-Mar3D Solids (5A)
919-Mar3D Solids (5A)
1026-MarIntegers (5A)
112-AprIntegers (5A)
129-AprExpressions and Equations (5A)
16-AprNO CLASSESSPRING BREAK @ FR, Upper St Clair, Plum
1323-AprExpressions and Equations (5A)
1430-AprFactors and Multiples (5B)
157-MayFactors and Multiples (5B)
C14-MayFINAL COMPETITIONAKCMP Spring Term Ends
21-MayREVIEW / AWARDSMCCGP End of Term