Blog September 6, 2011

Welcome to a fantastic new school year!



This will be an exciting year for you and one that will challenge you and also allow you to learn and explore the world we live in! Our theme for the year is space. We will use space to learn about math and the universe around us.



Each week you will have a new blog entry that will provide you with an introduction to the week’s lesson and what to expect. You can also count on, just about every week having a blog homework question that will be just like any other homework we have during the week. The blog homework will be due on Thursday by midnight.


This week we will be going over the rules of the class, the school handbook and also doing some assessments so I can see how great you are in math. Oh yes, we will have 1 night of homework!

You are now in middle school; I like to think of it as Jr. High School. We have 3 years to get you ready for high school, for some even less than 3 years! I encourage you to make positive choices about developing your study habits, to get your homework done and turned in on time. If you learn to do this you will also be learning to be responsible! And people who are responsible, usually live a happier and better life! If you work hard now, I know you’ll be able to enjoy high school and life after high school! Work now and play later!!

Here are our classroom rules:

Classroom behavior goal #1

Unless there is a snake crawling up your leg or  

your desk is on fire you need permission to get

out of your seat!

 

Classroom behavior goal #2

Rasing your hand is most appreciated and will get you recognized much sooner!

Classroom behavior goal #3

To help protect the environment that we work in, it seems only right that you pick up any mess that you make...

Classroom behavior goal #4

At all times be RESPECTFUL to others, including YOURSELF

I look forward to this year and all the amazing things we will learn and do together!


Remember! As always, you are amazing, incredible people with the whole world waiting to be changed by YOU!

Mr. Rott

Howdy Partners!

I know it's been along time since we had a full blog. It's been a busy few months. This will be the last full blog for the year, there will be updates but no more blog questions after this week. All of my classes will be working on Algebra. We will be usi g hands on equations, a very hands on way to learn Algebra. Before you know it you will be wrangling up those Algebraic equations.


OLD WEST FACT: Pony Express
The Pony Express was the first "express" mail line across the United States. The outfit actually began as a "publicity stunt," in hopes of winning a million dollar government mail contract for the Central Overland California and Pike's Peak Express Company, a freight and stage organization. Owned by William H. Russell, William B. Waddell, and Alexander Majors, the Pony Express became a subsidiary of the larger Central Overland California and Pike's Peak Express Company. Prior to the Pony Express, the freight and stage company held government contracts for army supply delivery, employing 4,000 men, and owning 3,500 wagons and 40,000 oxen. Envisioning a similar contract for fast mail delivery, the Pony Express was born.

The first successful Pony Express run, from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California took place on April 3, 1860, when a lone rider on a bay mare galloped from Pike's Peak Stables in St. Joseph, Missouri, thus inaugurating the famous Pony Express.Riding in a relay fashion, each rider averaged 10 miles per hour, covering about 75-100 miles before another rider took his place on the route.

Pony Express stations, which eventually numbered somewhere between 150-190, were originally established about 25 miles apart, then increased in number to allow for fresh horses at intervals of 10 to 15 miles. The Pony Express owned about 400 Mustang and Morgan horses, on which the riders traveled.

Introduction to the Pony Express
Pony Express stations, which eventually numbered somewhere between 150-190, were originally established about 25 miles apart, then increased in number to allow for fresh horses at intervals of 10 to 15 miles. The Pony Express owned about 400 Mustang and Morgan horses, on which the riders traveled.

Special saddle bags that could be moved to a fresh horse very quickly at a change station were used. The rider changed to a fresh horse at each station, taking only the mail pouch (called a mochila) with him. The mochila was thrown over the saddle and held in place by the weight of the rider sitting on it. Each corner had a cantina, or pocket. Bundles of mail were placed in these cantinas, which were padlocked for safety. The mochila could hold 20 pounds of mail along with the 20 pounds of material carried on the horse, allowing for a total of 165 pounds on the horse's back. Riders were changed about every 100 miles.


Amazingly, these young riders carried approximately 35,000 pieces of mail over more than 650,000 miles during the time the Pony Express existed. Further, only one rider lost his life when he was killed by hostile Indians, and only one sack of mail was lost during this time.

The Pony Express is credited with helping to keep California in the Union by providing rapid communication between the two coasts. News of the election of Abraham Lincoln to the United States presidency in 1860 and of the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 reached California via the Pony Express.


1st Period BLOG QUESTIONS: SEE OLD WEST FACT


1) if the first Pony Express took place on April 3, 1860 what is the difference from the first rider to today?


2). If the Pony Express rider rode 25 miles at 10 miles per hour how long would it take the rider to to travel the 25 miles.


3) If the riders carried a total of 35,000 pieces of mail over the 1 year span of the Pony Express how many pieces did they carry per month__________ and per week________ and per day_______?


4th & 6th Period BLOG QUESTION: SEE OLD WEST FACT!


1) if the first Pony Express took place on April 3, 1860 what is the difference from the first rider to today?


2). If the Pony Express rider rode 25 miles at 10 miles per hour how long would it take the rider to to travel the 25 miles.


3) If the riders carried a total of 35,000 pieces of mail over the 1 year span of the Pony Express how many pieces did they carry per month__________ and per week________ and per day_______?


4) If a horse carried 165 pounds what is the fraction of weight that was for mail out of 165 pounds_____?


5) If a horse carried 165 pounds what is the fraction of weight that was for mail and materials out of 165 pounds_____?


6) If a horse carried 165 pounds what is the fraction of weight that was from the rider of the 165 pounds_____?

                GONZAGA MENS BASKETBALL
Don’t stop believing... next fall is not that far away!


Have a wild and woolly ride this week!


As always, you are amazing, incredible people with the whole world waiting to be changed by YOU!

Mr. Rott

Mr. Rotts Classroom Blog for the week of May 16 - 20

 

I saw this when I was looking up ... SLACKER... I have been slacking and wanted to let you know that it's not due to a lack of or slack of .. hahaha desire .. just not enough time in the day!

So ... this weekend.. I will dazzle you! :) with a new blog and new blog question!

Mr. Rott

Mr. Rott's Blog for the week of April 25 - 29th

Howdy Partners!

Its been a while... but here we are .. Hmmm I think we have like 35ish actual school days left.. Hard to believe isn’t it! I want to say that you little cowpokes did fabuliso on the State Math Test! It’s like some of you rode that mean old bull way past the 8 second! Everyone worked as hard as they could and even some.. Believe it or not want to get back on that wild bronc and ride, I mean take that test again!

OLD WEST FACT: Chaps
We are not talking chapstick for dry or cracked lips.. Nope this week we are talking about Chaps, which are cowboy leggings, were correctly pronounced "shaps". They're short for chaparejos (shap-ar-EH-hos), which were another important cowboy tool.


Chaps are intended to protect the legs of cowboys from contact with daily environmental hazards experienced in working with cattle, horses and other livestock. They help to protect the riders' legs from injury when riding through brushy terrain that included sagebrush, cacti thorns, mesquite and other thorny vegetation.

The earliest form of protective leather garment was used by mounted riders who herded cattle in Spain and Mexico and were called armas, which meant "shield." Back then, they were essentially two large pieces of cowhide that were used more as a protective apron attached to the horn of the rider's stock saddle. The pieces were spread across both the horse's chest and the rider's legs.


Popular Styles of Chaps
Shotgun Chaps: Also called "Stovepipes" because the legs are straight and narrow. In wide use by the late 1870, they were the earliest design used by Texas cowboys. They feature a snug fit, wrapping completely around the leg and held tight with a full-length zipper running along the outside of the leg from the thigh to just above the ankle. The edge of each legging is usually cut with a slight flare to allow a smooth fit over the arch of a boot. Their tight design was better at trapping body heat, an advantage in windy, snowy or cold conditions. Obviously not so pleasant in very hot or humid weather. Shotgun chaps are more common on ranches in the northwest, Rocky Mountains and northern plains states, as well as Canada. This design is the most common in western horse show competition

Batwing chaps: These are cut wide with a flare at the bottom and are usually made of smooth leather with only two or three fasteners around the thigh. They allow for greater freedom of movement for the lower leg and for easier mounting of a horse. With more air circulation, this design was somewhat cooler for hot weather wear. Batwing chaps are often seen on rodeo riders and on working ranches, particularly in Texas. They were a later design, developed after the end of the open range.

Woolies:  These chaps are a variation on shotgun chaps, made with a fleece or hair-on hide, often angora wool, lined with canvas on the inside. Woolies are the warmest chaps and are associated with the northern plains and Rocky Mountains. They appeared on the Great Plains somewhere around 1887.

Blog questions - MAKE SURE YOU READ THE OLD WEST FACT!!! THAT INCLUDES YOU ROBBie!
1st period: 1) How long have shotgun chaps been around? 2) What about the Woolies, how long have they been around? 3) If a pair of Woolies cost $365.00 and you only had $27.00 how much would you need in order to buy the chaps?

4th & 6th Period Blog Question: Answer all three questions for 1st period along with these two: 4) How many letters are in the words shotgun chaps?______ of those letters the vowels are your numerator what would the numerator be_____? 5) If you had to get shot gun shaps for the whole rodeo flag team and there were 26 people, and each pair of chaps cost $347.54 how much would it cost for your order of chaps__________?

THE 411!
1st Period: Howdy partners! This week we be working on ... hmmm lets see... converting percents, decimals and fractions... its not pretty but its helpful! So pull that hat down tight

4th and 6th Period: You know we just did not get to spend enough time with my dear aunt Sally... so back to it we go! And after that. Mintegers anyone?

GONZAGA MENS BASKETBALL
Don’t stop believing... next fall is not that far away!

Have a wild and woolly ride this week!


As always, you are amazing, incredible people with the whole world waiting to be changed by YOU!

Mr. Rott

Mr. Rotts Classroom Blog for the week of April 23 - 27

 This week, I am sure!! we are going to totally  to enjoy taking the State Math Test... its called OAKS.... any how your 

ONLY homework this week is to go over your notes from last week!! Please use this time to help yourself do your very best on the state math test!

Mr. Rott

Blog for April 11 - 15

Howdy!

This week we will be going over material for the State Math test that we, yes WE will get to do next week.  Your homework for this week is to study the notes that you take during class! 

PLEASE go over your notes from class every night for at least 15 mins ..it will make a difference!

Blog for March 28 - April 1st NO JOKE :)

Howdy Partners!

Holy Cow Batman.. Oops.. Keep forgetting its Cowboys and Cowgirls this year...! Either way... we are back in the saddle... I do hope you had a great break and are all rested up for the big push till the end of the year! Tighten those spurs here we go!


OLD WEST FACT: No Old fact today... look tomorrow :)


1st Period: Howdy partners! This week we are going to perfect our shopping skills.. You know making sure we are finding the BEST deal we can! Its back to percents! We will learn as we shop!


4th and 6th Period: Back to Distance Rate and Speed... we need to finish up on what we started before break.

GONZAGA MENS BASKETBALL

FEEL THE SPIRIT!!!
Well... we at least made it to the Big Dance... no im not talking the one at the Armory! But we lost in the first round... errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... guess we will just have to wait till next fall! Never give up ... believing!


Have a wild and woolly ride this week!


As always, you are amazing, incredible people with the whole world waiting to be changed by YOU!

Mr. Rott

Blog for March 14 - 18

Howdy Partners!

Yippie ye yeah! One more week until spring break! What are you going to do? Ride some broncs? Rope some calves? Ride the bulls? Hopefully we will have nice weather and you will be able to get outside and enjoy the sunshine... ya can’t play Xbox all day long you know!

OLD WEST FACT: Cowboys and Tsunami?
Well, I doubt the old west cowboys ever even thought, let alone heard of a Tsunami. But you cowboys and cowgirls have heard a lot about Tsunamis’. Just incase you have not learned about what tsunami are I thought we would check out the facts!

I went to the FEMA’s Ready for Kids ( Federal Emergency Management Agency) web site and this is what they had to say, “Tsunami’s are a giant wave produced by underwater movement due to a variety of natural events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and meteorites. Tsunamis generally appear in the Pacific Ocean.


"Tsunami" is a Japanese word. Tsu means "harbor" and nami means "wave."


The website went on to say, That "tsunami (pronounced soo-nahm-ee) is a series of huge waves that happen after an undersea disturbance, such as an earthquake or volcano eruption. (Tsunami is from the Japanese word for harbor wave.) The waves travel in all directions from the area of disturbance, much like the ripples that happen after throwing a rock. The waves may travel in the open sea as fast as 450 miles per hour. As the big waves approach shallow waters along the coast they grow to a great height and smash into the shore. They can be as high as 100 feet. They can cause a lot of destruction on the shore. They are sometimes mistakenly called "tidal waves," but tsunami have nothing to do with the tides.”

And that Hawaii is the state at greatest risk for a tsunami. They get about one a year, with a damaging tsunami happening about every seven years. Alaska is also at high risk. California, Oregon and Washington experience a damaging tsunami about every 18 years.

Some other important facts to know: Tsunamis that strike coastal areas are most always caused by earthquakes may occur far or near where the earthquake starts. Some tsunamis can be very large the height of them can be as great as 30-100 feet, and can travel inland several hundred feet. Tsunamis can strike all low-lying coastal areas and travel up rivers and streams that lead to the ocean. Tsunami are made up of a series of waves and the danger from one can last for several hours after the first wave comes ashore. Sometimes a tsunami can cause the water by the shore to come back, exposing the ocean floor. Tsunamis have a lot of power and can move boats hundreds of feet inland destroying buildings. Tsunamis can happen any time, day or night and can move faster than a person can run.

What to do if you are worried that we are in danger of a tsunami or about others having to experience one. Here are some great helps from Moms Talk:

First turn off the tv... watching what happened in Japan will just keep the fear or anxiety up!
Next, think about these questions, from one mothers children and her answers:
“Could this happen here?" Yes, it could and that is why we have safety drills at school, etc.
“How many people died?" A lot, but I am not sure exactly how many.
“How did they die, did they get squished or drown?" I am not sure.
“Why do earthquakes happen?" Because things underground deep in the earth shift and move sometimes.
“Could I die if an earthquake happened here?" Possibly, but dad and I work very hard to make sure that you are always safe and know what to do in an emergency.
“Will a tsunami reach our house?" Not likely.

 1^st Period: Howdy partners! This week we will finish up Protein Basketball and do some more work on fractions of a number. After that we will spend time understanding percents... you want to be a smart shopper right? Well then you better know your percents! Look for the best this week, I am sure you will find it!

1^st Period Blog questions: Please read over the Old West Fact for the week.#1) What state in the United States is most likely to feel the affects of a tsunami_______? #2) How many miles is it from Newberg to Hawaii (use a ruler 1 inch = about 450 miles) there___________ #3) In the word tsunami how many vowels are there compared to constants______? #4) What would the fraction look like if the vowels were the numerator and all the rest of the letters were the denominator______?


View Larger Map

4^th and 6^th Period: Hey there Cowboys and Cowgirls! Ye Ha! What a great week we have planned.. Or I have planned for you.. This week we will be exploring the formula D=R*T and figuring out that means! Lots of activities this week, so make sure that you are on your best cowboy and cowgirl behavior!

4^th & 6^th Blog questions: Please read over the Old West Fact for the week. .#1) What state in the United States is most likely to feel the affects of a tsunami_______? #2) How many miles is it from Newberg to Hawaii (use a ruler 1 inch = about 450 miles) there___________ #3) In the word tsunami how many vowels are there compared to constants______?  
#4) What would the fraction look like if the vowels were the numerator and all the rest of the letters were the denominator______?
  You will need to go to this website Tsunami  in order to answer the remaining questions #5) What does the "Great Wave Brouchre" say how high can waves become_______? In 1946 how high did the waves become ________ that came to shore?

               GONZAGA MENS BASKETBALL

FEEL THE SPIRIT!!!
Well... Here we go... The Zags are in! Yep they won their conference and as a result of that they will automatically go to the Dance... that means they are going to pay in the NCAA March Madness College Basketball Championship!

It is unknown for sure where the team will play or who, the selection committee makes their choices on “Selection Sunday,” they actually have a name for the day! This takes place on March 13th. With the first four games being played on March 15-16 and then the second round starting March 17th - 18th. The Championship ends on April 2nd - the 4th!
 
Talk about exciting!  Oh and there was nothing better than seeing St. Marys LOSE!!!

Have a wild and woolly ride this week!
As always, you are amazing, incredible people with the whole world waiting to be changed by YOU!

Mr. Rott



Blog for March 7 - 11

Howdy Partners!

Do you think we have had enough rain yet? Remember how nice and green things are this summer and the rain will be a thankful memory... who wants dry ugly trees or hills? The year continues to move along... and move a long and move along... we are in the middle of march.. Well ok pretty close to it! Before you know it youll be relaxing during your Spring Break! Keep pushing yourself, study those notes and work hard!
OLD WEST FACT: Cowboys Hats!

One version goes back to the early 1800's, and that the cowboy hat evolved from the Sombrero.

The story goes that cattle herders, arriving from the East to work on the plains, adopted the sombrero and remodeled it into the cowboy hat that is still currently worn today.

So, the first "cowboys" were the Spanish/Mexican herders of the Southwest. The favored hat of the Mexican vaquero was a broad rimmed hat with a high peaked crown, many times decoratedwith design stitching. The size of the largest brim was 30 galleon, which the new cowboys from the East called "30 Gallon".

Today's cowboy hat has remained basically unchanged in construction and design since the first one was created in 1865. As the story goes, John B. Stetson and some companions went west to seek the benefits of a drier climate. During a hunting trip, Stetson amused his friends by showing them how he could make cloth out of fur without weaving.

After creating his 'fur blanket,' Stetson fashioned an enormous hat with a huge brim as a joke, but the hat was noted to be big enough to protect a man from sun, rain, and all the rigors the outdoors could throw at him. Stetson decided to wear the hat on his hunting trip, and it worked so well that he continued wearing it on his travels throughout the West. In 1865, he began to produce the first incarnation of his big hats in number, and before long, Stetson was considered the maker of this newfangled headwear, the cowboy hat. The original Stetson hat sold for five dollars.
Making hats

1st Period: Howdy partners! As you can tell we have been working on an assortment of math topics, from money to time to fractions... we will continue this for the rest of the year. I want you to remember what we have learned, learn new math skills along with improving your ability to use math in every day experiences... but as always it will be fun!


1st Period Blog questions: Please read over the Old West Fact for the week. You will need to go to this site to help you answer these questions: Quality Hats

#1) How many years has it been since John B. Stetson sold his first hat for $5.00? ___________ #2) Go to Quality Hats and pick out a hat for each member of your family. How many hats did you pick out and list the names of each hat you chose_____ ? #3) What was the total cost for all your hats_______? #4) Look at the total price of all the hats for your family and list the bills and coins you would use to pay for your hats_____.
4th and 6th Period: Hey there Cowboys and Cowgirls! Ye Ha! This week we mosey on over to Ratios... huh? That’s right partners... ratios! Interesting... fun... and as always exciting! I wonder what the ratio is of those who like ratios and those who don’t?

4th & 6th Period Blog questions: Please read over the Old West Fact for the week. You will need to go to this site to help you answer these questions: Quality Hats
#1) How many years has it been since John B. Stetson sold his first hat for $5.00? ___________ #2) Go to Quality Hats and pick out a hat for each member of your family. How many hats did you pick out and list the names of each hat you chose_____ ? #3) What was the total cost for all your hats_______? #4) Look at the total price of all the hats for your family and list the bills and coins you would use to pay for your hats_____. #5) What was the cost of the hat that you chose for yourself______? Of the total cost what percent of the cost was your hat_____?  #6) Search this site: Cowboy Hat Material.. What two materials are used to make cowboy hats______?

GONZAGA MENS BASKETBALL
FEEL THE SPIRIT!!!

Well sharing the 10 West Coast Championship is better than not winning! The Boys keep the streak alive! 11 Years of winning the Conference! Now its off to Las Vegas for the Conference Playoffs and then onto March Madness! Talk about excitement... doesn’t get much better than this!
SCHEDULE:
11/5 vs. Southern Oregon W 90-58
11/12 vs. Southern W 117-72
11/16 vs. San Diego State L 79-76
11/22 Kansas State 6:30 pm L 81 - 64 (OUCH!)
11/23 Marquette 4:57 pm W 66-63
11/30 vs. Eastern Washington W 86-57
12/4 vs. Illinois 2:15 pm L 73-61
12/8 at Washington State L 81 - 59
12/11 at Notre Dame L 83-79
12/16 vs. Lewis-Clark State W 103 - 61
12/18 vs. #9 Baylor W 68- 64
12/22 vs. Xavier W 64- 54
12/29 vs. Lafayette W 83-55
12/31 vs. Oklahoma State W 73 - 63
1-2 vs Wake forest W 73 - 63
1-8 University of Portland W 74 - 61
1-13 vs. Perperdine W 92 - 75
1-15 vs. Loyola Marymount W 79 - 59
1-20 Santa Clara L 75-81
1-22 San Francisco L 91-96
1-27 vs St. Marys L 73- 71
1-29 vs San Diego W 86 - 53
2-3 U of Portland W 67 - 64
2-5 #22 vs Memphis L 62-58
2-10 Loyola Marymount W 67 -57
2-12 Pepperdine W 63 - 44
2-17 vs Santa Clara W 85 - 76
2-19 vs San Francisco W 70 - 53
2-24 St. Marys Great OVER TIME WIN! 89-85
2-26 San Diego W 68-31
2-28 vs Cal State Bakersfield W 96-49

Have a wild and woolly ride this week!

As always, you are amazing, incredible people with the whole world waiting to be changed by YOU!

Mr. Rott