American Book Company Blog: Test-prep books and more

Solving for the Area and Volume of Regular and Irregular Polygons

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:43:00 +0000

by Melvin Carter | 1.25.12

The document available for download gives a specific example of solving the area and volume of regular and irregular polygons. Click the link below to download the file that gives step by step instructions. It's perfect for teachers!

http://www.mediafire.com/?rx7wxlcag4w3kk6

Technology and Education

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:56:00 +0000

by Ashley Kavan | 1/18/2012

Technology in today’s society has become so ever-present among our youth that it has become almost similar to a survival mechanism. Cell phones, laptops, computers, Apple products, television, mp3’s, the radio—you name it! Technology itself has made its way into the hearts of today’s young people, paving a pathway that potentially leads to learning, investigating, and even creating.

With all that being said, technology in the classrooms has become a key prop for many educators, not only as a tool but as a way to connect to the students. On one hand, it can become a disadvantage for the teachers when they open up the floor to using lessons involving cellphones. There are those students who would take advantage of this opportunity. They would become distracted from the main factor of the lesson and mentally wander off into their own world of texting, playing games, or maybe just “Googling” around out of mere boredom. This can be a hazard for students because they miss the main point of whatever lesson the teacher is trying to deliver. Having been a student myself not too long ago, this is completely understandable!

On the other hand, it can be a disadvantage for those less-advantaged students who are lacking the means, connections, or resources to obtain cell phones, technology, iPods, laptops, and the like. It can be rather discouraging for one to sit among peers who have the luxury of technology at their very fingertips. A student without a cellphone to use as a resource is not considered as often and risks being overlooked. Sure, owning a cell phone is typical. But without this common resource to use as a tool, many students may feel as if they are deliberately left out of lessons, giving them a sense of being in the minority.

From the teacher’s point of view, they strive to relate to their students while avoiding any “roundabouts,” dull resources, or plain old boring lessons.

And while using technology in the classroom can be efficient, this is not completely thought out wisely, considering any and all factors. How so? Well, who will be affected by this, and in what way? There are the some students who are pleased enough to sit quietly and fiddle with a device for which they live, breath, and dream of. However, it can shut many doors to those who have not been given the opportunity—or, worse, open unwelcome doors. If it comes down to a relatable resource, it should be one in which everyone can participate.

SPLOST

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:35:00 +0000

Have you ever driven by road improvements and new school building construction and seen a sign that states, "YOUR SPLOST DOLLARS AT WORK"? You've probably wondered what SPLOST dollars are exactly. SPLOST stands for Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. This money is used for capital improvements, but a little known fact is that this money can also be used to purchase educational technology materials, as long as the license is for two or more years.

To find out more about SPLOST go to:

http://www.gadoe.org/fbo_facilities.aspx?PageReq=FBOFacilitiesSPLOST

Cheating teachers? Not under ABC's watch...

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:16:00 +0000

by BJ Benson

I'm not going to lie - all this talk of "erasing parties" and teachers cheating to help students pass state-mandated tests is a bit alarming. I'm a stones-throw away from having an elementary schooler (OK, so he's only 1 right now), and I'd much rather my child learn the material than have his teacher change his test answers. Anyone with me on this? Thought so.

I must ask this question, however... Why is the cheating happening in the first place? Any thoughts? Perhaps some teachers feel they are out of options or maybe the incentives for high test scores are a little too tempting. Whatever the answer may be, it certainly isn't helping the students more than it is hindering them.

Well, as a member of the marketing department at ABC, one of my jobs is to meet teachers at a variety of conferences and spread the word about how excellent our materials are. In fact, they're so great that there is no reason for a teacher, nor student, to cheat when they use our books or digital resources. The icing on the cake? Not only are we student and teacher friendly, we're also budget friendly.

So, resist the temptation and pack those erasers away! Here's how I think our materials can help educators and students:

1. Our materials are tailored to your state. Yes, you heard right. No need to sift through thick books full of distracting pictures and irrelevant information. Our materials focus on your state education board's standards and objectives.

2. No "tips or tricks" here - we actually help build skills. Repeat after me: 3 full-length tests, step-by-step instruction, interactive graphics, concrete explanations. Need I say more? Well, yes. For a sneak peek at how awesome our Common Core books are, click here.

3. The content is up to date. We don't copy-paste from one edition to the next. Instead, we use the most current standards. Example: Head to our website to check out a preview of our Preparing for the Tennessee Writing Assessment for the 11th Grade, just recently revised in July. Any Minnesotans?? Check out our MCA-III math materials. In fact, after you're done reading this blog, go to our website, register for a free account, and preview ANY book you're interested in.

4. Content is easy to understand. Regardless of what grade, level, or subject you teach (ESOL, remedial, summer school, special ed, etc), our materials are effective and are guaranteed to work. If you don't believe me, preview one of our books! I dare you... FYI, Georgians, our GA ELA materials were adopted. Oh, and yours, too, Oklahomans.

In a nutshell, our materials are made not only with the students in mind, but the educators, too. Yes, it's okay to jump up, celebrate, and have "eraser burning" parties. Any other suggestions on cheating prevention? Let's hope we don't hear anymore about these scandals.

I'm looking forward to seeing many of you at upcoming conferences! A big hello to those who stopped by my booth at the Mid South Technology Conference in Memphis last month.

Common Core

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:19:00 +0000

There are many mixed emotions when it comes to Common Core. Common Core Standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts, to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce. They provide teachers and parents with a common understanding of what students are expected to learn. Consistent standards that will provide appropriate benchmarks for all students, regardless of where they live. (source)

As we are building the Common Core States Standards curriculum materials, we would love to hear from you! We want to know what important areas of coverage it has been difficult to find good materials on. Some areas within basic subjects might not get recognized at all, so let's change that! We want our VIP customers to get exactly what they want. Let us know what you would like us to focus on. We can't wait to hear from all of you!

Word of the Day: Ocellus

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:34:00 +0000

Happy Monday! The word of the day is

- Ocellus -
pronounced [oh-sel-uh's]

noun, plural

1. a type of simple eye common to invertebrates, consisting of retinal cells, pigments, and nerve fibers.

2. an eyelike spot, as on a peacock feather.

Origin
1810–20; < Latin: little eye, diminutive of oculus eye; see -elle

Related Words
simple eye, stemma, eyespot

Word of the Day: Thankful

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:05:00 +0000

Good afternoon! The word of the day is

- Thankful -

pronounced [thangk-fuh'l]

adjective

feeling or expressing gratitude; appreciative.

Origin

O.E. þancfulle; see thank + -ful. Related: Thankfully; thankfulness.

Synonyms
beholden, obliged

Related Words
grateful

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/thankful

Word of the Day: Anarchy

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:41:00 +0000

Good afternoon! The word of the day is

- Anarchy -

pronounced [an-er-kee]

noun

1. a state of society without government or law.

2. political and social disorder due to the absence of governmental control: The death of the king was followed by a year of anarchy.

3. a theory that regards the absence of all direct or coercive government as a political ideal and that proposes the cooperative and voluntary association of individuals and groups as the principal mode of organized society.

4. confusion; chaos; disorder: Intellectual and moral anarchy followed his loss of faith.

Origin

1530s, from M.L. anarchia, from Gk. anarkhia "lack of a leader," noun of state from anarkhos "rulerless," from an- "without" + arkhos "leader" (see archon). Anarch (n.) "leader of leaderlessness," a deliciously paradoxical word, was used by Milton, Pope, Byron. Anarcho-syndicalism is first recorded 1913.

Can be confused with
anarchism

Related Words
lawlessness

dictionary.reference.com/browse/anarchy

Word of the Day: Larva

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:43:00 +0000

Happy Tuesday! The word of the day is

- Larva -

pronounced [lahr-vuh]

noun, plural -vae
1. Entomology. the immature, wingless, feeding stage of an insect that undergoes complete metamorphosis.

2. any animal in an analogous immature form.

3. the young of any invertebrate animal.

4. larvae, Roman Antiquity. malignant ghosts, as lemures.

Origin

1650s, "a ghost, specter," from L. larva (pl. larvae), earlier larua "ghost," also "mask;" applied in biological sense 1768 by Linnaeus because immature forms of insects "mask" the adult forms. On the double sense of the Latin word, Carlo Ginzburg, among other students of mythology and folklore, has commented on "the well-nigh universal association between masks and the spirits of the dead."

Can be confused with
lava

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/larva

Word of the Day: Auspicious

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:56:00 +0000

Good afternoon! The word of the day is

- Auspicious -

pronounced [aw-spish-uh's]

adjective

1. promising success; propitious; opportune; favorable: an auspicious occasion.

2. favored by fortune; prosperous; fortunate.

Origin

1590s, "of good omen," from L. auspicium "divination by observing the flight of birds," from auspex (gen. auspicis) "augur," lit. "one who takes signs from the flight of birds."

Related Words
encouraging, favorable, favourable, lucky, prosperous

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/auspicious

Word of the Day: Evaporate

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:39:00 +0000

Good morning! The word of the day is

- Evaporate -

pronounced [ih-vap-uh-reyt]

verb (used without object)

1. to change from a liquid or solid state into vapor; pass off in vapor.

2. to give off moisture.

3. to disappear; vanish; fade: His hopes evaporated.

verb (used with object)

4. to convert into a gaseous state or vapor; drive off or extract in the form of vapor: The warm sun evaporated the dew.

5. to extract moisture or liquid from, as by heat, so as to make dry or to reduce to a denser state: to evaporate fruit.

6. to cause to disappear or fade; dissipate: His involvement in the scandal evaporated any hope he had for a political career.

Origin

early 15c., from L. evaporatum, pp. of evaporare (see evaporation). Related: Evaporated; evaporating.

Related Words
vaporise, vaporize

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/evaporate

Word of the Day: Amendment

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:14:00 +0000

Good morning! The word of the day is

- Amendment -

pronounced [uh-mend-muh'nt]

noun

1. the act of amending or the state of being amended.

2. an alteration of or addition to a motion, bill, constitution, etc.

3. a change made by correction, addition, or deletion: The editors made few amendments to the manuscript.

4. Horticulture. a soil-conditioning substance that promotes plant growth indirectly by improving such soil qualities as porosity, moisture retention, and pH balance.

Origin

c.1300, of persons, "correction, reformation," from O.Fr. amendment, from amender (see amend). Sense expanded to include "correction of error in a legal process" (c.1600); "alteration of a writ or bill" to remove its faults (1690s).

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Amendment

Word of the Day: Integer

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:19:00 +0000

Good afternoon! The word of the day is

- Integer -

pronounced [in-ti-jer]

noun

1. Mathematics. one of the positive or negative numbers 1, 2, 3, etc., or zero.

2. a complete entity.

Origin

1508, "whole, entire" (adj.), from L. integer "whole," lit. "intact, untouched," from in- "not" + root of tangere "to touch" (see tangent). Noun meaning "a whole number" (opposed to fraction) first recorded 1571.

Synonyms
1. whole numer; 2. integral, whole

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/integer

Word of the Day: Germinate

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Good afternoon! The word of the day is

- Germinate -

pronounced [jur-muh-neyt]

verb (used without object)

1. to begin to grow or develop.

2. Botany.

a. to develop into a plant or individual, as a seed, spore, or bulb.

b. to put forth shoots; sprout; pullulate.

3. to come into existence; begin.

verb (used with object)

4. to cause to develop; produce.

5. to cause to come into existence; create.

Origin
1600–10; < Latin germinātus (past participle of germināre to sprout, bud), equivalent to germin- (see germinal) + -ātus -ate¹

Related Words
bourgeon, burgeon forth, pullulate, shoot, sprout

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/germinate

Word of the Day: Levee

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:34:00 +0000

Good morning! The word of the day is

- Levee -

pronounced [lev-ee]

noun

1. an embankment designed to prevent the flooding of a river.

2. Geology. natural levee.

3. Agriculture. one of the small continuous ridges surrounding fields that are to be irrigated.

4. History/Historical. a landing place for ships; quay.

verb (used with object)
5. to furnish with a levee: to levee a treacherous stream.

Origin

1719, "natural or artificial embankment to prevent overflow of a river," from New Orleans Fr. levée "raising, lifting, embankment," from Fr., originally fem. pp. of lever "to raise," from L. levare "to raise" (see lever). In an earlier sense borrowed from the lit. Fr.

meaning, it was used for "morning assembly held by a prince or king (upon rising from bed)," 1672.

Related Words
dam, dike, dyke

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/levee

Word of the Day: Macabre

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:57:00 +0000

Happy Halloween! The word of the day is

- Macabre -

pronounced [muh-kah-bruh, -kahb, -kah-ber]

adjective

1. gruesome and horrifying; ghastly; horrible.

2. of, pertaining to, dealing with, or representing death, especially its grimmer or uglier aspect.

3. of or suggestive of the allegorical dance of death.

Origin

c.1430, from O.Fr. (danse) Macabré "(dance) of Death" (1376), probably a translation of M.L. (Chorea) Machabæorum, lit. "dance of the Maccabees" (leaders of the Jewish revolt against Syro-Hellenes, see Maccabees). The association with the dance of death seems

to be via vivid descriptions of the martyrdom of the Maccabees in the Apocryphal books. The abstracted sense of "gruesome" is first attested 1842 in Fr., 1889 in Eng.

Related Words
ghastly, grim, grisly, gruesome

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/macabre

Word of the Day: Perimeter

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 14:41:00 +0000

Happy Friday! The weekend is almost upon us. The word of the day is

- Perimeter -

pronounced [puh-rim-i-ter]

noun

1. the border or outer boundary of a two-dimensional figure.

2. the length of such a boundary.

3. a line bounding or marking off an area.

4. the outermost limits.

5. Military. a fortified boundary that protects a troop position.

6. Ophthalmology. an instrument for determining the peripheral field of vision.

Origin

1592, "line around a figure or surface," from L. perimetros, from Gk. perimetros "circumference," from peri- "around" + metron "measure" (see meter (2)). Military sense of "boundary of a defended position" is attested from 1943.

Related Words
border, margin, circumference

Can Be Confused With
parameter

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/perimeter

Word of the Day: Denouement

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:21:00 +0000

Good morning! The word of the day is

- Denouement -

pronounced [dey-noo-mahn]

noun

1. the final resolution of the intricacies of a plot, as of a drama or novel.

2. the place in the plot at which this occurs.

3. the outcome or resolution of a doubtful series of occurrences.

Origin

1752, from Fr. dénouement "an untying" (of plot), from dénouer "untie," from O.Fr. desnouer, from des- "un-, out" (from L. dis-) + nouer "to tie, knot" (from L. nodus "a knot").

Synonyms
3. solution, conclusion, end, upshot.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/denouement

Word of the Day: Mixture

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:17:00 +0000

Good afternoon! The word of the day is

- Mixture -

pronounced [miks-cher]

noun

1. a product of mixing.

2. any combination or blend of different elements, kinds, qualities, etc.: a mixture of good and bad traits.

3. Chemistry, Physics. an aggregate of two or more substances that are not chemically united and that exist in no fixed proportion to each other.

4. a fabric woven of yarns combining various colors: a heather mixture.

5. the act of mixing or the state of being mixed.

6. an added element or ingredient; admixture.

Origin

mid-15c., from L. mixtura, from mixtus (see mix).

Related Words
concoction, intermixture, assortment, miscellanea, miscellany

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mixture

Word of the Day: Tariff

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:27:00 +0000

Good morning! The word of the day is

- Tariff -

pronounced [tar-if]

noun

1. an official list or table showing the duties or customs imposed by a government on imports or exports.

2. the schedule or system of duties so imposed.

3. any duty or rate of duty in such a list or schedule.

4. any table of charges, as of a railroad, bus line, etc.

5. bill; cost; charge.

verb (used with object)

6. to subject to a tariff.

7. to put a valuation on according to a tariff.

Origin

1591, "arithmetical table," from It. tariffa, M.L. tarifa "list of prices, book of rates," from Arabic ta'rif "information, notification, inventory of fees to be paid," verbal noun from arafa "to make known." Meaning "official list of customs duties on imports or exports" is from 1592; sense of "classified list of charges made in a business" is recorded from 1757.

Related Words
duty

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tariff

Word of the Day: Prism

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:49:00 +0000

It's Friday! The word of the day is

- Prism -

pronounced [priz-uh'm]

noun

1. Optics. a transparent solid body, often having triangular bases, used for dispersing light into a spectrum or for reflecting rays of light.

2. Geometry. a solid having bases or ends that are parallel, congruent polygons and sides that are parallelograms.

3. Crystallography. a form having faces parallel to the vertical axis and intersecting the horizontal axes.

Origin

1570, a type of solid figure, from L.L. prisma (Martianus Capella), from Gk. prisma (Euclid), lit. "something sawed," from prizein "to saw." Meaning in optics is first attested 1612.

Related Words
opitcal prism

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/prism

Word of the Day: Garish

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:23:00 +0000

Good morning! The word of the day is

- Garish -

pronounced [gair-ish, gar-]

adjective

1. crudely or tastelessly colorful, showy, or elaborate, as clothes or decoration.

2. excessively ornate or elaborate, as buildings or writings.

3. dressed in or ornamented with bright colors.

4. excessively bright; glaring.

Origin

1545, possibly from M.E. gawren "to stare," which is of unknown origin, perhaps from O.N. gaurr "rough fellow."

Related Words
brassy, cheap, flash, flashy, gaudy

Synonyms
1. loud, tawdry. See gaudy¹.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/garish

Word of the Day: Conduction

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:45:00 +0000

Good afternoon! The word of the day is

- Conduction -

pronounced [kuh'n-duhk-shuh'n]

noun

1. the act of conducting, as of water through a pipe.

2. Physics.

a. the transfer of heat between two parts of a stationary system, caused by a temperature difference between the parts.

b. transmission through a conductor.

c. conductivity.

3. Physiology. the carrying of sound waves, electrons, heat, or nerve impulses by a nerve or other tissue.

Origin

1540s, "leading, guidance," from L. conductionem, noun of action from conducere (see conduce). Sense of "conducting of a liquid through a channel" is from 1610s; in physics, of heat, etc., from 1814.

Related Words
conductivity

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/conduction

Word of the Day: Plateau

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:57:00 +0000

Good afternoon! The word of the day is

- Plateau -

pronounced [pla-toh or, especially Brit., plat-oh]

noun

1. a land area having a relatively level surface considerably raised above adjoining land on at least one side, and often cut by deep canyons.

2. a period or state of little or no growth or decline: to reach a plateau in one's career.

3. Psychology . a period of little or no apparent progress in an individual's learning, marked by an inability to increase speed, reduce number of errors, etc., and indicated by a horizontal stretch in a learning curve or graph.

4. a flat stand, as for a centerpiece, sometimes extending the full length of a table.

verb (used without object)

5. to reach a state or level of little or no growth or decline, especially to stop increasing or progressing; remain at a stable level of achievement; level off: After a period of uninterrupted growth, sales began to plateau.

verb (used with object)

6. to cause to remain at a stable level, especially to prevent from rising or progressing: Rising inflation plateaued sales income.

Origin
1796, "elevated tract of relatively level land," from Fr. plateau, from O.Fr. platel (12c.) "flat piece of metal, wood, etc.," dim. of plat "flat surface or thing," noun use of adj. plat (see plat). Meaning "stage at which no progress is apparent" is attested from 1897, originally in psychology of learning. The verb is attested from 1952, from the noun.

Related Words
tableland

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/plateau

Word of the Day: Tangent

noreply@blogger.com (American Book Company) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:46:00 +0000

Happy Friday! The word of the day is

- Tangent -

pronounced [tan-juh'nt]

adjective

1. in immediate physical contact; touching.

2. Geometry .

a. touching at a single point, as a tangent in relation to a curve or surface.

b. in contact along a single line or element, as a plane with a cylinder.

3. tangential ( def. 3 ) .

noun

4. Geometry . a line or a plane that touches a curve or a surface at a point so that it is closer to the curve in the vicinity of the point than any other line or plane drawn through the point.

5. Trigonometry .

a. (in a right triangle) the ratio of the side opposite a given angle to the side adjacent to the angle.

b. Also called tan. (of an angle) a trigonometric function equal to the ratio of the ordinate of the end point of the arc to the abscissa of this end point, the origin being at the center of the circle on which the arc lies and the initial point of the arc being on the x-axis. Abbreviation: tg, tgn

c. (originally) a straight line perpendicular to the radius of a circle at one end of an arc and extending from this point to the produced radius which cuts off the arc at its other end.

6. the upright metal blade, fastened on the inner end of a clavichord key, that rises and strikes the string when the outer end of the key is depressed.

Idiom

7. off on / at a tangent, digressing suddenly from one course of action or thought and turning to another: The speaker flew off on a tangent.

Origin

1590s, "meeting at a point without intersecting," from L. tangentem (nom. tangens), prp. of tangere "to touch," from PIE base *tag- "to touch, to handle" (cf. L. tactus "touch," Gk. tetagon "having seized," O.E. þaccian "stroke, strike gently"). First used by Dan. mathematician Thomas Fincke in "Geomietria Rotudi" (1583). The noun also is attested from 1590s; extended sense of "slightly connected with a subject" is first recorded 1825.

Synonyms
1. meeting, abutting.

Can be confused with
circumference, diameter, radius

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tangent