My First Week of School... slower than expected

I had my first several weeks of notes and assignments all planned out. I guess I thought it could be taught in one week.

It did not go as planned! (It never does.)

I used the "First Day of School" tangram for all my classes. It was a great way to determine the pace at which a class or student cuts, folds, and pastes things together. The pace of my previously taught classes is significantly more efficient than that of my new students.

The great thing about doing the reference chart on day one is that my students immediately use it without being reminded to. In Pre-Algebra, we began the year with a review of Geometry Formulas. I was concerned at first, but realized that this was a great review of basic algebra skills with something they were familiar with. And it was another way to bridge the arithmetic skills from by hand to calculator.

Every class then created a Unit Pocket for the first unit.

In Algebra 2, we started with Sets of Real Numbers. I reference the textbook partly for my information and loved the example they used-billiard balls.

For the sets and subsets of rational numbers I printed a concentric rectangles to give the look and feel of a Venn diagram. My original strategy was to teach rational numbers first and work towards natural, but my colleague suggested and explained how she teaches natural numbers first and works out towards rational. It made complete sense and it worked my kids!!

For Geometry, I have followed the original pages from older posts, but decided to add this page to clarify what happens to triangles in the different types of geometry.

This year for Taxi Cab geometry, I used google earth to show students where it originated-New York. For small town kids, this was an adventure. We then used google earth to find our small town, overlayed a sheet of posterboard on the Promethean, and tried to find the shortest route from school to the Snow Cone truck. Taxi Cab geometry was just about everyone's favorite.

 

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Geometry: Euclidean and Non-Euclidean Geometry

For my third year, I began with an in depth discussion over the types of Geometry. We had a few debates and lots of illustrations and demonstrations. I couldn't believe how engaging these discussions were and how useful an old basketball could be!

Then we dove into the foundations of Euclidean geometry. Next year, I plan on teaching constructions as a continually developing concept through each unit. I love the vocabulary development that results from these experiences. Constructions became a hands-on collaborative activity for my classes.

I will try to post my Geometry Journal ideas and experiences in the chronological order that I use. I will be sharing differing foldables and information from about three different journals-year two experience, year three experience, and the 'creating an idea' journal.

Pg. 1. Foundations of Geometry: (This is the Unit 1 I have been creating for next year. Information has been pulled from the CSCOPE curriculum mostly. Some have been pulled from older journals.)

Unit Pocket (yes, it is backwards)

Pg. 2. Geometry - "To measure the earth" (These are foldables-mainly half folds, that are glued on a sheet of construction paper folded in half. I use the half fold book alot.)

 

 

My students came up with the real world example for the Non-Euclidean Geometry, and we celebrated with Pringles the next day!

Pg. 3. Structure of Euclidean Geometry

OR (the original from year two)

pg 1

pg 2

 

 

 

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