This photo is for tomorrow's warm-up, continuing into functions.

Bringing my plans up-to-date... Once again, most recent at the top:
Wednesday, 1/29
1) Thanks to Stephanie Harmon's suggestion, I did not make copies of the Fox and Rabbit performance task, but used my document camera to go over the discussion points.  Although not much time needed to be devoted to this performance task, it was pivotal for students to understand when a relation is a function and when it is not.  I reinforced this with Stephanie's example of many kids in the class as sharing the age 12, but one kid cannot be two ages simultaneously.   Age is a function of the person, but the person is not a function of age.
2) ISN pages added for Functions.


Copy to link for fox and rabbit photo here.




Tuesday, 1/28
I was absent for curriculum meetings.  My guest teacher gave a sample performance task from the M-Step test.



Monday, 1/27
1. Go over the answers to the last two questions of Code Breaking, part 1.  Students volunteered to come to the front of the class and share how they cracked the code.
2. Review the first page of Part 2, Secret Codes and Number Rules with the class, pointing out the different ways to represent "number rules."
3. Students work individually to find the rule for the first two tables.  I have students who figure it out tell me in the hall so that everyone has time to think.  When several students have it figured out, volunteers come to the front to explain how they discovered the pattern.
4. Students worked in small groups to complete the graph, table and answer the last two questions.  (These last two questions are vital. Save time for ample discussion.)
5. Class discussion on the last section - this hones in on the definition of a function.

Friday, 1/23
The projects are all turned in, so now, on to functions!
1) Class discussion on Code Breaking, some history of secret codes, current secret code puzzles
2) Students worked on PT: Code Breaking and Number Rules, Part 1

• Most of the students worked independently and in stunning silence.
• When they got to the last two questions, trying to figure out the alphabet and number patterns, I had individuals show me in the hallway so that other kids would continue to try.
• Students who did not finish, completed the pages for homework.

What made this project amazing because it:

• deepened student understanding of volume and how to calculate it.
• forced students to measure carefully and choose appropriate units.
• helped students understand the relationship between a 2 dimensional net and a 3 dimensional model.
• gave students choice and a chance to be creative.
• forced students to cooperate and find compromise.
• promoted planning and common sense in design.
• opened student minds to new career paths

One downside was the elimination of the learning targets for this unit based on how changing dimensions changes volume.  In the future, I think steps could be included in the project to incorporate those ideas.  If time had permitted, I was hoping to engage students in a Socratic dialog to explore those questions.

General Lesson Plans in most recent days listed on top:

Thursday, January 22

• Finished up PBIS lesson on racism
• Final day on project - what's done at the bell is what will be graded

Wednesday, January 21

• PBIS lesson on racism
• Project work time

Tuesday, January 20

• Test Unit 3B
• Start PBIS lesson on racism

Monday, January 19

• Go over Friday's quizzes and practice test
• Project work time

Friday, January 18

• Half day, guest teacher due to high school final exams
• Quiz over Volume

Thursday, January 17

• Complete work on finding volume of the solids for the ISN (cone, square pyramid, rectangular prism, cylinder)
• Make sure students are following six steps to completing these volume problems, and using correct units. Error alert: for the cone and the pyramid, students have to use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the height.)
• If time, students may get started on building the city for the final project

1) Grade yesterday's homework (note, students need explanation for number 11)
2) Within group of four, complete at least one set of 3D models
3) Use models to complete student page of ISN, foldable note.  All work must be shown.

• As a class, we have agreed to:

1. Use only centimeter measurements
2. Use the Pi button on the calculator (not 3.14)
3. Round to the nearest 10th.

4) Assignment: Handout, both sides

After three snow days, we're getting back on track to work on our city planning project.  Today's lesson continues investigation but starts getting into planning.

1) Grade last Tuesday's homework assignment, back side of volume handout. (Note, students had trouble with the triangular prism.)
2) Finding a good work partner.  So far, all work for the city planning project has been done individually.  So many of my students are so independent and/or introverts, I decided to have them work in teams of two. This not only allows for checks in correct answers, but also will help them learn to collaborate (especially since many of them have already planned their city blueprint).
3) Students work with their project partner to build a net into a 3-D shape and find the volume of each.  The shapes they are working on mirror the project:

1. Square Pyramid (students will need to use Pythagorean Theorem to find height)

1. Cone (students will need to use Pythagorean Theorem to find height)
2. Rectangular Prism
3. Cylinder

4) Assignment: page 272, 1-11

Monday, December 15


1) w.u - shared in photo to the right:


2) Pythagorean Theorem Scavenger Hunt

3) Assignment: page 140, 17 - 27 odds

I have to admit that my goal of posting a daily update on this new adventure in Math 8 may have been a bit ambitious. However, even with my super busy life, including three new preps in two buildings, that's not why I've procrastinated updating this blog.  Here's the truth: the last performance task (Angry Birds, extension) felt so profoundly different from the way I've been teaching for the past 18 years that I had to take a step back.

Once again, I did the performance task that (I don't think) any of the other teachers did.  I followed the regular task with the extension activity.  I was anxious because I could tell this would be hard and I wasn't sure I'd be able to get my students to the point of knowing the distance formula in a workable way in time to take a test before winter break.  I still wonder if a class that is not advanced would require A LOT more walking through.  To my kids, this was just another week in math class and nothing groundbreaking.  It took a lot of time, 3 - 4 class days, more than the amount of time we'd normally teach this.  However, the difference in the process was sobering.  My kids made connections to the Pythagorean Theorem almost immediately and didn't give what is normally a very difficult skill a whole lot of thought.

This may not seem outwardly obvious to people looking at the tests or quizzes these kids took over the distance formula, however, I know that they are thinking about it in an entirely different way.  99% of my students are using the distance formula "inside out."  In their mind, they are imagining a right triangle every single time, first deciding what the horizontal distance, then the vertical distance between points is.  Then, they use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the hypotenuse length between the two points.   Except for a very few students, none of them are thinking about it as a formula. Ironically, it's the more advanced kids that just realize they can plug and chug to get the distance.  I'm pretty sure this is all a very good thing, but am not underestimating the differences in what is happening.  I'm a bit concerned that in a math program that is almost entirely very traditional, these kids might end up struggling.  On the other hand, the deeper understanding of WHY the algorithms work instead of HOW to perform the algorithms will, undoubtedly better serve them.

It feels like the investment of time in a few key concepts is truly helping our kids be problem solvers and thinkers, not just algorithm followers. I know this is a very, very good thing.  I know this is very, very different, even if some pass it off as not really different from what we've always done.  I wish I could find a way to communicate this with other parents, teachers, educators, without sounding like a braggart or know-it-all.  I wish I could know that this type of learning could continue through Algebra, Geometry and heck, even in next year's pre-Algebra classes.