Search Engine Chum

1. opening day algebra activities, order of operations
2. adding/subtracting integers, positive, negative
3. evaluating expressions
4. fractions, geometry, fractals, like/unlike denominators
5. free powerpoint algebra lesson plans

Macroscope

1. I feel like teaching algebra well to a bunch of young kids predisposed against mathematics is the most accurate measure of my worth as a teacher. Maybe as a hard-working human being. One of the hardest things I’ve ever tried and failed to do.
2. Illustrative anecdote: I spent thirty minutes revising last year’s Geometry lessons every day this week. I spent two hours revising last year’s Algebra lessons.
3. Help.
4. We used whiteboards day one. That was a good way to kick things off.
5. I feel like I’m close to landing evaluating expressions. Check day four. Using symbols, dingbat fonts as stand-ins for numbers works way better than starting straight into variables.
6. The last slide of the week, what you should know how to do, is one of my better innovations this year. It gave a lot of students some security, something to hold onto in a busy week of busy classes starting busily. (“Okay, great, I know how to do all this.”) Students who had less of a clue at least knew what they didn’t know, which in my book comes in a close second to actually knowing.

Filesharing

1. Keynote (which choosey moms choose)
2. PowerPoint
3. PDF
4. Interactive QuickTime

Microscope

1. 
   First minute of the first day of class be SURE to have something for them to do. Something they can self-initiate. Otherwise, you’ve got 179 more days coming where YOU have to start them working, YOU have to tell them, okay, let’s get down to business.
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   They’ll raise their hands and try to tell you but have them write it on the boards.
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   Talk about how different language move subjects and adjectives around differently, how in German the subjects are capitalized, and how you’ve got to learn to interpret these things.
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   Talk about how math is a language also. Cue the groans. Have them write the symbols at the top of the whiteboard.
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• Who I Am

1. 
   Michael. Jessica. Ask ‘em what’s weird about that last problem. “Negatives are one of the most annoying parts about the math you’re gonna learn. You’re gonna be tempted to say, ‘What’re these good for?’ often.”
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   So I originally wanted them writing down all the pluses and minuses, cancelling all the way, but, graphically, no one could keep anything straight. The answers were all, like, one or two off due to smudging or whatever. So I just had them instead TALLY the pluses and TALLY the minuses and then compare the difference.
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   Follow up question: if the team starts fifteen yards away from the goal, do they score?
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   We talked here about “loving to love is good” as well as “good things happening to good people.” That second one caught the best response, the most nods.
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   NEXT YEAR: talk here about how “minus a negative” is the same as adding.

• Make Your Football Field worksheet
• Adding/Subtracting Integers Sampler

1. 
   Free meals for life.
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   Have a different student come up to fill in each row.
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   Kinda fun, first-week timewaster. “That little popping sound you just heard … that was your mind totally getting blown.”
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   Tried this for the first time this year. The animation is important. You’re like, what’s square + triangle. The smarter kids will guess 7.

• Multiplication Table template
• Evaluating Expressions sampler

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   French fries.
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   Did we change the area at all as we cut up the square?
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   How do we turn 2/9 into /36?
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   Really cool giving them their own worksheet for this so they could draw it.
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   Discuss with a friend or neighbor or the inside of your own head what fraction is shaded here. (Lots of kids suggest 1/9.)
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   Here, I’ll make it easier for you.
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   Discuss with a friend or neighbor or the inside of your own head what fraction is shaded here.
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   Here, I’ll make it easier for you.
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    Can I divide anything out of the top and bottom?
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    Talk about how the negatives act like switches, how every two negatives cancel each other out. Or have them figure it out the long way and ask them if they notice anything about the answer and the NUMBER of negative signs.
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    I’d like to do this every week, I think. This is what we’ve done, where you oughtta be.

• Fraction Geometry worksheet