Semester 2 Begins Tomorrow!

I have sadly abandoned this blog after my crazy, hectic first semester. Tomorrow, our school resumes which gives me an opportunity to get back on my feet with blogging.

As I was prepping for my classes, I found that the biggest weakness in my Algebra 1 students is still order of operations. I've spent the night going back and forth on deciding what to do with the students tomorrow. I don't want to make it a difficult day, but I definitely don't want it to be a boring math class.

Anyways, here is what I finally decided to have my students do for tomorrow. Check it out here: Order of Operations Crossword

Another thing I might try for an exit ticket is this Apple app called 5Dice. I am fortunate enough to have received an iPad from my school in December, so I am trying to incorporate more of it into my class. I plan to start off with easier levels, and then each day this week step it up a notch.

To all my other colleagues resuming the school year, best of luck and happy new year! :)

Proportions Activity

This last week in algebra 1, we spent time learning about algebraic proportions. We started by solving algebraic proportions then spent a day working on setting up proportion word problems. For once, we had a cushion day in our jam packed curriculum. So I scoured the internet to find a proportion activity. I found two things:

1) I Want to Teach Forever had a really great activity where students would find their measurements and solve proportions to find the measurements of a statue and action figure of themselves

and

2) NCTM Illuminations: Measuring Up Activity (the website is down? I can't get it to load but just do a Google search and you should be able to find it). Here is a copy of that worksheet

With my classes, I divided students into 10 groups of 3 students. Each student had their own piece of paper. In their groups, one student was being measured while another did the measuring and the last person was recording. They switched roles until everyone had their measurements.

One class made it to the Measuring Up activity, and we did it as a whole class activity. I called on three volunteers to do jumping jacks, say the alphabet, and hop on one foot for a minute. Then we set up proportions to find how many jumping jacks would be done in ten minutes and then in an hour.

After some reflection, I modified the first activity sheet for next year. My students struggled with converting to feet, so I think having them do it all at the beginning will make the rest of the activity easier to finish. Plus I switched the action figure part first, because that didn't require students to convert anything.
Here is my modified proportion worksheet