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Why: Mathematical modeling is often new territory for both students and teachers. Opportunities to develop discrete skills in the supported environment of a classroom lesson make success more likely when students engage in more open-ended modeling.
Card sort
What: A Card Sort uses cards or slips of paper that can be manipulated and moved around. It can be done individually or in groups of 2–4. Students put things into categories or groups based on shared characteristics or connections. This routine can be combined with Take Turns, such that each time a student sorts a card into a category or makes a match, she is expected to explain the rationale while the group listens for understanding. The Srst few times students engage in these activities, the teacher should demonstrate how the activity is expected to go. Once students are familiar with these structures, less set-up will be necessary.
Why: A Card Sort provides opportunities to attend to mathematical connections using representations that are already created, instead of expending time and eVort generating representations. It gives students opportunities to analyze representations, statements, and structures closely and make connections (MP2, MP7).
Extend it
Extend It indicates activities where students have an opportunity to use a spreadsheet to produce a sequence of numbers to see patterns and make prediction.
Graph it
Graph It indicates activities where students have an opportunity to use graphing technology to visualize a graph representing one or more functions with known parameters and use the tool to Snd features like intersection points, intercepts, and maximums or minimums. Additionally, they may use sliders for exploring the eVect of changing parameters.
Group presentations
Some activities instruct students to work in small groups to solve a problem with mathematical modeling, invent a new problem, design something, or organize and display data, and then create a visual display of their work. Teachers need to help groups organize their work so that others can follow it, and then facilitate diVerent groups’ presentation of work to the class. Teachers can develop speciSc questioning skills to help more students make connections and walk away from these experiences with desired mathematical learning. For example, instead of asking if anyone has any questions for the group, it is
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Course Guide Algebra