Math 8: 2016-2017 TRIUMPH LESSON

Topic: Classifications of Solutions to Linear Equations

While in our unit on equations, specifically solving equations, we teach students how it is a
possibility that a linear equation can have one solution, no solution, or infinite solutions. To do this I
like to make it into a discovery lesson for students to see if they can recognize right away after an
equation is simplified one type of solution it will have. To do this I start with three different linear
equations on the board as the do now. I purposely give students three equations where I know that one
will have a solution, one will not work, and the other will be exactly the same on both sides. I ask
students to then look at what they accomplished and ask if they notice any similarities or differences
where we then have a group discussion as to what each classification would look like.
Teaching this lesson with this as the do now I saw students struggling and enjoyed it. I wanted
students to be uncomfortable and notice that these are not equations they are used to solving. When
teaching this lesson, I did just that. Students were saying “Ms. Stein…. Why is the variable
disappearing in this one?” and “Hey, I can actually solve this equation!” These were exclamations I
was so excited to hear. When we then went over how to decipher classifications of solutions I used
proper mathematic vocabulary including the words constants and coefficients. Students knew they
words already and actually were using them when they discussed their findings through investigation.
Students in eighth grades are usually not accustomed to use these two vocabulary words and to
hear students saying coefficients and constants and actually recognizing what numbers were which was
music to my ears! I was observed during this lesson and was so happy students were getting involved
and engaged with the differentiation.
Students were able to come up with the three major conclusions which were if there are one
solution coefficients are different, no solution: coefficients are the same and constants are different;
and infinite solutions when both constants and coefficients are the same. Students wrote these notes
down and were then put into their assigned groups. Within these groups students were to work on
more problems involving them to classify different solutions.
When creating these groups, I specifically put higher level students with lower level students so
they could discuss and learn from one another. As I circulated the room to see how students were
doing with the problems within the groups I was asked excellent questions. Many students had asked
“do we have to solve these equations all the way, or can we stop at a certain point?” Students
answered one another’s questions in saying “Well, if you simplify both sides and have just constants
and coefficients we really do not need to keep solving.” Hearing students helping one another and
answering each other’s questions was exactly what collaborative learning is all about.
We went over the answers by having different groups pick a volunteer to put their work on the
board. As an entire class we looked at the results and all agreed. To close the lesson, I wanted
students to have some fun so we used Plickers! Students were able to get the exit ticket correct! From
my observations of the students’ interactions and discussions as well as the success of the exit tickets I
knew that this lesson went truly well and that students had met the objective!
Math 7: 2016-2017 TRAGEDY LESSON

Topic: Adding and Subtracting Integers

This was my first time teaching the common core Math 7 curriculum. In the very beginning of
the year we were working with integers in the seventh-grade curriculum. Specifically, the different
operations that involve integers. Always teaching upper level mathematics, figuring out how to teach
students to add integers, a very easy concept in my own mine, ended up being very difficult for
students.
Students in the seventh grade were not allowed to use calculators. In order to teacher adding
and subtracting integers my colleagues taught me how to use number lines and vectors to show how to
add and subtract integers. I started with adding and subtracting positive numbers and modeled how to
do this on a number line. Students caught on quickly to this first type of problem. However, it began
to get challenging when we were using the number line to subtract negative numbers.
I then began to model this on the board and showing different vectors, which was a
vocabulary word that I was also never used when I was learning in seventh grade, and its directions
movements to get to the correct answer on the number lines when subtracting negative numbers. I
made this lesson more of a direct instruction lesson however students were not understanding how
these vectors enabled them to arrive at the correct answer.
When I noticed the confused faces in front of me I then asked students to get a new piece of
paper out. Although my intent was for students to discover why when subtracting you add the additive
inverse, thinking on my toes I remember a song that was shared with me to remember the actual rules
themselves. I decided that I needed to teach my students this song and go from there. The song went
to the tune of “Pop Goes the Weasel.” Students wrote down “same signs add and keep, different signs
subtract, take the sign of the higher number then you’ll be exact!” I made them sing the song every
single time we had a problem that involved adding and subtracting integers.
I noticed as we progressed in the lesson after that students were singing the songs out loud
without realizing it and looking for same signs or different signs and then using the appropriate part of
the song. I found that learning rules for adding and subtracting integers was better with something
catchy the students could use.
Math 8:2017-2018 TRIUMPH LESSON

Topic: Adding and Subtracting Scientific Notation

In the very beginning of the year I had always felt comfortable teaching scientific notation and
the different operations with it. When I taught Adding and Subtracting Scientific Notation I came up
with a very unique way for students to learn the topic. I was teaching it for two years now and it was
time to spice it up with something new.
I began the lesson with a discovery intention. Students were given two problems involving
adding in scientific notation. Students had already learned the rules for multiplying and dividing,
however they did not know that it would be different for adding and subtracting. Students did a
think/pair/share activity with the do now. While walking around the room, I noticed that students were
using the rules from the past lesson to complete this. I let them struggle and then asked them to turn to
their partner to share what they thought they needed to do. As I walked to listen to the conversations I
began to ask students questions how do can you find the answer for a fact? Do you think the rules we
used in the past are going to work here? If it is in scientific notation is there another way it can be
written that would be easier to do the operation with?
Once I gave this guidance, many students were able to find the answer in standard form. I then
began to ask students to change their answers back to scientific notation to find something they may
notice about the original problem and their new answer. When they placed it back in scientific
notation they noticed that adding the two leading terms would NOT be the appropriate method to solve
these. Students began to see that the power of 10 changed to the higher degree value. Now students
were stumped with how they can change scientific notation to have degrees match because then they
can add or subtract the leading terms easily!
I then taught students the saying “LURD is the WORD” and of course sang it to the tune of
“Grease is the Word”. LURD was a way to help students move the decimal point the appropriate
ways. If students wanted to move the decimal to the LEFT the power went UP (LU), if they moved the
decimal to the RIGHT the power went DOWN (RD). Although they only needed the LU portion for
this lesson they would need the RD for future lessons.
Students began to love this saying and used it every time they needed to add or subtract in
scientific notation. After this was modeled, students worked on indepent practice to see if the funny
saying would help. I was so pleased as I walked around that students knew exactly what to do with the
decimal from one silly saying!
Students were then picked randomly using “name cards” to put their work on the board. Most
of the students that were chosen showed the correct work and we went over all of these practice
questions together to make sure we were all on the same page.
I felt very confident after seeing the work done on the smartboard as well as on my students
papers that LURD was very helpful and would be useful for the rest of the unit!
Algebra Honors: 2017-2018 TRAGEDY LESSON

Topic: Recursive Formulas

I was fortunate to have taught Recursive formulas in other school districts, however in every
district it is taught in many different ways. I wanted to be on board with the other algebra teachers so I
sat with them to make sure I understood how a recursive formula had to be written.
When I began sequences with students we had already learned how to write the explicit
formulas. Students caught on to the explicit formulas very quickly. They found that it was easy
because it was just plugging specific numbers into a formula. Then we came to the recursive formula.
I started by showing that to use a recursive formula you MUST know the first term of the
sequence and then understand the notation given for what stands for the previous term or the next term
(n-1) or (n+1). It was just in the notation that students began to get very confused. I tried to start with a
basic question and show how the notation worked. That all students needed to know was if they saw
the subscript (n-1) they would take the number before in the sequence and apply this new rule to it.
I began to show students through modeling how to input n=1 to find the first term. Quickly I
realized that when students did this the equations were off. You couldn’t start at n=1 with a lot of the
problems and you had to start at n=2. When we plugged n=1 we ended up getting a0 which was a term
that we had NEVER learned.
I began to see the confused faces and then all the questions that poured in after it. I asked
students one by one what questions they had. Questions were asked about why we need to plug in
values of n to get specific terms? If it comes out to be a subscript of 0 how do we know what to do?
When the students began bombarding with me about the problem I stopped the class.
I realized I needed to teach this in a different way. I told the students to ignore what I had just shown
about plugging in n values and simply showed that we are going to replace a(n-1) with the term before
to get the next term. Students began to do that and were able to find the second term and I was so
thrilled. I then said OK so what has to go on next? A(n-1) still means the term BEFORE but what
term do we place in for that, students then shouted out the second term! I knew then that students
beginning to get used to this formula.
For the future I will be sure not to show a plugging in of “n” values and if I do to always start
with n=2 to truly show what is going on. All classes are comprised of different students. This one
class liked the new way I taught it, however I am very curious to see how another set of students would
take the problems if I did show the plugging in.