Lesson Plan : Concrete Foundations

Number 7th-8th : Concrete Foundations
Objective: Writing and Solving Equations


Students will use the cuisenaire rods to write equations containing variables. Practice combining like terms, and visualize concepts of the properties of addition. Students will begin by determining how many other combinations can be made to form a wall of a certain length. Then students will be giving a list of equations representing walls made of stone. Each equation will have a missing "stone" and students will use the rods to find out the missing "stone". Example would be: red+green+purple = blank+green+purple. After they are done students will share their results. Students will use the concept of combining like terms and replace the blanks using variables.

Online Manipulative: Online game templates

http://www.murray.k12.ga.us/teacher/kara%20leonard/Mini%20T%27s/Games/Games.htm

This website has a lot of powerpoint templates. Most of them are blank and are ready to use. For some you can fill in the questions and answers. Some are just templates to keep score where you ask the questions yourself. The website is useful and you can change the templates to your liking.

Geo Board Lesson Plan(2)

I found this lesson on the cd. It is called Pythagoras Delivers the Mail. The objectice of this lesson is to devise methods for finding areas, learn about Pythogorean Theorem. The lesson starts with the students creating a triangle, any size, using the geoboard and drawing it on the center of a dot paper. Using a ruler draw a square congruent to the side of the triangle. Then they would need to find the area of each of the squares. Repeat the process with an obtuse triangle and an acute triangle. Students will then share their results with each other. Students will be told that there is a relationship to the squares and the right triangles. Students should notice a relatioship known as Pythogogearn Theorem. Students will be presented with a real life problem to relate their understanding to the lesson.

Virtual Manipulative : Base Blocks Decimals

The virtual manipulative that I found was under the number and operations grade 6-8. It is called Base Block Decimals. I like this manipulative because it breaks down the process of the subtracting and adding decimals. If there is something that students hate just as much as fractions or more it would be decimals. The program goes from one decimal place to 3 decimal places. It uses blocks to represent the given problem and lets you choose the base of the blocks, from 2,3,4,5 and 10. What I also like the fact that it uses fractions to break up the columns. When adding decimals all you have to do is group the blocks. When subtracting you have to match the blue blocks and the red blocks to cancel each other out. The only problem with this is that when dealing with 3 decimal places the answers are wrong. It is a a good manipulative to start dealing with decimals.

Lesson Plan ; The Square Challenge

OBJ: Determine the area and perimeter using different techniques/strategies (such as Pythagorean Theorem, logical reasoning or square roots).

Materials: One Geoboard per student and about 5-8 rubber bands.

Students are to create different squares and determine the area. Students will be told that the distance from each peg is one unit. Students will be encouraged to show of the different types of squares that they found, and to explain how they found the area. After the show and tell, they will be asked how you can determine the perimeter of the squares. Students may show combinations of different techniques and completely different strategies to come up with area and perimeter.

Virtual Manipulatives : Factor Tree

This game was under the Algebra 6-8. The idea of the game is to find the prime factorization of the numbers given by the computer. You could even enter your own number in order to find the prime factorization of it. Lets say you enter the number 500. It will ask you to input at least one of the factors, any factors. Once you put in 4, it will fill in the other factor, 125. It will then ask you to factor both numbers by inputing one of their factors until only prime numbers are left. Once this is accomplished at the bottom it will tell you the prime factorization of the number. If you enter the wrong factor for the number then it will tell you that 7 does not evenly divide 500. It would be a good reinforment for my class espcially since just recently they learned about radicals. I would be a great way to learn about GCF(Greatest Common Factor), since you can factor two numbers at the same time using the factor tree program.

Private Universe: possibilities of real life problems

I like the last video because it made me think the different ways that we can come up with to try and relate real life problems to the classrooms.Even though I would be putting aside the curriculum that I follow, it might be in the best interest of the students to once in a while introduce a problem and observe how they can come up with a solution with the knowledge they already obtain. I like that none of the researchers gave any answers or told them that they are close to the answer. They have to understand that someone long ago started with the same problems and detemination to find answers. How can someone be sure that their answer is correct when no one else has the answer. All that is left is the knowledge that you have and use it to prove it or use it to develop other ideas. Most of the groups in the video were certain that they had the correct answer, but after talking they began to realize that they were wrong. That type of environment is how math got started. Using their ability to analyze problems and come up with conclusions will benefit them with whatever they encounter in life.