Powerpoint Game Reviewing Slope/Intercepts

I'm always looking for a way to involve students in mastering content through games.  The following game works well for practicing finding slope and intercepts of linear functions.  The game can be fast paced, and doesn't require extra materials.

Slope Intercept Gameboard by Beth Ferguson

Visit my Scribd site for other free algebra materials.  Also visit my TpT site for engaging algebra materials!

mini-projects?

I've mentioned before that while I am a veteran educator I've been out of the classroom for several years.  In past years I would have had one project each six weeks.  This time around I can't seem to fit that in.  I am used to having more professional leeway in how and when to teach topics than I have now.  Our district has a curriculum guide and a calendar that says a topic can be given so many days.  Our school expects all algebra teachers to be on the same topic (can teach that topic how we want) and test on the same day.  I'm not used to quite so much structure.

So I'm reaching back to what I would have done ... and would like to try again.  I can remember a few years back my Algebra 2 students wrote creative stories and poems with vocabulary.  Somewhere I still have a couple of examples ... wish I could find them for you now.

I especially like "mini-projects" that can be done in a short period of time.  Here are 2 examples of mini-projects that I would have had students complete in the units on Slope as Rate of Change and Linear Equations.

[scribd id=116090622 key=key-hsjevgplz1d0znsyk4o mode=scroll]

As we get ready to study systems of equations in January, a simple mini-project might be to analyze cost, profit, and decision making in a business venture.

I'm curious if others involve students in mini-projects.  Involving students in mini-projects helps to put the learning in students' hands and gives them an outlet for creativity in math.

transformation in context - classwork

Our unit on equations of lines has been rocky!  Students are still on a very slippery slope as we head into the test next week.  We do have one review day coming up - I am trying to plan well for that work!

In the meanwhile, Friday we spent a short while on translations of lines in context.  What if we graph this first situation ... and then the situation changes.  Students seem to understand graphing, lines, and equations so much better in context!  Yea!  Better celebrate where I can <smile!>

To conclude that lesson, I modified a task that was passed around in our PLC - Equations of Lines in Context.

I think I may create another similar task for our review in order to build on the success we experienced Friday!

Mixed Practice Equations of Lines

Just before our Thanksgiving Break, we had a rare "review" day ... a much needed review day.  My students have found manipulating equations of lines difficult.  They understand the basic concepts but struggle with the details.  Students are weak in working with integers in particular.  So they often drop significant positive or negative signs.

I gave students 8 pieces of information.  They had to use the information to write the related equation in slope-intercept form and standard form.  They had to identify the slope and intercept, and then graph the function.

Here is the practice students completed:  Mixed Practice Equations of Lines

Here is the Word Document version:  Mixed Practice Equations of Lines

Next stop ... transformations of lines!

Point-Slope Form

I'm a little late for "Made 4 Math" Monday!  We are marching through our unit on linear functions - writing equations and graphing.  Last week I submitted my lesson plan on slope-intercept form.  Today I have the activities we used for point slope form.

We started class with an I do, we do, you do note taking activity:

Point-Slope class notes by Beth Ferguson

Then we summarized our notes on a web diagram:

Summary Web for Point Slope Form by Beth Ferguson

Last we practiced in partners - using an activity created by my colleagues.

My students struggle with the algebraic manipulation.  We will need more practice!

Slope Stations

We are wrapping up our unit on slope this week.  Tomorrow we have one more skill to conquer ... finding the missing value in a slope formula equation.  After I present the new skill, students will practice skills on finding slope in stations.

My stations are not cute like some others I've seen online but they are serviceable.  Students will work three problems to earn a "letter" toward spelling slope.  I have some extra candy ... thought I might  let them spell "c-a-n-d-y" instead of "s-l-o-p-e" to earn a lollipop in class.  Seems my ninth graders have a sweet tooth.

You can download the sets of three problems for the Slope Stations here ... and the Slope stations answer sheet here as well!  I put my stations in a write on/wipe off sleeve.  Each student will have their own answer sheet.   Students have to get each station checked off before moving forward.

In our next unit we will explore linear equations ... learning the slope-intercept form of a line, the standard form, and the point-slope form.  I'm looking for great practice ideas for those skills!

slope as rate of change

One of my go-to places for ideas for our units is the NSA website!  Yes, the National Security Agency sponsors math workshops where teachers write some awesome units!   Check out this website ... note the grade level links on the right side.


I took one of the units on developing the concept of slope as rate of change apart.  From the unit I pulled out 5 excellent examples for students to work on in class using "I do, We do, You do" model.  I can do one problem for students, then they can do one in their team.  And last there are 3 problems for them to work on independently.

Knowing that interpreting problem situations is challenging for my students, I found, borrowed, modified nine other problem situations found online to create a poster project that students will do in teams.  Each team will illustrate one problem, graphing it, and analyzing the x and y intercepts.  Each team will present their problem.  Then all students will complete all nine problems for homework.

Team Poster Project Rate of Change by Beth Ferguson

In our curriculum this work comes before actually teaching the various equations of lines and formulas.  So the work is more conceptual, more about giving meaning to slope before applying it to "naked" abstract linear functions.

During this unit I'll use Three_ways_for_finding_slope_foldable that I found on the Utah Education Network.  I'll introduce the foldable after we explore the problem situations above.