Reading and writing in math class helps to build, solidify, and deepen students' understanding of math concepts. In this post I share a few examples that I hope will spark your own ideas.
Writing frames support all math students in constructing short responses. These writing frames from science can be adapted to math. Here are 3 samples! These samples are simplistic but great for teaching the structure of writing short responses!
Here are some specific examples of algebra 2 topics:
Rational functions, What is the horizontal asymptote of this function? Show this on the graph. What does this value represent in terms of the problem posed? Considering the problem, why does your value for the horizontal asymptote make sense?
Exponential unit: You have a rich Uncle that gives you $5000 to invest. You have researched two different banks to see which you want to use to help you make the most money. Describe when it would be better to choose MK Federal Credit Union and when it would be better to choose MCB National.
Square root unit: Does doubling the length of the skid double the speed the driver was going? Justify your response using tables, symbols, and graphs.
Project idea: Read an article about mathematics or a mathematician in the New York Times (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/mathematics/). Create a mini-poster that illustrates the article. Include a “3-Part Source Integration” writing. A “3-Part Source Integration” is a three-sentence statement that includes the text's title, author’s name, author information, source material that is either paraphrased or directly quoted, and a brief statement explaining the significance of the paraphrase or quotation.
Past examples of students' writing ... a blog post.
I find that these short writing opportunities provide windows into students' thinking. How do you use short writing prompts?
In the article "Advanced Math? Write!" the author stresses starting small. She emphasizes journal writing. I have not tried journal writing with 150 students. Even when I had considerably fewer students, I found keeping up with responses to journals challenging. How could I begin journaling with students without feeling overwhelmed?
Showing posts with label writing across the curriculum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing across the curriculum. Show all posts
Friday, December 2, 2022
Saturday, November 7, 2020
Writing in Math Class
In a conversation in a FB group about math, this list of writing topics was shared. Do you ask students to write in math class? Blog? Essay? Why or why not?
01] My Math Autobiography
02] When I Graduate, I Want To ...
03] Math in the Kitchen
04] A World Without Math (describe in detail)
05] Math and the Weather
06] Open Math Topic
07] My Favorite Thing (singular) About Math
08] What the Math Monster Might Say (draw a cartoon)
09] About My Q1 Project
10] Math and Sports
11] What Math Shape Am I? (choose shape, describe how you match its qualities)
12] Math and Smoking/Vaping
13] The Thing (singular) That Frustrates Me Most About Math...
14] Math and Vacations
15] Open Math Topic
16] Why is PEMDAS So Hard to Keep Straight?
17] Math Bumper Stickers (draw one funny, one thoughtful)
18] Dear Egbert, You Should Do Your Homework (to a friend)
19] Math of Buying/Owning a Car
20] About My Q2 Project
21] Are Boys or Girls Better At Math?
22] Open Math Topic
23] Math and Law Enforcement
24] I Want To Become Better at Math So That ....
25] Math and the Media
26] Math and Contagious Viruses
27] Why Are Word Problems Necessary?
28] Open Math Topic
29] My Math Day (encountered in a single day)
30] Math and Hospitality (restaurants, hotels, etc)
31] My Favorite Topic in This Course This Year
32] Dear BFF, Here's What to Expect in Mr./Mrs. --- Class Next Year.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Twitter convo --> #mathread --> #made4math!!
OK, so I didn't sleep well last night ... I think I was tweeting in my sleep!
There was this great conversation on Twitter last night. It started with a simple question about a particular math book and the need for higher algebra 1 achievement. It evolved into a discussion about bellringers, and the next thing we know we are talking about reading in math class. Here is a copy of our conversation!
Out of that conversation came this idea to collect articles, essays, stories, books even that we use in our classroom. Yes, reading activities in math! My #made4math contribution is the product of teamwork on Twitter ... thanks to @pamjwilson, @druinok, and @mathequalslove!
I find this whole discussion particularly interesting since one of the goals I wrote on my end of year evaluation was to use more reading passages in my Algebra 2 classes. We just began working with AVID strategies this past year and had a emphasis on writing. I used Math Munch for explorations in math and had students write short reflections in Edmodo. That worked well. Late in the year I asked them to read an essay on conics as a preview to our unit and tweet interesting ideas (#conicsfun) that they learned. That activity seemed to help them make connections between our work and real-world applications. (And of course, conics is an easy topic for connections!) It was at that point that I realized I needed more reading passages!
So here we are ... it's time for all math teachers to share! What reading passages, essays, news articles, stories, or books do you use in your classroom? Would you fill in the form? You'll have access to all the results! Our Form: #mathread!
Thank you!
There was this great conversation on Twitter last night. It started with a simple question about a particular math book and the need for higher algebra 1 achievement. It evolved into a discussion about bellringers, and the next thing we know we are talking about reading in math class. Here is a copy of our conversation!
Out of that conversation came this idea to collect articles, essays, stories, books even that we use in our classroom. Yes, reading activities in math! My #made4math contribution is the product of teamwork on Twitter ... thanks to @pamjwilson, @druinok, and @mathequalslove!
I find this whole discussion particularly interesting since one of the goals I wrote on my end of year evaluation was to use more reading passages in my Algebra 2 classes. We just began working with AVID strategies this past year and had a emphasis on writing. I used Math Munch for explorations in math and had students write short reflections in Edmodo. That worked well. Late in the year I asked them to read an essay on conics as a preview to our unit and tweet interesting ideas (#conicsfun) that they learned. That activity seemed to help them make connections between our work and real-world applications. (And of course, conics is an easy topic for connections!) It was at that point that I realized I needed more reading passages!
So here we are ... it's time for all math teachers to share! What reading passages, essays, news articles, stories, or books do you use in your classroom? Would you fill in the form? You'll have access to all the results! Our Form: #mathread!
Thank you!
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Math Munching today!
The school-wide goal on writing is significant. In addition to that goal, I want students to experience math beyond our typical curriculum. I want students to talk about math with classmates. Using Edmodo allows students to use their social media skills.
This is only our first attempt. Here are a few responses I noticed today ...
EH said, "I found tsoro yematatu to be very interesting in the sense that it is essentially a more complex version of tic-tac-toe. While I have never played it, I did play Nine Men's Morris last year, which is very similar. Also, the Pass 'em On GIF caught my attention right away. Originally, I thought that if you followed one red dot, it would eventually make its way to the bottom of the screen. However, after studying it closely, I was able to determine that the dots rotate in a triangle-like formation. Therefore, a red dot at the top of the screen could never make it near the bottom of the screen."
AM reflected,"I found the Klein groups very fascinating, i had a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that the Klein bottle was only one sided. I have heard of the Klein bottle prior to reading this blog. The kleinian groups remind me of fractal art."
BC wrote, "While playing Tsoro Yematatu I found that most of the time there are only 0-2 possible moves to make. From the time all the tiles are on the board everything that happens seems pretty forced. This leads me to believe that most of the strategy is in the original placement of the tiles, not so much in how you move them. I found it interesting that a game of movement was more a game of placement." A classmate wrote back, "That is very cool discovery B-, I didn't even think to play the game and study the strategy. That shows very good perception/math skills."
EH said, "I found tsoro yematatu to be very interesting in the sense that it is essentially a more complex version of tic-tac-toe. While I have never played it, I did play Nine Men's Morris last year, which is very similar. Also, the Pass 'em On GIF caught my attention right away. Originally, I thought that if you followed one red dot, it would eventually make its way to the bottom of the screen. However, after studying it closely, I was able to determine that the dots rotate in a triangle-like formation. Therefore, a red dot at the top of the screen could never make it near the bottom of the screen."
AM reflected,"I found the Klein groups very fascinating, i had a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that the Klein bottle was only one sided. I have heard of the Klein bottle prior to reading this blog. The kleinian groups remind me of fractal art."
BC wrote, "While playing Tsoro Yematatu I found that most of the time there are only 0-2 possible moves to make. From the time all the tiles are on the board everything that happens seems pretty forced. This leads me to believe that most of the strategy is in the original placement of the tiles, not so much in how you move them. I found it interesting that a game of movement was more a game of placement." A classmate wrote back, "That is very cool discovery B-, I didn't even think to play the game and study the strategy. That shows very good perception/math skills."
EO posted, "In the post from last Thursday, I found it interesting how enjoyable geometry becomes when you apply to something you like. When you compare math to games like Pass 'Em On, you tend to wonder how games like that work and you begin to enjoy yourself. It's also interesting to understand the history of math and how it can originate in places as far away as Zimbabwe. Math can be found in all subjects, even history. I found this website very simple and interesting and I think math can be more enjoyable when you compare it to other aspects of learning."
There are many more posts ... these are just a few. I am responding to as many as I can. I'll repeat the lesson tomorrow with my B-Day students. I'm hoping to build in a regular "chat" around Math Munch postings and eventually have students write more extensively about a topic of interest.
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