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  • Intro to Slope as Rate of Change

    Slope may be the most challenging concept to teach in algebra yet it is one of the most important concepts. I use the following sequence to introduce slope: rate of change, rise over run, rise over run as a rate of change. The first photo is a map of Manhattan with directions on counting city…

  • Graphic better than FOIL

    Typically, multiplying two binomials is presented with FOIL. This approach is problematic for two reasons: it is a mneumonic for a purely symbolic representation and it is also an isolated strategy that does not connect well to prior knowledge. Another approach is to use a graphic organizer and context. In the photo below I presented students…

  • Matching Cards for Discount and Tax

      This is a photo of matching cards for the topic of percent discount and percent tax. Students are given a card with an item to buy, a percent discount and our state tax rate of 6% (not listed). We’ve identified 4 steps for to find the total amount to pay the cashier: compute discount,…

  • Equation with variable on both sides scaffolded

      Solving equations with a variable on both sides proves to be exceedingly tricky for many students. My approach is to focus on the individual expressions taken from both sides of the equation and to present them in the context of a relevant real life situation. The photo shows a snippet of the handout I…

  • Scaffolding Multi-step Math Problems

    This is the figure from Mrs. Olsen’s Sidewalk Problem from the CT CAPT test 2010 (released to public). The problem has four major steps: divide the figure into common shapes, use Pythagorean Theorem to find height of the resulting triangles, find area of these shapes and compute total cost for  pouring the asphalt for the…

  • Scaffolding Solving Systems by Graphing

    The photo shows a snippet of a handout I use as a discovery activity for solving systems by graphing. It shows the use of color coding as well. I start the lesson with a do now handout  that reviews graphing, checking a solution for a system and previews a word problem modeled by a system.

  • Scaffolding Percent Discount and Tax

      This is a snippet of a handout that is a follow up to a previous percent activity that I posted. It walks students through the mathematical steps including subtracting the price. I found that the cutting part of the previous activity was effective but the steps were not as clear. This handout is an…

  • Percent Discount Scaffolded and Concrete

    I continue to be surprised at how much of a challenge computing percent discount is for students. It’s prior knowledge. If you ask them to explain what a discount is in their own words you’ll get a response like “it makes something cost less.” The students may even have mastery of computing a percent of…

  • Combining Like Tacos (scaffolded handout)

    Here is a snippet of a scaffolded handout I use to teach students how to combine like terms. The tacos bring in prior knowledge and makes the concept more concrete. The scaffolding guides the students as to where and what to write. The full handouts are available by following the links below. I’ve included my…

  • Kim and Kanye are Prior Knowledge (with scaffolding)

    This is a portion of scaffolded notes I provided for a lesson on functions. This shows two key strategies I often employ: scaffolding and connections to prior knowledge. The scaffolding is seen in how blanks are provided for students to fill in key information. This saves time on copying notes while still engages students in…