Slope

Date December 11, 2005
Class Algebra2 (Grades 10-12)
Teacher MaryBeth Weier
Notes Ball Drop Experiment
This is a very good math “experiment” where students physically collect data rather than just using numbers out of a book. Students enjoyed the active lesson and the numbers the students collected had a real world meaning.  Some students had trouble at first realizing what they were to do with the numbers once they collect them.  It was a very good way for them to take real world numbers and apply them to what we are doing in the book assignments. Hopefully they will see the application of what we are studying.
We are working with systems of equations and this activity was an example of how these kinds of problems can be used.  There are some very good questions on the activity sheet in which the students have to give a real world meaning for slope and explain what it means when the slopes are different. Students realized that slope is not just a number we get when we put ordered pairs in a formula, but it can tell us something about the data we collected.  This is an activity I plan to use again and I don’t think I would make any changes as it went very well.
Date Sept. 16, 2005
Class Algebra 2
Teacher Jan Wineland
Notes

I introduced the rangers with the activity “Match the graph.”  At the beginning of class I put one of the graphs on the projector and we found the slope for the 3 different sections of the graph and had quite a discussion on what slope meant pertaining to feet per second.  When volunteers came up and tried to walk the graph, I found they became more technical in their thinking the more they experimented.  Next, I divided the students into groups of 2 or 3 and sent them into the hall to try this without my guidance.  I really liked the follow-up questions and the fact they had to have me see their graphs and sign for them. 

I think the two activities (this and “Walk this walk.”) will be a perfect lead-in for line of best fit that will be my next adventure with this class!