Geometry triangle terms

I love tearing the corners of a triangle to make the straight line. I have a tough crowd this year, so little amuses them. Typical the connection is made and they know the angles of a triangle add up to equal 180. This also shows how how the 2 remote angles add up to equal the measure of the exterior angle. The terms on the note cards were terms I thought my students had mastered in middle school, but Friday we spent time reviewing the terms again. Teacher lesson, never assume especially in a tech class. 

System of Inequalities quilt part 1

These were my two examples for my quiz today. Monday, I will take a picture of the final product along with a link to the activity.   This week, we pushed forward on graphing systems of inequalities and they finally got it. At least the majority did. So instead of a test or quiz, we did a scrapbook inequality project. Man, it was a blast!  I was thrilled in how most caught on after doing one together. It was easy to grade and now I have beautiful artwork for my classroom!

Do you move on?

We are currently working on systems of equations with of inequalities. Here is the link for the foldable above.  Today as a teacher I feel a bit defeated and wanted some insight from other teachers. My students today acted as though they could not graph a linear equation. As if we have not spent the past for months doing all things linear!  Geez. Yes there were a few that made me relieved to see that I did in fact teach.  But I found it completely irritating that they could not graph. So I asked my colleagues how their kids did and the reply was the same. The kids acted like they could not graph, so they have moved on. I feel stubborn, but I am giving it until the end of the week. I feel like factoring and linear equations are 90% of algebra and if a child has not mastered these 2 concepts that they are not ready to move on or I have failed somewhere along the way.  So here is my question, would you move on or keep pushing?

My final class made me feel even worse when I asked a child to tell me if the angles or sides were marked on the picture and they told me angles on a SSS congruent triangle. All I did was ask her to get out her notes and she had to hold back the tears. I was probably closer to tears after feeling more like an entertainer than a teacher. 

Geometry: Angle relationships

Angle relationships are easy visuals to teach students. Change the c into a 9 for 90 degree complementary angles. The s into a 180 for supplementary. You can see the others below. 

Again, color is super important in geometry for your visual learners. I also believe the act of coloring them helps the hands on learners. 

Finally, I have caught up on my tech/ geometry notebook. This week we will be covering congruent triangles. I look forward to sharing my hook for this lesson later on this week. 

Geometry: All things Parallel, with a transversal

Okay, while I enjoy teaching Algebra 1 my favorite class is geometry.  I cannot state this enough.  This includes all of my activities, notes, and games I use teaching parallel lines.  My students have have really impressed me with the projects and even the game (considering the lack of enthusiasm for the study guide, go figure).

Let's begin with the notes.  I always have students shade in the acute angles one color and the obtuse another color.  Then, we put that the angles that are the same color = each other and the opposite colors = 180.  This really helps drive home the main two concepts.  Then, we discuss the interior vs. exteriors.  I hint that same-side starts with an S and so does supplementary.  Trying to help them recall the terms as well.  The foldable helps them organize the congruent angle relationships compared to the supplementary.

We do a little practice on worksheets, playing review games to get the answers.  On to the first project!  Design your own city.  I love this project, because I get to go over my previous profession in architecture and review urban design.  I show them images from my portfolio of how they could one day take this project to design cities.  Ya know, get them as excited as I am about the project.  I get to even throw in a mini lesson about scale. You can find the rubric I used here.  This was not my activity, but I loved the rubric and why re-create the wheel?

Review. Practice.  Time for the review game!  I didn't want my students that would be all so tempted to keep my real dice, so I had them cut out a template out of paper for the next activity.  I had played one similar to this activity before, but this one seemed to work out great.  Again, why re-create the wheel?  My kids surprised me in how engaged they were.  They had the terminology down!  We shall see how they do on the test, but right now I am pleased as punch.

Geometry notes: Segment bisectors & midpoints

For students who struggle with the midpoint formula, I typically put a number line on the board, so we can count to find the exact middle. This visual typically helps. 

In geometry class, I require colored pencils. It is the only way for students to easily visualize the areas and how they relate to the part + part = whole. Or in the midpoint section how the part = the other part. 

Geometry Notes: Segment Addition

We have had a nasty virus spreading through the school and therefore I caught it along with my three children.  So, I have had plenty of material to post, just no time to post the information.  The positive, tons of interactive notebook goodies.  Tons of pictures and some good tips that I have learned along the way when teaching geometry. 

Segment addition and angle addition work well together in a foldable. I think it helps kids see the same applied math to different shapes. 

I was quite surprised my first year teaching how many students need a review of the yellow box. 

Breaking down problems in geometry as two parts and a whole really helps them set up equations. 

Go Panthers!

My students have been dabbing all week.  I believe that they are excited to see the Panthers make it to the Big Game!  So in preparation for our neighborhood get together, I figured I would share my easy Carolina Oreo balls, since they were not on Pinterest yet. 

I forgot the cream cheese, so I substituted the sweetened condensed milk. I don't have a food processor, so into the blender the Oreos went. 

I then rolled the Oreo balls with the crumbs and milk combined. Plopped a stick in them and cooked them in the freezer. Next, I microwaved the blue candy melts. These are in the arts & crafts aisle, not the baking aisle. That's right, this lady didn't need to make the color.  swirl it around in the melts, chill again and BAM, you are ready for the festivities. 

Hook for Transformations: Desmos

First, let me warn you that these challenges are super consuming and you will lose an entire class period.  Desmos.com was a happy accidental find on twitter and I am now hooked!  A way to teach transformations and to make students allow room for error.  There were a few that I will admit I gave up on in the middle of trying to find the answer, so I do recommend going through them all and then assigning a few for a class.  This is super fun!  I could see my students discussing what they did to arrive to their answer and hopefully being able to take the adjustments and creating postulates for math.  I love any time my students get sucked into an activity.  This is why I have opened up a donorschoose page for fire tablets this time.  In hopes to bring technology into my classroom for activities like this.  I need to explore some more, but I encourage you to do the same and share your experiences.  Best part...it is free!  So explore away. 

Learning through play

Tonight after playing with my children past their bedtime, I read an article about the number of students we have diagnosed with ADHD. My four year old gets in trouble for not doing a worksheet in preschool and I cannot help but laugh at the thought of preschoolers sitting still working on worksheets. Give them sand to draw in with a finger or playdoh to form the letters. I use my own child's experience to change the way I teach. And I will admit there are things I know I could improve upon, but keeping them engaged is vital to how I view the success in a lesson. I am always looking for inspiration and I hope I am sharing something worthwhile in return. 

To engage my students this semester I have incorporated an extra credit assignment for students. I know you have had a student ask an irrelevant question in class that sent you straight to google during your planning in search of an answer. I have decided we need a random question box. I will filter the questions and then post them on the back wall. Students can read the questions, then pick a topic to write a research paper for and turn in for extra credit. The papers will then be posted under the question. As public educators we get called out for limiting what students learn. Why not change that and possibly learn something along the way? Not to mention the benefits to writing as a cross curriculum along with learning about all other topics in math. Feel free to post pondering questions here or try it in your own classroom. If you do, I would love to hear some of your favorites.  My children learn through experimenting at the age of two and four, let's keep kids asking and trying in high school.