Linear Graphing is Among Us!

This year has been crazy and I will not take the time here to discuss all the changes and challenges. I just wanted to let you all know why I have not posted earlier. The time to create has been non-existent, the motivation and creativity, zapped... but this week I feel like I've got a flow and as a result, did some creating!

Working on linear equations, I decided my tried and true Zombie themed assignment was just not what I wanted to do this year as I wanted fewer problems and I also like to use our standardized test coordinate planes.

A result of this is.... 

Among Us Impostor Search!

This is based on a new computer/app that students are playing. I learned this from my son who has informed me of all the ins and outs. Basically, everyone is a character and you are trying to seek out and identify the 'Impostors'.  

The equations are a variety of forms but it is editable!

A short but sweet post. Hope you enjoy! And please let me know if you find any mistakes or areas that need correction. If you would be a copy of the key, please contact me from your school email at camfan54@att.net. I will only send keys to school teacher emails to help protect the integrity of the assignment. Thank you!

Get the resources for FREE here! 

 

A student drew this on their WS 🥰

Enjoy,

Lisa

Harry Potter Graphing

Wizardingly quick post for my Harry Potter themed graphing activity. Just this year I discovered the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and am now imposing it on all my students. I love having a theme in assignments and Quidditch made a great goal for this needed skill.

My geometry team specifically needs the graphing skill of a point and slope but not in the formula. I like to make assignments that are also formative assessment where students know right away if they are doing it correctly. All the lines intersect and bludger or the snitch!

Get the worksheet here for free! I have it in both Word and PDF. If you are interested in the font, it is free on dafont.com!

Hopefully this will be the first of other Wizarding graphing activities!

Enjoy!

Lisa

Pygmy Puff Project

For the past 2 years, I have done a Pumpkin Project for linear equations that is incredible! One of the most amazing resources I ever purchased was the Algebra 1 Curriculum from Algebra Accents on Teachers Pay Teachers!  She also sales a lot of very useful bundles and individual activities.  The Linear Equations 3D Pumpkin Garland is worth every single penny!  I highly recommend it!

As I planned this year, I realized the number of repeaters I have means I needed to do something different.  Always, and I mean ALWAYS inspired by Algebra Accents, I decided to create a project with similar construction but based on the needs of my students.

Something round-ish... something that could be done at any time... most importantly, something that I could use a lot of colors of paper on because we are out of orange!

And this year, I discovered the magic of Harry Potter!

And we have a Pygmy Puff Project!

I have included 4 different types of linear function graphing with 5 pages each. That is over 600 possible versions!

The types of equations include:
     -Slope-Intercept Form
     -Point-Slope Form
     -Standard Form
     -Graphing from a Point and a Slope

These are the ones that my students needed for their future math class so I designed it with input from my colleagues.  The Harry potter theme was all my nerdiness.

I put 2 problems on each page for 5 different pages you could use for each type of problem.  As always, ALL are EDITABLE! 

I also saved in PDF in case you like the font and cannot download. The font was called Harry P and is FREE on dafont.com! 

I've included a picture collage of the physical construction as well as the feet and face template. Get all my resources for Free here! 

I will add more pictures and reflection as my students complete it but wanted to share in case you could use it.  

As always, please let me know if you have any feedback!

Enjoy!
Lisa

Earning the Grade for X and Y Intercepts

Several years ago I attended a session from a teacher in Clear Creek ISD named Ms. Brumbelow.  She presented an activity where the students went around the room to solve problems but each one had a point value that they earned.  The points were based on difficulty.

I liked the idea of differing points and the opportunity to complete what 'you want to do'.  Personalized, individual learning nicely wrapped up in a classroom activity.

First, I gave some basic intercepts notes.  My students have previously learned intercepts so no more than a review was necessary.  I used this foldable from Math by the Mountain on Teachers pay Teachers.

It was perfect.  I loved how concise it was yet covering everything necessary!  I'm a firm believer in using what I can find.  This foldable was well worth the money!

For the assignment we did the Around the Room/Pick Your Points Assignment.  I do not have a creative name for this so all suggestions are welcome! 

Students receive an answer sheet that is not numbered as I do not want them influenced in any way of what problems to pick.

I then have all the problems hanging around the room and in the hallway.  Students have complete freedom to answer whichever questions they want to get up to a hundred points.  i recommend they do extras in case they get one wrong.  Below is a selection of points included the hardest 30 point question!

In case you are curious, majority of these problems are taken from the released STAAR Tests (Texas Standardized Test).  

Get the entire activity for FREE here!  

I have it in both Word and PDF for you.  And of course... I do not just have generic fonts!  You can get the title font, KG Girl on Fire, for Free here at dafont.com.

For any keys, please feel free to email me at camfan54@att.net from your school or professional account.  I've had students try and email for keys in the past but luckily their email said student! 

Enjoy!
Lisa

Slope Graffiti

No holds barred!!  Fill the paper!! Tag it up!  It's Slope Graffiti!

I want you to tell me everything you can about the equation assigned.  Everything!  The more the better.  There is really no right or wrong here.  It is just about recalling and applying their knowledge. I first did this in a grant I attended several summers ago and have made it a regular assignment in my Algebra 1 and Math Models Classes. 

In Math Models (a post Algebra 1 class), I do this on the third day of school!  It takes a bit of effort and many students to have a difficult time writing down anything about math.  Many can say it and remember it but actually putting it down takes practice that I focus on throughout the year.  In Algebra 1, I assign this after all necessary teaching and practice have been done on slope-intercept form.

I have 2 versions.  The first have the equations in slope-intercept form.  The next time we do it, 2nd semester in Algebra, it is in standard form.  I provide a graph template for them as well so they do not have to draw a graph free hand.  I allow one full class period.

I have a PPT with 4 different slides of equations.  On each one, I did put the parent function.  I display this throughout the class period.  they do work in groups so I have very relevant math vocabulary as their Group Names.  

I have had some beautiful and excellent projects over the years but unfortunately lost them to the floods so I cannot show you.  One of the few things I did not photograph!!  Ugh!!!  Generally, later on in the year, there is a lot more 'writing' on the posters but my students did an excellent job this year for the third day of school.  

There were a lot of laughs, some struggles, but in the end they all remembered the critical basic information!  Below are some selected pictures from this year.

I have been working for 3 years now to have students write more about math so you can definitely see a progression throughout the year when I ask them to do these type activities.  I also have a notebook/journal warm-up that goes along with this concept:

They are just instructed to tell me anything they can about it!  I also have a bunch of one page different equations they could do.  I will include all of them in the link below.  The font used is KG Girls on Fire and can be downloaded here for FREE!  I just love fonts!!!

Get all my resources for Slope Graffiti here for FREE!!

Thank You and Enjoy! 
Lisa

Headbands Are All the 'Math' Rage!

Where do I start with this little piece of genius I was taught a few summers back?!?!  There are no words for the educational value of these 6 strips of paper.  

Way back in the summer of 2016, my life was forever changed when I joined a grant through Texas Regional Collaboratives.  UTMB in Galveston had a Grant taught by Valerie Blackburn and Jennifer Clayton.  

So of course, I needed to create one for my class.  This little gem was shared and it has snowballed on our campus!  Yes, almost all levels of core math use it now. 

The first one was a little more intense than I realized and lasted way longer than I planned BUT the results were well worth it!  We spent 30 minutes in my Algebra 1 class doing the slope from tables one.  I was able to get a lot of formative assessment and in the end ALL students completed and worked diligently on 6 critical problems. 

This resulted in one of my favorite teaching moments of all time... 

Student: 'What's the point of this?'

Me: **thinking quickly of a witty response** 'When you put it on your head, you are learning by osmosis."  **secretly hoping they buy this**

Students:  'Oh my gosh, we are learning about that now in biology!! Cool!!'

Me: **thinking score cross-curricular vocabulary.**

I sent it to my principal laughing at the cross-curricular tie and it ended up going all though the district.  I even had teachers telling me students were wearing it in the cafeteria.  Later that year one student pulled it out and put it on during a test and when I asked him why, he said it made him feel smarter.  #teachermoment

Now let me share how to create your very first headband!  Any 6 problems will work and it is basically like a scavenger/mouse hunt.  You place the answer to a different problem on the left of the headband and a problem in the middle.  They solve the problem and connect/match it to the answer on a different piece forming a complete headband!

What I made a mistake of and was a reason the first time took so long was that you want to make all pieces connected like above.  The first time I had each piece with a space between and those precision cutters took forever!

AND DO NOT make them in order either... or then you have to redo and mix them all up... I've already been there, done that!

Each student recieves one copy of the headband to cut and construct.  I have a cut one projected on the board to show expectations. Sometimes I'll work one but most of the time I just demonstrate my expectations about connecting.  They solve the problem and look for the answer on another piece them solve that problem until they are back to the first piece.  Instant assessment for them which are my favorite kind of activities. 

I also have all mine designed to fit on 1 page.  Just as an FYI... these are great for those dark colored papers you might have that you can't really use for a WS.

AND don't worry, I've got templates for you as well as ALL my headbands shared below!

Another tip is to have students tape or staple them together so they can put them on right away.  And they will likely need to overlap and measure as they go.  I make them show work on the bands and just cover the answer or arrow.  One kiddo ended up making a belt instead so they can be pretty big. 

Here is what a couple of completed ones look like...

To store them, I just added a headband envelope in our notebook.

I'm not really sure how to say that I love these things!  I love seeing seniors wear them and post on their social media.  I even offer some credit for wearing them outside my class.  Anything to have kids talk about math!  

Some get creative with their'Headbands' too...

Get all resources here for FREE!!!  

I have them both in Word and PDF as always!  If you want my font, Janda Curly Girl, it is downloadable for free here!  It's one of my favorites!!

For any keys, please feel free to email me at camfan54@att.net from your school or professional account.  I've had students try and email for keys in the past but luckily their email said student! 

Enjoy the rage!!
Lisa

Transformations Mystery Pictures- Reflections!

Short post to share an activity and TPT find!

So I am not only teaching Math Models this year but also Geometry?!?!!?  There is an extensive Geometry Unit at the end of the Math Models Curriculum so here I go into a new curriculum.

Geometry was always my favorite subject in school, and while I loved doing it, it has been over 20 years since I have done it.  now I've got to teach it?  what, the what now?  It is not as easy as I remember, of course 20 years, a lot of things have happened.....

So now I get to re-learn Geometry and figure out how to teach it.  This has been awesome 😑....

One of the activities I used to practice rotations was this wonderful and well worth the $5 find on Teachers Pay Teachers.  It is by Nilcola Waddilove.

I loved the Rotations Picture and it was just what my students needed for a second day of practice with using the Rotation Rules.

I then decided that before I move on to my newly created Dice Activity, I wanted to make sure they had thorough practice.  While the above sheet did have 2 reflections practice, it did not have what I needed for reflection across y=x.  

So I googled first and found nothing matching what I wanted.  Me, being me, decided to create one!  I present to you my first Transformation Mystery Picture!!  It's not extensive and probably can be finished quickly but the image is SOOOOO MY CLASS!  

Download this activity in Word and PDF for FREE!  If you use word, the font I used for the title is Austie Bost Envelopes font and can be downloaded for FREE here.

Did another one to share!  

It is named AJ after the student who helped design it.  Download the Word and PDF for FREE!

Please let me know if you see any needed changes or have anything to share!

As always, Enjoy!

Lisa