We start our school year out with teaching perfect square roots and cube roots. It’s a perfect topic to start with because it’s relatively easy and the students already have some background with it. This means kids have success early on and you can build on that as you go. Also, square roots and cube roots will be used again during the year when we approximate irrational numbers and solve with the Pythagorean Theorem. Let’s look at how we can teach perfect square roots and cube roots using an interactive notebook. [Read more…] about How to Teach Square Roots and Cube Roots with Interactive Notebooks
Interactive Notebooks
How to Teach Systems of Equations with Interactive Notebooks
Teaching systems of equations is always a challenge for me. It’s a culmination of so many things that we’ve done during the year. Some students seem to memorize the steps, but I find that it doesn’t really stick unless they understand what they are doing. We use the interactive notebook throughout the unit. We add information, synthesize, practice, and reflect, all in the interactive notebook. Let’s break down what this whole systems of equations unit looks like in our interactive notebooks. [Read more…] about How to Teach Systems of Equations with Interactive Notebooks
How to Teach Math with Interactive Notebooks
I’ve used interactive notebooks in my middle school math classroom for years. When you teach the same topics year after year, you tend to add new things. As I reflected on all of my experiences with interactive notebooks, I realized that there are 5 components that are staples in my interactive math notebook. Each of these 5 components serves a different purpose and they all are very supportive of learning. I can’t imagine my math interactive notebooks without all five of these pieces.
So what does a math unit in an interactive notebook entail? Today I’ll share with you more about each of these components and how they work together to make a comprehensive unit in my students’ notebooks.
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Quick Guide: Combining Like Terms Foldable
Using a Combining Like Terms Foldable
Combining like terms is a skill that students start using in middle school and that keeps on coming back year after year. I use this foldable with my 7th and 8th graders. It works as an introduction to the topic, as well as a review. It gives students a way to see 3 different types of terms in an equation: x, y, and integers. Also, they see positive and negative numbers as part of the terms. More often than not, the biggest problem students have with combining like terms is dealing with negative numbers. So, to set the stage, I make sure that we practice adding positive and negative integers before we use this foldable and tackle combining like terms. [Read more…] about Quick Guide: Combining Like Terms Foldable
How to Get the Most Out of Your Slope Intercept Form Foldable
Slope Intercept Form Foldable
Sometimes the most simple foldables are the best ones. That’s how I feel about the slope intercept form foldable. Students struggle to understand slope and y-intercept because there are so many parts to it. This foldable is an excellent reference that simply shows what the different parts of slope intercept form formula stand for. This gives students a basic understanding that each part of the formula can be replace by something. (Click here to get this foldable. All you have to do is print and go.) [Read more…] about How to Get the Most Out of Your Slope Intercept Form Foldable
