Sometimes we get to teach things in 8th grade math that don’t have a lot of calculations and that have very real applications. That happens to be the case with scatter plot graphs and I love to teach it. Also, students learn a lot about slope and y-intercept and now they get to put it together with real world things. The downside is that we don’t get very many days in our schedule to teach it, so I try to pack a lot of fun and engagement into a few days. Today I’m excited to share with you 11 great activity ideas and resources to use when teaching and practicing with scatter plot graphs. [Read more…] about 11 Activities that Make Practicing Scatter Plot Graphs Rock
8th grade
Teaching Students to Analyze Function Graphs Like a Champ
How to Model and Think Through Analyzing Function Graphs
To introduce students to analyzing function graphs, I start off with a model & think through activity. This activity lines up with Common Core math standard 8.F.B.5 to use functions to model relationships between quantities. This modelling activity consists of a presentation and the student follow along guide. As students follow along, they have to identify where the graph starts, what happens in the middle and where it ends. When they look at how it starts, they’re focusing on what exactly is being measured. They continue to answer all those same questions throughout the activity.
In this post I’ll show you step by step how to show students exactly what they need to do when analyzing function graphs, and how to make it stick in their minds forever! [Read more…] about Teaching Students to Analyze Function Graphs Like a Champ
7 Off the Chart Activities for Teaching Analyzing Function Graphs
Some of the students that I work with really struggle to do a lot of calculations. They have a hard time remembering a lot of steps when we do complicated algorithms. The topic of analyzing function graphs is one that they can get by just focusing on a few things. The graphs don’t have numbers on them. Instead, they’re based on the change in something over time (and sometimes it’s something besides time). [Read more…] about 7 Off the Chart Activities for Teaching Analyzing Function Graphs
12 Engaging Ways to Practice Volume of Cylinders, Cones, and Spheres
Teaching the volume of cylinders, cones, and spheres is all about the formulas. In the good old days the students didn’t have to memorize the formulas, but those days are gone.
Now, when my students practice using the formulas for volume of cylinders, cones, and spheres, we do a lot of practice focused on understanding the formulas. By the end of the two weeks, 98% of my students have memorized the formulas through a graphic organizer. Getting there, though, takes a lot of practice. And it helps if students practice in a variety of ways so there’s some novelty. So, I’m excited to share with you 11 12 ideas and resources to help your students practice with volume and absolutely own those formulas!
[Read more…] about 12 Engaging Ways to Practice Volume of Cylinders, Cones, and Spheres
Teaching Operations with Scientific Notation
Teaching operations with scientific notation has been a tough topic for me to teach in the past. I feel like every time I teach something it becomes easier and easier to teach. I learn from the students what works and what doesn’t. As I teach I also learn nuances about the topic that help me to support my students better. Teaching how to multiply, divide, add, and subtract two numbers that are in scientific notation lives as one of the greatest example of this process for me. [Read more…] about Teaching Operations with Scientific Notation
