Idea Galaxy

Adventures in Junior High and Mathematics

distance formula

9 Ways to Make Teaching the Distance Formula Awesome

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Do you want to make your unit about distance formula awesome? I know, I know- silly question. Well, I’ve got you covered. The goal of this post is to share a bunch of low prep and awesome ideas for teaching and practicing with the distance formula. While this topic baffles some, armed with these ideas you’ll engage your students for sure.

We’ve got a variety of activity types for practicing the distance formula, as well including anticipatory sets, modeling and teaching, and extension ideas. (For more ideas on how to plan your instruction, check out the post “Teaching the Distance Formula Using I Can Statements”.) Now, let’s get started with the list of activities:

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Exploring the Distance Formula through Discovery

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Do your students struggle to understand and remember the distance formula? Boy, have I been there. In this blog post I’m sharing with you a powerful way to teacher the distance formula that really pushes students to struggle productively and ultimately learn the distance formula at a deeper level. When students get to the place of struggle, and then you give them just a little support, then they understand and remember the distance formula more than ever before.

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Teaching the Distance Formula Using I Can Statements

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Every teacher has a topic that takes them time to figure out. The distance formula is one of mine- it’s taken me a few years to really figure out. I’ve wanted to make sure that my students understand it and not just that they can use it. This year, as I was planning for this topic with my I can statements, I started to see it more clearly. As a result, my teaching throughout this unit felt a lot better. I’d like to share with you how I used these I can statements to chunk the learning for students and keep them accountable. Plus, I’ll share with you some really great lesson ideas that will help students really see and understand the distance formula. 

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