Idea Galaxy

Adventures in Junior High and Mathematics

interactive notebooks

How to Teach Parallel Lines Cut By a Transversal Using Interactive Notebooks

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I suppose it’s fair to say that I don’t really love geometry. I mean, I find some of the topics interesting, but there are other topics that don’t do anything for me. Of course, you can’t let the students know which topics are which! But, between you and me, my favorite geometry topic has to be teaching students about parallel lines cut by a transversal. It’s probably because you can easily add algebra concepts to it, we get to color lots of angles, and it just makes sense to my pattern-seeking brain. [Read more…] about How to Teach Parallel Lines Cut By a Transversal Using Interactive Notebooks

How to Teach Square Roots and Cube Roots with Interactive Notebooks

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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

How to Teach Systems of Equations with Interactive Notebooks

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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

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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.

[Read more…] about How to Teach Math with Interactive Notebooks

Quick Guide: Combining Like Terms Foldable

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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