Leaving a Legacy Theme

This year we have chosen the theme "Leaving a Legacy".  We want to encourage our students to strive hard and leave their legacy on the school as well as give them some insight into the people that left a legacy in each of our subjects.  I created a 18"x24" display from a piece of coroplast (like political signs) and its stand, bent to sit on the top of my book shelves.  The coroplast was covered in same type of fabric used throughout my room.  A title was added and 2 sheet protectors were attached side by side under the title.

For my first display of the year, I chose Blaise Pascal.  The first page is his picture which will be placed in the sheet protector on the left. The second is a bulleted version of his biography and will go in the sheet protector on the right.  Under the biography, I have included 3 QR codes for additional websites.  My students can use a barcode scanner on their smart phones to go directly to those sites.

Throughout the year, I will change the featured mathematician.  Others I plan on highlighting are Rene Descartes, M.C. Escher, Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), Heinz-Otto Pietgen (professor at FAU, my alma mater), Pythagoras, Pierre De Fermat and others whose names escape me!

Make your own QR Codes.

Student Function Machine

As I was reviewing books and planning for the new class I'll be teaching next year, Math for College Readiness, I came up with an idea for a Student Function Machine.

Up to 10 students will be acting out the function at a time. I used 2" x 3" blank colored flashcards to create each of the 5 sets. In each set, there is a multiplication (or division) step, an addition (or subtraction) step, 4 inputs (with values for x) and 4 output cards (with no values).

One of the function machine students will have a multiplication (or division) job, while the other will have an add (or subtract) job. Input #1 will whisper their input to the mult/div student, who computes that operation and whispers the answer to the add/subtr student. That student will perform his/her operation and whisper the answer to output #1 student. Input #1 and output #1 will write their coordinate on the SMART Board and plot on a coordinate plane.

Aside from the obvious, this allows for many extensions: slope, linear equations, inverse operations, etc.