Joy+DiMuzio

Unit Plan - Solving Equations

My name is Joy DiMuzio. I want to be a high school math teacher because I love both math and working with kids. I have been married for 17 years and I have three daughters.

Statistics & Discrete Math Promo Video media type="custom" key="4310875" This kind of video can be used to get students excited about your math class. You could use it the very first day of class to set a positive tone and hopefully encourage positive attitudes from the students.

__** GOOGLE EARTH/REAL WORLD MATH EXPLORATION :**__

Screen Shot: **CRITIQUE:** Some definite strengths of this lesson is that it makes connections to other subjects such as geography and science. It also brings real-world data into the classroom so that students can see that math is not always abstract. One weakness might be that not all students have access to a computer. This would definitely have to be reserved for a classroom where computer access was given during class time. I don't believe I would make any changes to this activity. It's very sound mathematically and goes along with the way I would be teaching this concept. Even though the activity states it's for grades 6-9, it could actually be expanded to include more sophisticated data and graphs in order to be used in higher level classes as well.
 * NAME OF LESSON:** LINE GRAPHS
 * TYPE OF LESSON:** CONCEPT
 * GRADE LEVEL:** 6-9
 * MATH TOPIC:** USING DATA TO CREATE GRAPHS ON AN X-Y GRID
 * ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION:** Above is an example of how Google Earth can be used to create attractive graphs. Using the path tool and design options, the students can relate their data to a certain landmark on Earth for a more meaningful presentation. The design process itself is a mathematical process in that it involves careful measuring and marking on a curved surface. Like other Google Earth endeavors, the students can share their line graphs with others by copying or emailing the file or screen image.

__**GOOGLE SKETCH-UP REFLECTION:**__ Google Sketchup is a great program to use in a math class as a supplement to teaching about solids. I like the idea of using Sketch-up to help students visualize concepts like volume. So many times, students only see 3-dimensional drawings in a 2-dimensional figure in a textbook. Being able to manipulate shapes in Sketch-up helps students to see the depth that otherwise may be abstract to them.

Google Sketch-up Math problem: