Shot by Evan Sellers off of the Vulcan Monument. Estimated height of shot is 13o feet, estimated distance of hoop is about 165 feet.
Read More!Circle of Friends
First club meeting, Monday, August 30th, 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. in room 515. Any students are welcome to attend!
Read More!
See brochure for more information on Circle of Friends. (click to make larger)
Needed Notebooks & Optional Supplies
This year, each student will need a composition notebook. It needs to have the graph paper in it, not regular composition lines. They formerly called these Quad Ruled, but I saw some at Staples yesterday and they have changed the name to Graph Ruled or Grid Ruled. It doesn't matter what the cover looks like, because students will be making their own covers the first week of school.
I suggested in the letter that each student bring in TWO of these notebooks. We will use one per semester and I will keep the second notebook in storage with their name on it, so that they have it for second semester (or if they lose their first one and need a backup).
Staples currently has these notebooks for 1.99. You may be able to find a better deal. I did not see these notebooks at Wal Mart. If finding/purchasing these notebooks is not possible for you, just send me a note or e-mail and I will have your student covered. I just know that I do not have the funds to provide 60+ students with 2 notebooks each ($240), so I was hoping parents could help out with this. These notebooks are also available at the school store (The Spot) once school starts, but will be wither $1.50 or $2.00 and supplies are limited.
No other supplies are needed for my class by the individual student. You will see in my mailed out letter, that I included a list of supplies that my classes need to create their student notebooks on a daily basis. If any parents are able to help out by picking up any of these supplies, it will be very helpful as well.
I suggested in the letter that each student bring in TWO of these notebooks. We will use one per semester and I will keep the second notebook in storage with their name on it, so that they have it for second semester (or if they lose their first one and need a backup).
Staples currently has these notebooks for 1.99. You may be able to find a better deal. I did not see these notebooks at Wal Mart. If finding/purchasing these notebooks is not possible for you, just send me a note or e-mail and I will have your student covered. I just know that I do not have the funds to provide 60+ students with 2 notebooks each ($240), so I was hoping parents could help out with this. These notebooks are also available at the school store (The Spot) once school starts, but will be wither $1.50 or $2.00 and supplies are limited.
No other supplies are needed for my class by the individual student. You will see in my mailed out letter, that I included a list of supplies that my classes need to create their student notebooks on a daily basis. If any parents are able to help out by picking up any of these supplies, it will be very helpful as well.
- Glue sticks
- Reams (500 sheets) of COLORED copy paper (light or bright colors) - $8 at Staples
- Colored Pencils
- Regular wood pencils
Read More!
Recycle Races 2010
Here is the final race tournament video from May 2010 Recycle Races. Can't wait until next April for Recycle Races 2011.
NEW students, this is a special project that all of my math classes do at the end of the semester. You get to build a race car out of recycled material and we race daily, as we apply various math concepts learned over the semester.
Read More!
Solar Cookers
In December 2009, students had the opportunity to explore the quadratic equation and parabolas in an unusual way. After learning how to factor out and graph quadratic equations, they designed and built parabolic solar cookers. They identified what they felt to be the perfect equation for a parabola that would reflect the Sun’s rays, as they attempted to roast a marshmallow.
The solar cookers were built with recycled boxes, cardboard, aluminum foil, and a few other odds and ends. Students came up with a variety of designs, from a parabola that slides across an arch in the box, to a rotisserie style parabola for fast adjustment and alignment to wherever the Sun might be. The teams applied creativity, teamwork, and critical thinking skills as they attempted to build their curved parabolas while maintaining a smooth reflective surface (to avoid dispersed light).
It was a cold, windy day when the solar cookers were finally put to the test. The outside temperature was 61o degrees while the 2nd period students carefully adjusted their cookers to the low-lying sun. While no marshmallows ended up roasting, the winning solar cooker reached an internal temperature of 93o at the focus point. Mr. Coots’ 7th period class benefited from a 74o temperature outside, and several solar cookers passed 110o after 30 minutes in the Sun.
Read More!
It was a cold, windy day when the solar cookers were finally put to the test. The outside temperature was 61o degrees while the 2nd period students carefully adjusted their cookers to the low-lying sun. While no marshmallows ended up roasting, the winning solar cooker reached an internal temperature of 93o at the focus point. Mr. Coots’ 7th period class benefited from a 74o temperature outside, and several solar cookers passed 110o after 30 minutes in the Sun.
Roller Coasters
We are currently wrapping up our Roller Coaster 09-10 project. All 5 coasters were built over Novemember-December 2009, as students learned and applid the concepts of slope and intercept. January 2010, we began our simulation project, in which the students set the price for their coasters and a computer simulation determines how many visitors each ride has in a given day.
Read More!
Read More!
Catching Up
I was just relieved to see that this site is no longer blocked by our school district servers (becuase it is published using a blog site). It has not been accessible at school for about a month now, so I am behind on my regular postings.
We really are doing a lot of cool things in class, that I need to take some time to share about and post. Look for some updates within the next week.
My zero key is kind of broken right now, which makes entering grades quite difficult. I either get a lot of 00000s when I press it or none at all... zero zeros I suppose you could say. Oh well, I guess no one can get a 0 on an assignment now, yet they can't get 10's either... Read More!
We really are doing a lot of cool things in class, that I need to take some time to share about and post. Look for some updates within the next week.
My zero key is kind of broken right now, which makes entering grades quite difficult. I either get a lot of 00000s when I press it or none at all... zero zeros I suppose you could say. Oh well, I guess no one can get a 0 on an assignment now, yet they can't get 10's either... Read More!
SMART Board Links
Individual Activities
Coordinate Plane - http://smartboards.typepad.com/smartboard/files/coordinates1.swf
The Eyeballing Game - http://woodgears.ca/eyeball/
Numberline - http://www.mathsonline.co.uk/freesite_tour/resource/whiteboard/decimals/decimals2.html
Survey Taking - http://www.teacherled.com/resources/survey/surveyload.html
Estimation Activities - http://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/estimation-game.php
Resource Sites
Teacher Utilities - http://harveyshomepage.com/Harveys_Homepage/Utilities.html
MathXP Games - http://www.xpmath.com/
Mathsframe Interactive - http://www.mathsframe.co.uk/free_resources.asp
Math Doodles - http://www.carstensstudios.com/mathdoodles/mathdoodlesDemos.htm
Shodor Interactivate - http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/
National Library of Virtual Manipulatives - http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html
NCTM Illuminations - http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivitySearch.aspx
Jim Reed's Home Page - http://staff.argyll.epsb.ca/jreed/Default.htm
Cut the Knot - http://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/index.shtml
Super Teacher Tools - http://www.superteachertools.com/index.php
SMART Exchange - http://exchange.smarttech.com/#tab=0
Sheppard Math Games - http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/math.htm
Number Balls - http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/Numberballs_absolute_value/numberballsAS2_abs.htm
Just For Fun
Bubblewrap Pop - http://smartboards.typepad.com/smartboard/files/bubblewrap.swf
Jigsaw Sudoku - http://www.jigsawdoku.com/
inter-Face - http://www.alterfin.com/dominique/
This is Sand - http://thisissand.com/
Self Control Freak - http://www.selfcontrolfreak.com/
Incredibox - http://www.incredibox.fr/
Egg Timer - http://www.online-stopwatch.com/eggtimer-countdown/full-screen/ Read More!
Coordinate Plane - http://smartboards.typepad.com/smartboard/files/coordinates1.swf
The Eyeballing Game - http://woodgears.ca/eyeball/
Numberline - http://www.mathsonline.co.uk/freesite_tour/resource/whiteboard/decimals/decimals2.html
Survey Taking - http://www.teacherled.com/resources/survey/surveyload.html
Estimation Activities - http://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/estimation-game.php
Resource Sites
Teacher Utilities - http://harveyshomepage.com/Harveys_Homepage/Utilities.html
MathXP Games - http://www.xpmath.com/
Mathsframe Interactive - http://www.mathsframe.co.uk/free_resources.asp
Math Doodles - http://www.carstensstudios.com/mathdoodles/mathdoodlesDemos.htm
Shodor Interactivate - http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/
National Library of Virtual Manipulatives - http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html
NCTM Illuminations - http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivitySearch.aspx
Jim Reed's Home Page - http://staff.argyll.epsb.ca/jreed/Default.htm
Cut the Knot - http://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/index.shtml
Super Teacher Tools - http://www.superteachertools.com/index.php
SMART Exchange - http://exchange.smarttech.com/#tab=0
Sheppard Math Games - http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/math.htm
Number Balls - http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/Numberballs_absolute_value/numberballsAS2_abs.htm
Just For Fun
Bubblewrap Pop - http://smartboards.typepad.com/smartboard/files/bubblewrap.swf
Jigsaw Sudoku - http://www.jigsawdoku.com/
inter-Face - http://www.alterfin.com/dominique/
This is Sand - http://thisissand.com/
Self Control Freak - http://www.selfcontrolfreak.com/
Incredibox - http://www.incredibox.fr/
Egg Timer - http://www.online-stopwatch.com/eggtimer-countdown/full-screen/ Read More!
New Decode
Here is the new D3C0D3 th3 C0d3 for November.
010111010 - tells me not to attack.
1001100110011111 - is made just for you.
100100111 - hope you're not one of these.
0101010101100010101000100 - this last one is your chance to prove.
CLUES:
new moon - 1111
half moon - 1010
the first glass - 1100
the second - 0011
skiing - 1001
climbing - 0110 Read More!
010111010 - tells me not to attack.
1001100110011111 - is made just for you.
100100111 - hope you're not one of these.
0101010101100010101000100 - this last one is your chance to prove.
CLUES:
new moon - 1111
half moon - 1010
the first glass - 1100
the second - 0011
skiing - 1001
climbing - 0110 Read More!
Store Project
Here are the projects that students in Math 3-4 have been working on. Their assignment was to create a miniature store, with prices, products, and people. They wrote several better deal problems for their classmates to solve, like "Which is the better deal, 5 video games for $60, or 3 video games for $30.
Read More!
Geometry in the Olympics
Geometry students chose an Olympic sport and applied the concepts from our intro unit to their projects. Students had to label any lines, rays, segments, points, the plane, and angles. They were to dipict their sport in a three dimensional scene. Here are the 10 finished projects from both class periods.
Read More!
It's Here!
Yesterday, my document camera arrived! It's an amazing device that will save so much of my time (spent printing overhead sheets) and resources (sheets and toner). It also does not heat up like the regular projector and allows me to zoom in on one problem at a time, and allows students to check their entire paper without erasing.
I purchased this Elmo EV-400AF document camera on eBay for $150, which is quite a deal considering a new one can cost anywhere from $700-900. It is an older model, but the camera and lights are in excellent shape.
Students were quite amazed by all of the things it could do. If you aren't familair with this item, it basically streams live video of whatever you put on the surface beneath the camera. I can demonstrate examples and guide the students through their notes without overhead sheets or dry erase marker. They will now be able to take turns showing the class how they solved a problem, without messing with markers and sheets as well.
Read More!
Multiple Intelligences
On Friday, all of my students took a assessment, identifying their learning strenghts in multiple intelligences. There are said to be eight ways in which students best learn or process new information, a concept that was introduced by Howard Gardner in 1983.
Here are the results across all of my classes and students. The percentages indicate what percent of students identified themselves as having that particular learning style/intelligence on their assessment.
As you can see, the majority of students learn best when physical body movement (kinesthetics) are included in a learning activity. Interpersonal learning (working with others) and visual/spatial learning were also indicated.
I then compared the male and female populations of my students to see which styles were more often designated by each group.
It is evident that the male students posses more logical, kinesthetic, and natural learning styles than the female students in my classes, and that the female students are stronger in the areas of verbal, visual, musical, and interpersonal learning.
I believe this data is a fairly accurate picture of most high school students, though there are many exceptions. This information helps me in planning lessons and creating activities that will add relevance and true learning for my students. Read More!
Here are the results across all of my classes and students. The percentages indicate what percent of students identified themselves as having that particular learning style/intelligence on their assessment.
As you can see, the majority of students learn best when physical body movement (kinesthetics) are included in a learning activity. Interpersonal learning (working with others) and visual/spatial learning were also indicated.
I then compared the male and female populations of my students to see which styles were more often designated by each group.
It is evident that the male students posses more logical, kinesthetic, and natural learning styles than the female students in my classes, and that the female students are stronger in the areas of verbal, visual, musical, and interpersonal learning.
I believe this data is a fairly accurate picture of most high school students, though there are many exceptions. This information helps me in planning lessons and creating activities that will add relevance and true learning for my students. Read More!
Recycle Races 2009
Here is the final tournament race video for the end of the year project.CLICK HERE to visit the official Recycle Races page, with car photos, standings, rankings, and tournament brackets.
Power of U
Power of U is the incentive system we use in all of my classes. It comes from the idea that every student has the exponential power to make our class a success. This system focuses on respect, responsibility, and effort.
Studends receive 'power cards' for making good choices and doing what they need to do with a good attitude. We hold weekly drawings, in which power cards are drawn and students win prizes, such as gift cards to buy items from the student store, The Spot. Read More!
Studends receive 'power cards' for making good choices and doing what they need to do with a good attitude. We hold weekly drawings, in which power cards are drawn and students win prizes, such as gift cards to buy items from the student store, The Spot. Read More!
M&M Frequency
In Math 1-2, we carried out a project/experiment, as students opened up fun-size bags of M&Ms, creating bar graphs to represent the color frequencies. Here is a compiled pie chart of all the colors identified in 20 bags of M&Ms.
According to a new study (July 2009), the dye in blue M&Ms has been found to 'mend spinal injuries' in rats. Something interesting I saw on the news yesterday. (Article)
Read More!
According to a new study (July 2009), the dye in blue M&Ms has been found to 'mend spinal injuries' in rats. Something interesting I saw on the news yesterday. (Article)
Read More!
Board Games
Here are the top three integer board games, designed by students in Math 3-4.
Indiana Jones
Extreme Candy Land
Double Trouble
Read More!
Indiana Jones
Extreme Candy Land
Double Trouble
Read More!
