Friday, December 12, 2014

Function Posters

This week the ASPIRE 5 math class created Function Posters as a culminating event for our number patterns unit.  The task was relatively simple.  Students had to create a real-world word problem that reflected a function.  They also had to include an equation, table, and graph to match the function.  Pictures were added to tie everything together in a creative and attractive manner.  A rubric that was given to the students before they started to work was used to score the posters.

What made this project worth our time?  First, the project required the students to look at functions through multiple perspectives.  When students can express the same information with four different representations, they are showing a conceptual understanding of the topic.  Next, the project was differentiated.  While students were only required to use one-step functions, some have been investigating two-step examples, and were able to demonstrate their learning on the poster.  The input values for the tables and graphs were also left up to the students, and many of them chose large or rational numbers.  In addition, the project allowed the students to make connections between functions and their own lives.  Students chose a variety of topics to represent functions.  From cupcakes and ice cream to Christmas lights and football, the topics were a reminder of how math is a part of their every day lives, and why it is important to study.

Overall, I was very pleased with the quality of the products created by the students.  They demonstrated their knowledge of functions, and it was apparent who was able to apply depth and complexity to the assignment.  I will be sure to hang many of the posters in the hallway, so the next time you are at Glenhope, be sure to check them out!



Friday, December 5, 2014

Primary Sources

This week, the ASPIRE 5 students continued their endeavor of using primary sources to learn about history.  Primary sources are challenging for young students, as they add a great deal of depth and complexity to the curriculum.  First, primary sources allow students to read multiple perspectives about a topic.  To study the French and Indian War, students read a journal account of a British officer, and a letter from George Washington to his mother.  The accounts were viewpoints of the same conflict, and the students were able to identify their similarities and differences.  Second, primary sources require the students to dive into the language of the discipline.  The vocabulary is authentic, and the students are enriched when they research the meaning of words, and how they apply to the text.  The language also gives the author a true voice, and it reveals more about their personality, mindset, and character.  In addition, primary sources allow students to analyze changes over time.  Reading history in someone's own words gives the reader a better understanding of the time period, and the details in the writing provide insight about the differences in our world today.  The students often enjoy analyzing how culture, opinions, and social values have evolved since the time of the reading selection.  From indentured servants and colonial landowners to slaves and Native Americans, our class has been reading primary sources to enhance their history curriculum throughout the year.  It hasn't been easy for them, but they have met the challenge, and have a better appreciation for the historical figures who wrote them, and how their experiences helped shape America into what it is today.