In my Google spreadsheet, I have supplied the strategies and
technologies that will achieve the curriculum goals of the NJCCCS and the
NETS-S. Together, this equation of strategies and technologies aid in the visual
and cognitive understanding of these ninth grade Algebra students on the topic
of Graphing Linear Equations and Functions.
Each lesson of the unit plan is introduced with a collaborative classroom
discussion and/or group practice time. As the teacher, the discussions and all
modeling will be done with a projector. I prefer to use the projector over a
chalk board because copies of graph paper and various colors of markers benefit
with accuracy and visual understanding—some students need several colors to differentiate
between lines and “see” the process step by step.
In the first two days, we use strategies that allow students to
learn individually and cooperatively while accessing/reinforcing their
understanding through the visuals provided by the Smart Board. In these two
days, the students will investigate trends of coordinate points by using the
Smart Board, which will help with accuracy, and Google Spreadsheets or
Microsoft Excel, to easily and quickly compute the values of the x or y
intercepts. Students need to have skills of applying background knowledge of
the topic and usage of technology to create their matrix.
On the third day, the goal of the lesson is to create linear
functions and find the slopes of them. After starting off with a group
discussion, there is an independent practice that will act as a form of
assessment to identify the skill and knowledge each student has. The
independent practice is lead using the SmartPal where the teacher writes an
equation or function on the board and asks each student to use the intercepts
to make a quick sketch of the graph. The SmartPal allows for self-assessment by
comparing results from peers. It also allows the teacher to quickly see which
students are lagging behind and are in need of better instruction. The graphing
calculator is then used to check responses for the more difficult functions.
On the fourth day, students will have enough practice to be able
to analyze/identify characteristics of certain functions. With analysis comes
critical thinking that will be produced by collaborative groups of students.
Using the graphing calculator, students will be able to classify lines based on
the direction of their slope and interpret these slopes as the rate of change
in a real life situation. They are able to define purpose and gain an
understanding of where linear functions are used. The lesson is ended with a summative
assessment that is a quiz of all the topics covered in the lesson.
Day five compresses all previous knowledge and allows the class
to make connections of all topics covered in the lesson previously. Students
should be able to know the characteristics of linear functions, be able to put
them in y-intercept form, and understand how to identify the slope by looking
at the graph. Students are put into groups for cooperative learning where they
are to interpret graphs visually to assess their visual understanding of graphs
and to do so, they play a game called Algebra vs. Cockroaches. The game tests
their understanding of the concepts but is also a fun motivation device that
assesses speed and accuracy. This and the homework assignments count as a
formative assessment.
The sixth day of the unit plan is reserved to solve systems of
linear equations graphically and relate the solutions to real life problems.
This makes the lesson authentic because students can relate prevalent world
issues to the behavior of graphs. They are encouraged to think critically, make
predictions, and interpret the behaviors through an interactivate exercise from
shodor.org, and again study the behaviors from a KhanAcademy Graphing exercise.
The seventh day of the unit plan was not included in my spreadsheet because it
is a summative assessment—unit test where students are allowed to use their
knowledge and calculators.
The formula, “Technologies + Strategies = Standards”
was very helpful when breaking down the unit plan. It allowed me to see the
direct connection between the standards and technologies and visually understand
that they are to act as a supporting factor to the unit plan and not as a
forced add-on. It is important to keep that in mind because often times,
forcing technologies into instruction causes a distraction where the teacher
becomes the subordinate of the technology and the curriculum is jeopardized. By
properly incorporating the technologies and associated strategies, both the
student and teacher are able to achieve the core curriculum standards and NETS and
smoothly sail through the unit.
