Resources for Constructions

As we continue deep into our unit on Constructions and Locus, the following websites will help you as a resource for practicing:

www.brightstorm.com
www.regentsprep.org
www.mathopenref.com

You can also download the constructions packet here on the blog.  Notes for Points of Concurrency and Locus will appear later this week.

Angle Graphic Organizer

"The grand thing is to be able to reason backwards." Arthur Conan Doyle

Today we embarked on our study of proofs.  In some ways it was painstaking, but in other ways, energizing, as I saw students struggle to make sense of what we were doing (and why), and then to see them understand the sequence of reasoning.  Not everyone was convinced of the value of the exercise on this first day, but the tenacity with which many stuck with it was impressive.  I think this will be a very good year for Proof at HSGC.

Do a little research on proof on line, and share a little bit about it with us below - perhaps the history of it, or how and why it is used as a discipline in math, why do we continue to study proof?

points lines and planes presentation

GEOMETRY: POINTS, LINES. PLANES

View more presentations from marglema9.

Polygon Lesson

Polygons Fall 2010

Compound Statements Graphic Organizer

Conditional Statements Graphic Org

Wanna blog

How do teachers find time to blog???

For professional eyes only

So this year instead of having this blog be for my students, it will be for me.  A place to reflect, to vent, to reach out into the ether.  The year has started out insanely - new principal, new assistant principal - who have in common the communication style of a schizophrenic rhinoceros.  Monday is the first full day of classes, and here it is Saturday night and I am ready for 2.5 of my 4 classes.  Even as I type I am conscious that this effort, which I believe is for my professional benefit may be distracting me from the work I need to do.

I have come across a fabulous graphic organizer/first day student survey, for which I am grateful.  More fun than anything I would have come up with.  I am hoping - and this is the last thing I will say before I get back to the work that must be done if I am to retain my sanity through the first week - that being with my students will divert me from the nonsense up above. 

Here's to teachers who share their work with anyone lucky enough to find it.

Parallelepipeds!

We began our unit on 3D today with a review of vocabulary and a focus on prisms, learning how to calculate volume and surface area.  Do you remember the definition of parallelepiped?  Alysha H. does, as do her co-geometers Saeed L. and Valerie H.  Good work, guys - thinking about Geometry outside the box of the classroom!

I don't know why everyone was SO CHATTY today - it was like an epidemic.  Maybe someone can clue me in, but you know I am counting down until June 17- and I want EVERYONE  passing that exam!

Another note about HW #44 - some of the problems talk about triangular prisms, and we didn't practice solving any problems with prisms whose bases were not rectangles.  These problems may present a real challenge to you, but give them a try.  

JUST REMEMBER:

VOLUME of a PRISM  = AREA OF THE BASE x HEIGHT

SURFACE AREA of a PRISM = THE AREA OF ALL OF THE FACES ADDED TOGETHER

See you on the runway!

A Day of Finance

Today I had the pleasure of going on a field trip with 4 completely pleasant, open-minded girls, who were willing to go on an adventure, to look at something new without fear or hesitation, but rather with curiosity and a desire to expand their worlds.   We made it through the NY Fed's rigorous screening (!), received packets of shredded money, looked at pork bellies, soybeans and Bloomberg terminals, and took our photographs at the Bull at Bowling Green.    I am excited by the opportunity that they sought and embraced.  Who knew this field trip, reluctantly planned, would one of my best teaching days ever?  Thanks, girls!

Pi Day Digits

3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286

just a start!

World Maths Day

A great online contest that can connect you GLOBALLY and MATHEMATICALLY (What could be better?).  Check out this website:

http://www.worldmathsday.com/2010/

and let me know if you want to participate.  The way it works is this:

I sign you up so you can log on.  You are matched with someone else somewhere in the world for a one minute math contest. The math is pretty simple - adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing positive and negative numbers.  You have one minute and you can see how well you are doing versus your competitor. 

Oh - and every contest you play will earn you 3 extra homework points.

What do you think?  Take the challenge!