MED 308

Assignment #2

1. Read the article from Teaching Mathematics in the Middle School titled Perimeter and Area through the van Hiele Model. As you read the article, jot notes/thoughts/questions in the margins regarding the van Hiele model or the area and perimeter discussion and how it connects with the van Hiele model.  Use the tiles that you were given to attempt the problems discussed and presented in the article.

2. Write approximately two pages in response to the following: Would you conduct the hand-squeeze activity in your classroom?  Explain your decision.  Suppose you do conduct the activity, decide what direction your lesson would take, that is, describe what you would ask your students to do with the data once it is collected (a general overview).  Next, look at the NYS Core Curriculum - link on ANGEL: Lessons -> MathCore.pdf (NYS Core Mathematics Curriculum for Pre-K to Grade 12) and find several performance indicators from the Algebra course (grade 9) that you would address in your lesson.  Discuss how each is addressed in the lesson.

3. Complete the August 2005 Math A exam.  Monitor which questions could be solved with the use of a graphing calculator given that you are attempting to use it wherever possible. Using your completed work for the August 2005 exam and the scoring guide, carefully evaluate how students were awarded credit for each of the Part II, III, and IV questions.  In particular, note any questions/criticisms/praise you have about the rubrics, as well as any surprises surrounding the scoring of the problems and what students can and can not receive credit for.  Remember: All students must pass this exam in order to graduate from high school.  This is NOT the final exam students take for their specific course, it simply determines whether they have achieved a level of competence in mathematics that should allow them to graduate.  Lastly, use the last page of the scoring guide to consider which key idea each question was classified under and note any that you might have classified differently.
4. Re-read the handouts from class on lesson planning.  This includes the lesson plan outline, the page on anticipatory sets and closure, and the page on objectives using Blooms taxonomy.  Next, do a critical review of the lesson plan on multiplying polynomials based on the pages you have read.  Include the problem pages in your review.  Your review will be the basis for group discussion on Tuesday, so you may write notes in the margins or on additional paper, but you do not have to use a word processor to complete the assignment.