Math Educator Appreciation Day
Session Descriptions
20 January 2007
1
Session:
Audience/Level:
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Description:
Room: T378
Capacity: 30
2
Session:
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3
Room: T178
Capacity: 30
Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T186
Capacity: 120
4
Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T270
Capacity: 30
Trig Labs and Activities
Grades 9—12
Melissa Sinclair, Cienega High School
Have you ever wanted to do more hands-on
activities in your upper-level math classes?
This presentation will include handouts and
information on specific activities
trigonometry students love to do and learn
with. Attendees will experience a lab or two
and also get to see some excellent websites
for trigonometry instruction.
Mathematical Reasoning and Proof Using
Games
General Interest
Dr. Steve Willoughby, UA Professor Emeritus
Using games, puzzles and unusual theorems
we can teach logical reasoning.
Crafting Creative Thinkers
General Interest
Dr. Edward Burger, Williams College, Holt
textbook author and consultant for the TV
show NUMB3RS
What are the life lessons we can offer all our
students in our mathematics courses? Is there
anything beyond “solving for x”? Here we
will see that we have a wonderful story to tell
that can really touch the life of the minds of
all our students and explore the real
applications of mathematical thinking (and
it’s not about the train leaving Tucson at noon
heading east while another train leaves
Chicago at 1:00 pm).
Tessellations: The Geometric Art of
Illusion
Grades 6-12, Geometry Teachers
Kitty Williams, CRIZMAC Educational
Materials
Artist M.C. Escher’s images are so
intriguing—they entice us to look again and
again. Learn about the tessellations of Escher
and explore the visual drama of line, space,
and repetition. Following a brief presentation,
you will learn step-by-step techniques to
make three types of tessellations: translations,
rotations, and reflections. Leave prepared to
enhance your math lessons with meaningful
hands-on activities.
5
Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T375
Capacity: 30
6
Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T184
Capacity: 30
7
Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T379
Capacity: 30
8
Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T183
Capacity: 30
Connected Mathematics 2: What Do You
Mean…Dividing?
Grades 6-8
Vance Riggins & Linda Moran, Utterback MS
We’ll explore one lesson in the unit
“Comparing and Scaling”. Participants will
view a student-centered lesson using the
Launch, Explore, Summarize model.
TI-Navigator™ --TECHNOLOGY for the
Algebra Classroom
9—12
Gary Slagel, Jason Dyer; Pueblo HS, TUSD
and Tom Hibbs, Co-Presenter from Texas
Instruments
Experience the latest in math technology for
improving student achievement. TINavigator™ connects your students’ TI
graphing calculators to share individual
screens, enabling students to share algebra
and data. Teachers can deliver quizzes and
tests and give instant feedback to students.
This tool enables a PLC (professional learning
community) approach to improving
instruction. For the teacher who wants to
maximize the effectiveness of their formative
assessment and collaborative activities, this
session is a must!
Wicked Cool High School Graphing
Techniques
Grades 9—12, Advanced Placement Teachers
David Kukla; Sabino High School
Using transformations to graph families of
curves, students learn to create excellent
graphs with exact values. I’ve been using it
for a while and my students ask, “Why don’t
my other teachers teach it this way?”.
Origami in Geometry Class
Grades 9—12, Geometry
Linda Alley-Sarnack, Tucson High Magnet
School
Come explore how to incorporate paper
folding in a geometry class as you maintain
rigor and have some fun at the same time.
Participants will engage in hands-on folding
explorations of geometric concepts, using the
paper models to support mathematical
justifications. This will be geared to high
school level geometry.
9
Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T264
Capacity: 30
10 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T378
Capacity: 30
11 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T269
Capacity: 30
12 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T183
Capacity: 30
Writing Problems for Algebra: Don’t Just
Do Something, Stand There!
Algebra (middle & high), Grades 9—12
Dr. William McCallum, U of A Math
For many students of algebra, the essence of
the subject is in doing things: expanding,
factoring, simplifying, combining. However,
in order to have future success with algebra,
students also need to able to look at algebraic
expressions and equations and interpret them,
see structure in them, and understand the
purpose of different forms. We will start with
a brief presentation of examples of problems
designed to foster these abilities, and then
have a hands-on session writing such
problems.
Algebraic Aerobics to Move Your Students
General Interest
Theresa Riel, Pima Community College
Algebraic Aerobics to Move Your Students
will be a participatory session on
transformations in algebra. Participants will
“exercise” their way through transformations
of basic functions. Teaching methods, along
with pointers from the presenter and
contributions from participants, will be
included. A fun time will be had by all.
Please wear appropriate clothing and, as
always, check with your medical personnel
before you begin any exercise or diet
program!
SmartBoards in Math Classrooms
General Interest
Brandon Hall, CCS Presentation Systems
This presentation will provide a general
overview of SmartBoard functionality as well
as new improvements to the Notebook
software. Specific topics will include:
SmartBoard functionality, InkAware,
integration with Microsoft Office products,
new Smart Equation Editor, and new
additions to the Math Gallery.
The Eyeball and Archimedes
Grades 6—8 and High School Geometry
Dr. David Gay; UA Professor Emeritus
How do we KNOW the standard formulas for
the volume and surface area of the sphere?
We memorized them! (Because our teacher
told us.) Using models, analogy, and some
ideas from Archimedes we’ll discover these
formulas in more convincing ways. Maybe
even use a rope trick or two…..
13 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T184
Capacity: 30
14 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T270
Capacity: 30
15 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T264
Capacity: 30
16 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T178
Capacity: 30
C.S.I. Problem Solving
Grades 6—10, algebra teachers
Catherine Parker & Allison Lemons,
Calabasas Middle School
This is a problem-solving project giving
students the opportunity to solve high-interest
problems with a wide variety of strategies.
The students not only solve the problems, but
explain their solutions in an essay. They must
consider strategies used, reasonableness of
answer, and proper use of mathematical
language. We will include sample problems,
examples of student work, and a rubric for
scoring the projects.
Building Concepts and Skills through
Manipulatives and Games
Grades 6—8
Eileen Short; Desert Sky Middle School
Participants will be actively involved in an
introduction to manipulatives and games used
to develop concepts and skills including
integer addition, order of operations, solving
1-step algebraic equations, and multiplying
and dividing polynomials.
***Getting to Know You, Getting to Really
Like You….
Grades 6—8
Judi Breault & Jennifer Gould, St. Michael’s
School
This presentation will be a workshop session
to show how a few specific projects helped
kids and teachers get excited about, learn, and
enjoy mathematics. We will begin with
“getting to know you” data collection, which
will be used to construct a variety of graphs
including line plots, stem and leaf plots, and
box and whisker plots. There will be
suggestions on what to include in
comprehensive projects related to graphing,
statistics, and measurement as well as ideas
on assessing these projects. The workshop
will conclude with a brainstorming session so
we can all get more ideas.
The Physics Factory: an Elementary and
Middle School Science Outreach Project
Grades 6-8 & General Interest
Dr. Bruce Bayly, U of A Math Department
“The Physics Factory”
(www.physicsfactory.org) is a nonprofit
organization set up by a group of math and
science teachers in Tucson, Arizona. Its goal
is to reveal to children that science has a
17 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T182
Capacity: 30
18 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T379
Capacity: 30
19 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T377
Capacity: 30
major dramatic and exciting side, so that as
they progress through middle and high school
they do not stop taking math and science at
the first opportunity. Our operation consists
mainly of visits to schools and other
venues/events (after school programs,
Children’s Museum, City of Tucson events,
community fairs, night clubs etc.) at which we
can present a variety of science exhibits and
demonstrations. The center of our operation
is The Physics Bus, a 1983 GMC Bluebird
school bus (converted to run on discarded
vegetable frying oil) in which we can
transport equipment and also set up a certain
amount of equipment. This presentation will
describe our operation so far, plans for future,
and feature video from our Summer 2006
cross-country road trip.
Foldables in the Classroom
Grades 6—8
Kathleen Caine; currently at UA, former MS
& HS teacher
See and make several examples of “foldables”
that I’ve used in the middle school classroom.
These engaging activities work for notetaking, assessment, review and as mnemonic
devices for many mathematical concepts.
They are particularly appropriate for English
Language Learners working on academic
fluency. While many of my examples are
geared toward the middle school classroom,
they can be adapted for other levels.
Preparing for AIMS
Grades 9—12, algebra and geometry teachers
Melissa Sinclair, Cienega High School
This presentation will help teachers identify
ways they can help students prepare for the
math subtest of AIMS. These strategies work
for sophomores as well as for junior and
senior students retaking AIMS after
approaching or falling far below the standard.
Topics will include test-taking strategies,
preparation weeks before, days before, and
the night before the test.
Get Moving With Algebra
Algebra Teachers, Middle and High School
Jennifer North Morris, Consultant with Key
Curriculum Press
We will use movement and data collection to
make algebra come alive and get students up
out of their seats. Your students will be
engaged and enthusiastic to participate in
these easy-to-do activities.
20 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T374
Capacity: 30
21 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T375
Capacity: 30
22 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T186
Capacity: 120
23 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T377
Capacity: 30
From Teacher to Leader: Helping Teachers
Find Their Voice
9—12
Randa Ryan & Susan Heikkinen, Phoenix
Union High School District
How can you transfer the power of one to the
power of many? Explore strategies used in
Phoenix Union High School District, an urban
district, to build the leadership capacity of all
of their math teachers. Presenters will share
how Professional Learning Communities
were used to help classroom teachers
transform into leaders of mathematics.
Reflection Properties of Curves
Grades 9—12, Algebra & Geometry
Dr. Nick Rogers, UA Math Department
How does a flashlight focus light into a
narrow beam? How are the telescopes around
Tucson able to observe stars that are millions
of miles away? They each take advantage of
the unique reflection properties of a mirror in
the shape of a parabola. In this talk we will
describe the reflection properties of ellipses
and parabolas from a geometric viewpoint,
and discuss applications to optics.
Big Ideas: What Mathematics do Students
Need to Know for College?
General Interest - Any Math Teacher
Deborah Hughes Hallett, UA & Harvard Math
What are the big ideas of mathematics that
students need to learn in middle and high
school to succeed in quantitative courses in
college? Are algebraic manipulations
important? Why do so many majors require
calculus? We will look at how the big ideas
of K-12 mathematics are used in different
fields, including engineering, biology,
business, and the social sciences.
Effective Practices for African-American
Students with Implications for ALL
Students
General Interest
Dr. Linda Fulmore, Mathematics and Equity
Consultant
This session will present findings from a
study of eighteen mathematics teachers of
African-American students. The findings will
be supported by research with implications for
higher achievement for African-American and
ALL students.
24 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T183
Capacity: 30
25 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T182
Capacity: 30
26 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T184
Capacity: 30
27 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T178
Capacity: 30
28 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T269
Capacity: 30
Math Foldables – Helping Students Learn
& Retain Math Concepts
Grades 6—8, and 9-10
Bob Mora, Glencoe Publishing
Teachers in grades 6-10 will learn how to
improve student math comprehension and
study skills using FoldablesTM, 3D graphic
organizers that use kinesthetic activity to help
students organize and retain information. A
hand-out will be provided.
How Many Fish Are In the Lake?
Grades 6—8
Dr. Matt Ondrus, UA Math
There is a clever mathematical answer,
commonly referred to as “Capture and
Recapture,” to the question of how a biologist
might determine the number of fish in a lake.
This technique relies on mathematical ideas
ranging from ratio and proportion to
probability. We will discuss the relevant
mathematical ideas, ideas for classroom
implementation, limitations of this technique,
and some of the other real-life situations for
which this idea is useful.
Instant Assessment and Evaluation with
TI-Navigator for Middle school
Grades 6-8
Laura Carbajal, Kino Junior High
TI-Navigator with TI-73 graphing calculators
allows middle school student to use instant
assessment and evaluation with middle school
activities for middle school math. The system
connects the teacher to every student’s
calculator. We will use the Screen Capture,
Activity Center, Quick Poll, and Learn Check
with applications especially geared to middle
school classrooms and students. Let’s
improve math achievement before students
get incurably lost!
Drawing an “Average” Picture
Grades 6—8
Thomas Hoopingarner, Sunnyside School
District Mathematics Specialist
Participants will create and explore models
for mean, median, and mode and how the
three “averages” interact with each other.
Proportions and Percents Boring? NO
WAY!
Grades 6—8
Lori Gaither, Alice Vail Middle School
Who knew that Thales of Miletus could help
us measure the height of our school’s
flagpole? Do those GROW ANIMALS really
grow to be 600% of their size? Learn a
29 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T270
Capacity: 30
30 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T379
Capacity: 30
31 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T375
Capacity: 30
32 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T264
Capacity: 30
33 Session:
Audience/Level:
Presenter(s)/Speakers:
Description:
Room: T374
Capacity: 30
couple of activities to creatively add some
excitement to teaching proportions, metric
measuring, and finding percent! Handouts
with details will be available!
Roll the Dice! Math is Nice!
Grades 6—8
Sue Foree, Rebecca Beauregaard and Teresa
Peterson, Safford Middle School
Three teachers teaching different levels,
special education, basic math and algebra,
will present different games for students that
traditionally are bored with worksheets,
lecture and textbook teaching. The games can
be interchanged or modified for any level
middle school classroom. Join us for a fun
“hands-on” session.
Exploring the NCTM Focal Points
Grades 6—8, General Interest
Christie McDougall, TUSD Middle School
Math Resource
The Curriculum Focal Points are an NCTM
publication highlighting the most important
mathematical topics for each grade level preK through 8. They comprise related ideas,
concepts, skills, and procedures that form the
foundation for understanding and lasting
learning. Participants at this session will be
provided an overview of the Curriculum Focal
Points for grades 6-8, answers to frequently
asked questions, a look at the specifics in
grades 6-8, as well as ideas for implications of
this document on our practice and planning.
The Product Game
Grades 6-8
Sharon Petty, Utterback Middle School
Come experience the Product Game, a
Connected Mathematics activity.
The Mathematics of the Grazing Goat &
Other Problems of Measurement
Grades 9-12
Linda Dahlsgaard, CFHS, retired
Using the formula for the area of a circle, one
problem is presented, and then made more
difficult to challenge different skill levels of
students as well as teachers.
Radicals and Factoring
Algebra Teachers
Darla Aguilar, Pima Community College
We will use a hands-on and semi-concrete
method to teach simplification of radicals.
We will also explore factoring using three
methods, fractions, tic-tac-toe & scissors.