What did you say?
Math words vs. Non-math words
The textbook used:
Malloy, C. E., Molix-Bailey, R. J., Price, J., Willard, T. (2007). Texas PreAlgebra. Ohio: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.
Textbook section being taught:
Chapter 9: Real Numbers and Right Triangles, pp 462 – 508.
What are we doing?
Today we will use a variation of the K-W-L
technique (Richardson, Morgan, & Fleener, 2012, pp.
63-64) with Chapter 9’s vocabulary.
K-W-L
– What you know before we start.
– What you want to know, or what you think you will learn.
– What you learned.
Why are we doing this?
There are words used in mathematics that have different meanings outside of
math. We will be reviewing some of those words so you know what I mean as we work
on Chapter 9 (Rubenstien, 2007).
You already know a great deal about what we will be studying, but you
forget it because you are in MATH. Filling out the “K” column will help you
control your math anxiety by reminding you what you know (Willis,2010, p. 140).
References
I’m not making this stuff up; I’m restating things said by experts.
Richardson, J. S., Morgan, R. F., & Fleener, C. E. (2012). Reading to learn in the content
area. California: Wadsworth.
Rubenstein, R. (2007). Focused strategies for middle-grades mathematics vocabulary
development. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 13(4), 200-207. Retrieved
from http://www.nctm.org/Publications/mathematics-teaching-in-middleschool/2007/Vol13/Issue4/Focused-Strategies-for-Middle-Grades-MathematicsVocabulary-Development/
Willis, J. (2010). Learning to love math. ASCD.
Some words have multiple meanings
Sentence

A set of words used in speech.

A punishment for someone found guilty.
Math meanings
There are a lot of words in math that have different meanings outside of math.
Circle

Math meaning: “The set of all points in a plane that are the same distance from a
given point called the center.” (p. 551)

Other meanings:

Orbit around

A ring

A group of people sharing a common interest
In your math notebook
Label a page “Chapter 9 Vocabulary”
Divide it into 4 columns and label them:

Word

K - Non-Math definition

K - Math definition

L - Math definition (from book)
We are modifying the K-W-L technique by having K(non-math)-K(math)-L.
Work with a partner to come up with
math and non-math definitions for the
following words. Put them in your
notebooks.

Similar

Obtuse

Square

Angle

Root

Area

Ray

Legs

Acute

Scale

Degree
Example of your notebook page.
Chapter 9

Look in the textbook, pages 458 – 503, and write the
book definition of the words.

Be sure to write down the page numbers in your
notebook for future reference.

Use the Study Guide and Review section (p. 503) if you
need help locating a definition.
Example of your notebook page.
I know what you mean
Math words often refer to something very specific.
On a new page in your math notebook:

Label it “Not Quite the Same”

Divide the page into 3 columns and label them:

Terms

How they are alike

How they are different
Work with a partner and use these
groups to fill out the
“Not Quite The Same” page.


Angle

Triangle

Acute angle

Acute triangle

Obtuse angle

Isosceles triangle

Straight angle

Obtuse triangle

Scalene triangle
Number

Real Number

Irrational Number
Use illustrations or examples, but also write the specific differences.
Refer to Chapter 9.
Example of your notebook page.
Bonus
Bonus point for everyone who comes tomorrow with:

more words that have different math and non-math
meanings

“not quite the same” math terms