Class #43--8th Grade Algebra I

Tuesday, March 29, 2011, 9:10 A.M. 8th Grade Algebra I Class. Class #43 on my “50 Classes or Bust!” marathon. Given two absences, this normally small class of eight students is even smaller today. The students better be sharp for Mrs. Yapsuga! The class moves directly into three warm-up problems. The first is as follows: “Find the slope of a line containing the points (2,6) and (-5, -8).” Boy, am I rusty! The students, however, complete the three problems, share their answers on the board, and then are quickly working on the next activity. They pivot 180 degrees and face the SmartBoard on the rear wall of the class. A graph showing “Oil Changes vs. Engine Repair” is projected, and the class discusses the slope of the line and what it means. This is a follow-up to yesterday’s lesson, in which the students created a scatter plot using their graphing calculators and then created a “line of best fit.” Next, the class examines a graph displaying the relationship between the weight of a bike and the height of a jump that can be executed. After looking at the data, the students discover that for every five pounds of bike weight, the height of the jump goes down by one foot. Next, the class evaluates winning times for the men’s Olympics 200 meter individual medley swim. The class digs into some meaty questions. What is the slope of the line and what it means? What might the times have been if the Olympics had been held in 1980? Is it reasonable to predict the winning time for the 2012 Summer Games? 2028 Olympic Games? At what point do the projections become questionable, i.e. how fast is it humanly possible to swim (or run)? Mrs. Yapsuga is employing technology very well to enhance the lesson. She is using the SmartBoard to project—and type on--a graphing calculator. (See pictures below). The students have their own individual graphing calculators and can follow along, offer suggestions, and compare and contrast their answers. A great class!