MAP 103: Activities/Lesson Plans/Ideas/Useful Technology Archive

Sections referenced are from Intermediate Algebra, 2ed by Miller, O'Neill and Hyde.

Lessons/Activities

1.1 Sets of Real Numbers

• Students had difficulty with intersections and unions of intervals the first time I taught the topic.  I assigned some homework problems but was aware that the students were having some trouble.  I got some construction paper and "cut out" some intervals.  Using different color construction paper, I cut out two arrows and a few different-length strips.  I brought in tape and I could overlay the intervals on top of each other.  When I taught the topic the first time I really wanted to somehow overlay the intervals on top of each other; obviously one cannot cut out the chalkboard.  The students were very much helped by this tactic and reacted positively to me doing this.  If I were to do this again, I would make it a discovery activity and have the students work with cutouts in groups.  ~Nick

1.8 Exponents and Scientific Notation

• Click here for a discovery-based worksheet that the students completed in groups of three.  The students very much enjoyed figuring (or remembering) the rules for themselves.

Chapter 2 - Lines

• Here is an activity that I used for the students to discover slope-intercept form.  I think the discussion parts could be improved.  I didn't really have the time for them to discover the idea of slope, although perhaps they picked up on it in the activity because it was very easy discussing it with them.

Chapter 4 - Functions

• Here is an activity that I did where the students construct a relation and a function and you can use their data to define relation and function. I also had a group plot their data on an overhead and then had the students figure out how we could determine from the graph which relation was a function.

Piecewise Functions

• I used the beginning of the piecewise functions notes as a discovery activity.  I think it worked beautifully and was one of the best (if not the best) lesson of the semester.  Here it is. 

Recommended Technology

• Graph Paper Creator - At the bottom is a program that lets you create graph paper and you can copy and paste the graph paper into MS Word, thus students aren't busy using graph paper that just isn't a good size for what you are doing.
• Winplot - simple to use and excellent to use from algebra to calculus III.  Plots functions, pictures solids of revolution and solids of known base and cross-section, slope fields, implicit plots, polar and parametric graphs, etc.