#Made4Math Mon... errr, Tuesday :) Quadratic Functions

I'm a day late... again... Sorry about that! :) This week is the equivalent of hell week for me for some reason - lots of meetings, lots of late nights, and WAY too many things on my "to-be-done" list! But that's okay... I'll keep plugging away at it and hopefully someday I'll be caught up! :)

This week's Made4Math focuses on my Algebra 2 class, so hopefully there is something here you can use!

Project #1 - Partner Problems WS
Remember me saying how swamped I am? (If not, may I direct you to paragraph one...) This year is going well, but with new responsibilites plus a prep I haven't had in 2 years plus a record number of students on my roster and I'm just plumb tuckered out! So yesterday in Algebra 2, we were supposed to start Quadratic Functions (the infamous Chapter 5 in every Alg2 text). However, I just wasn't feeling it, so I gave my kids a "sub day". That means that I got up at the beginning of the hour and said...

"Good morning kiddos! I'm Mrs. __'s Sub. Mrs. __ isn't here today because she just had a ton to do. But, Mrs. __ left a lovely note saying how awesome her classes were, so I know you guys are going to do just great today! Mrs. __ did leave some review work for you, but I hate to tell you that I, Mrs __'s Sub, don't know ANY math, so you'll really have to rely on your table partners and your notebook to help you out. Mrs. __ said in her note that you are used to using your notebook as a resource, so I know this is going to be just an awesome day!"

The kids cracked up. All hour, they would refer to me as "Mrs. __'s Sub" and today they even asked if the Sub had left a good note about them! :)

Anyway, here's a snippet of the worksheet they had to do:

Project #2 - Vertex and Standard Form
Today, we started Quadratic Functions and how to graph them. Tomorrow we are going to talk about Vertex Form of a quadratic and how to switch back and forth from Vertex to Standard Form. In their groups, the students will be asked to match the following:

More Projects underway...
I did create a foldable for Quadratic Functions, but I forgot to take a picture! DOH!
I'll share it soon :)

Also on tonight's plan is to create these awesome factoring mats from Amy's blog.

Happy Halloween!!! :)

#Made4Math Monday #18

Don't forget to submit YOUR #Made4Math post HERE

Here are today's submissions:

Beth - Slope Stations

@misscalcul8 - Slope-Intercept Form Card Sort

@druinok - Quadratic Functions Fun

My Favorite Kitchen Extra

Welcome to another Friday :) Honestly, this week I forgot it was Friday until it was actually here! There's so much on my to-do list this week and most of it involved grading - UGH!

One of the things that really helps me when I grade is COFFEE! :)

Problem is... I don't like "real" coffee - I like the flavored stuff...

So enter in My Favorite...

Please ignore our McDonald's Monopoly game pieces - LOL :)

Seriously, our Christmas gift to each other last year was a Keurig and I can honestly say it's been one of the best purchases. Yes, it's a bit expensive to buy K Cups, but it's so worth it to me. Hubs likes his coffee strong and jet powered, while I like the flavors, so this has been awesome because we can each have "our" coffee without a lot of waste. I'm also a hot cocoa fan, and the Keurig is so much easier to use with my hot cocoa packets than warming water in the microwave.

My current favorite K-cup is the Folger's Vanilla Biscotti... :) I'm also a fan of the Chai Latte.

I think I'm going to go make a cup of coffee...

My Favorite Friday #14

Don't forget to submit your post HERE

TravelingMathTeacher - Math Graffiti Posters

@4mulafun Jennifer Smith-Sloane - Favorite Activities (Video Style)

@druinok - My Favorite Kitchen Extra

Math In The Middle - My Favorite iPad Apps

@misscalcul8 - Student Teacher

@tbanks06 - Best Group Work Activity :)

@sqrt_1 - Sound Buttons

Made4Math Monday #17

Don't forget to submit YOUR #Made4Math post HERE

Here are today's submissions:

@4mulafun Jennifer Smith-Sloane - Flippable Templates

@csteketee21 - Scratch Off Unit Rates

@misscalcul8 - Relations and Functions Foldables

@druinok - Around the World

@fourkatie - GEMS (Order of Operations)

@4mulafun Jennifer Smith-Sloane - Interactive Notebook Video Update

Kristin - Combining Like Terms Art

@crstn85 - Geometry Proofs: A New Approach

@_CindyWallace_ - Getting Our Groove on w/ Dance to Advance

#Made4Math - Around the World

This past week was Fall Break and let me tell you - I needed it! Just a few days of sleeping in, taking naps, etc really helped me to rest and relax. In fact, yesterday, as I was thinking about this week's lesson plans, I even had the energy to be creative again! :)

On a typical Sunday, I can spend many, many hours tossing and turning ideas over in my mind until I finally settle on what I want to do. But not this week! Within about 3 hours, I had all of my lessons ready to go for this week - yay!

So here's what I'm doing this week on our block schedule day...

This activity has many names, but I call it "Around the World". In this activity, I have 18 problems and answers that I will post around my room. Each pair of students will pick a problem, go to that location, work the problem, then find the answer on another card and work that one. It continues until they have worked all of the problems and they are back to their original starting place. This one is specifically to help review normal distribution problems for my AP Stat class.

I hope all of you have a wonderful week!

Fall Break!!

As @cheesemonkeysf pointed out this morning, this week is #MyFavFriday the 13th!

My favorite thing about this week has been FALL BREAK!! :)

That means sleeping in... lounging in my pjs... going on a mini roadtrip with the hubs... and in general, not thinking about school!

Let's just say that this break was sorely needed. I am having a good year for the most part, but it's been overwhelming at times. I have (very) full classes and between 5 classes plus advisory, I have 182 students this year to keep track of. If I include my university class, then add another 30 to that. (Secret time.. I *still* don't know all of their names! shh! don't tell!)

I hope you will all forgive the short post, but I am off to curl up with a novel :)

Happy Friday!

My Favorite Friday #13

Don't forget to submit your post HERE

@_CindyWallace_ - Black Light Math

Simplifying Radicals @noraoswald - The Line Game and The Parabola Game

radical rational - Paper Thermometers

msmathemagician - Punch Cards

@druinok - Fall Break

Kristin - Holt Alternate Opener Explorations

Beth - Hats Off to You

Michelle B - White board favorite

@reminoodle - Watson Street Loft (local band)

@reminoodle - Ukulele (last week...forgot to link up)

#Made4Math Monday #16

This week has taken FOREVER to get here! It's finally our Fall Break and believe me, I am *READY* for it. That means I'll actually have TIME to read my google reader!!! :) yay!

Anyway, don't forget to submit YOUR #Made4Math post HERE

And now on to today's submissions:

@msklaster - Digital Word Walls

@tbanks06 - Best Formative Assessment Ever: STICKY NOTES

radical rational - parallelogram foldable

Simplifying Radicals @noraoswald - Proficien-trees

Beth - slope/intercept practice worksheet turned game

@btwnthenumbers (Bree) - Mini-Book

@_CindyWallace_ - Walking Word Bank

@misscalcul8 - Picture Frame Stations

My Favorite Friday #12

Welcome to Week #12 of #MyFavFriday!!!

Don't forget to submit your post HERE

And now on to today's submissions....

Ms. Z teaches in Mathland - A Very Busy Mom Still Finds Time to Cook

@druinok - My Favorite Win7 Gem

@luvbcd "Middle School Math Rules!" - Filetastics

School of Fisher - Student of the Month Candy Bars

@algebrainiac1 - Food Fridays - 3 Addictive Dips

Julie Reulbach, @jreulbach - Homework Responsibilty and Monster Equations

My Favorite Win7 Gem :)

When I got a "new to me" laptop last year, it came with Windows 7. I have to admit, that there are parts of Win7 that really drive me bonkers. But, there's one feature that I really love..

The Snipping Tool!

If you don't know what the Snipping Tool is, you are MISSING OUT! :)

For example, for my AP Statistics class, I like to use actual AP problems whenever possible. However, the pdf version of the released exams are locked down, meaning you can't use the Adobe Snapshot tool to grab a graph for classroom use.

In the past, I had two options...

A) Literally cutting and pasting the graph from a printed copy of the released exam to use on classroom assessments...

Or

B) Taking a screenshot, pasting it into Paint, then using the select tool to cut out the graph...

BUT... No more!

With the snipping tool, you can cut out of ANY document, webpage, file, image, etc. It's soooo awesome :)

I <3 Snipping Tool! :)

Made4Math - New Foldable

In case you haven't noticed, I'm on a bit of a foldable kick :)

For some reason, my students do so much better at taking (and referring back to) this style of notes.

Anywayz... today we reviewed solving systems by substitution and elimation, which of course meant a foldable was in order!

Outside...

Inside...

It's not much, but my kiddos liked it :)

Here's the file if you want it!

Happy Monday!

#Made4Math Monday - Week 15

Brrr!!! Fall has definitely arrived! So grab a cup of hot cocoa, throw a blanket over your lap, and settle in to read this week's posts... :)

Don't forget to submit YOUR #Made4Math post HERE

And now on to today's submissions:

@_CindyWallace_ - QR Code Scavenger Hunt

Beth - slope as rate of change

Bree (@btwnthenumbers) - Personalized Business Cards

@druinok - Systems Foldable

@misscalcul8 - Foldables

Julie Reulbach, @jreulbach - Equation Solving - Monster Math!

My Favorite Friday #11

Welcome to another awesome week of #MyFavFriday, featuring posts from around the blogosphere!

Don't forget to submit YOUR #MyFavFriday post HERE

Now on to Week 11's posts...

@druinok - Chicken Tortilla Cheese Soup

@luvbcd - My favorite routines for student papers

Math Tales From the Spring - Ghosts in the Graveyard (New and Revised)

@algebrainiac1 - Count Off

@4mulafun Jennifer Smith-Sloane - Organization is Empowering!

Beth - Simple lunches

@csteketee21 - Estimation180

My Favorite Cold Weather Meal :)

Here it is - the first weekend in October... That means the fair is in town and that chilly weather is upon us. Never fail, this weekend is traditionally the *true* start to fall weather, jackets, and hoodies!

So, in honor of the rainy, cold weekend, I present my favorite cold weather meal :)

(PS - I have *no* earthly idea where I originally found this recipe. I know it was after I discovered that I love my crockpot :))

By the way, the recipe calls for chicken and I'm sure this would be yummy with some boneless chicken breasts that had been shredded, but part of the reason I love this recipe is that all I have to do is open some cans and dump it into my crockpot :)

Chicken Tortilla Cheese Soup
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans fiesta nacho cheese soup
1 (10-oz) can red enchilada sauce
1 soup can milk
2 cans of chunk chicken (found near the tuna... )

Mix all together in crockpot and heat on Low until everything is mixed and melted together well.

I'm sure there are a variety of ways to serve this, but I like to put crushed tortilla chips in a bowl, smother it in this soup, and put a bit of shredded cheese on top :)

It is delicious! :)

Enjoy!

#Made4Math - A Puzzle and a Game

I am *so* glad that September is over!!! It was the most horrible month filled with all sorts of craziness! So far, October is shaping up to be quite awesome! Yay!

Anyway, on to today's projects

Project #1 - A Puzzle
Several #Made4Math-ers have posted about Tarsia puzzles, but I will admit there is something about making them by hand that I really enjoy! Last week, in Algebra 2, I taught Absolute Value Equations, but I wanted some way for them to practice that was self-checking, so I created an Absolute Value Jigsaw Puzzle.

The kids had a good time cutting and solving the puzzle. I really should use these more often... :)

Project #2 - A Game
I am working on my second project as I type! In AP Stat, we are currently working on graphs, etc, so this weekend, I stumbled upon this link of matching boxplots, histograms, and summary statistics. Of course that meant I had to pull out my pretty paper stash and fire up the ole laminator :) Have I mentioned lately how much I *love* my laminator!?!

Now just to have my student assistant cut them out tomorrow and there's Thursday's lesson plan!

Project #3 - Station Check
Every once in a while, I get a moment of inspiration. Tomorrow, in Algebra 2, we are reviewing for a quiz using a Stations activity. Julie, at ISpeakMath, blogged about this previously and I shamelessly stole the idea to use acrylic picture frames to make the stations look more professional and prop them up on the table for the students. However, I wanted tomorrow's stations to be self checking, so this morning, I got the bright idea to write the answers on index cards. Problem is, that I wanted some way to put the index card on the back of the picture frame. I started wandering around my room thinking of what I could use to mount the index card and I ran across an extra package of the library card pockets from Dollar Tree. A trip through the laminator and now we have...

Now just to cut out the card pockets, tape them to the back of the picture frames and insert the index card. :)

Don't forget to check out more #Made4Math projects HERE

Made4Math Monday - Week 14

Yay! It's finally October :)

I am so excited to read this week's posts. I don't know that any of us could have ever expected the awesomeness that has turned out to be #Made4Math. Because of YOU, each of us are being more creative and reaching more students on a weekly basis. Don't forget to submit YOUR #Made4Math post HERE

And now on to today's submissions:

@_CindyWallace_ - Math imPossible: Part Deux

Beth - Solving Equations Foldable

@noraoswald - Bucket O Lies

Kristen Fouss - Exit slips and google site

@algebrainiac1 - Sticky Ball Review Game

@druinok - A Puzzle and a Game

@marlenemharris - Sets of Real Numbers Venn Diagram

Julie Reulbach, @jreulbach - Zero Game for Integers and Abs Value

@misscalcul8 - Ships in the Ocean

@reminoodle - Course Binders