Curriculum planning for Common Core Math 3

I'm currently in my classroom a day early planning for CC Math 3.  Just snagged myself a nice new desk chair too!  Early bird gets the worm I suppose.  (I'm actually a day early because I don't plan to come tomorrow and sweat myself skinny since there's a possibility of no AC)

New Chair!

I just finished some posters for my 'I Can...' statements grouped with the Common Core Standards for Unit 1 (Geometry).  I wanted to go ahead and get those out to whoever may be reading my blog.  At a later date I may pretty them up some with pictures.  I'm printing them on different colors to distinguish between the lessons.  The first two pages will be lesson one, the nexttwo pages are lesson two, and the last page is lesson 3 of Unit 1.  *Picture does not show the last page

I'm also going to laminate them so I can use a white board marker and check them off as we go through the unit.

After the unit I will post them along my walls with illustrations.  During the unit they will be at a designated spot on my whiteboard.

Hope this makes someone's planning a little easier!

Stay tuned for the addition of other Units.

A New School Year

I go back to work tomorrow.
       But it's still July!    
       I KNOW!  Early College life man.

I will be teaching Common Core Math 3 for the second time.  The first time was difficult!  There just seems to be SO MUCH information in CC Math 3 and I definitely did not get through everything the first time.  This time I'm working my behind off trying to get everything organized so I can do a better job this semester.  I will also be working as the Digital Learning Specialist for my school as well as pursing National Board Certification.  Pray for me!

So Unit 1....I'm going to cover the Geometry stuff first.  I have to keep reminding myself to focus on the proofs.  It's easy (and more fun!) to get caught up in the activities that only require them to use the facts related to angle relationships.  The general flow of things will go like this...

   REASONING about intersecting lines (linear pairs and vertical angles)
   REASONING about parallel lines and angles
   REASONING about triangles (sum of interior angles, base angles of an isosceles triangle)
   Review Triangle Congruence Theorems
   Perpendicular Bisector Proof (i.e. any point on a perpendicular bisector is equidistant to endpoints)
   Similar figures (which I need to break down some more at a later date)


Day 1 - I plan to have the students solve a crime scene investigation from their textbooks (Core Plus Mathematics Course 3 Unit 1 Lesson 1 Investigation 1 #1)  The goal is to talk about using logic and supporting your conclusions.  I'm thinking 10 to 15 minutes on this activity.

Of course I need to go over the usual first day stuff (syllabus).  My students will already know each other so I can skip the get to know your neighbor activities.  Chances are they already know each other too well and I will spend the entire semester trying to regroup them back to the task at hand.

Then I want to jump right into REASONING about intersecting lines.  From their textbook that would be #1-3 of Unit 1 Lesson 2 Investigation 2.

The gist of this investigation begins with looking at a truck where the bed (?) raises and lowers.  Ah...just...here's a picture....

So we'll discuss what things change and what things stay the same as the bed raises and lowers.  We'll come up with the vocabulary terms 'Linear Pair' and 'Vertical Angles'.  I'm looking for a neat interactive notebooky way of getting the terms into their notebooks that they hopefully have on Day 1.

The first official problem are examples of solving for the other angles of the standard X (see picture below) when given one of the angles.

The next problem looks at a general proof of vertical angles using linear pairs.  The students follow through a complete proof showing one pair of vertical angles are congruent and then they create their own to show the other pair are congruent.

The final problem we'll work through now is a proof that if one angle is a right angle then all four angles are right angles.  This one is organized as a two column proof with all the statements filled in and the first few reasons filled in.  The students are to come up with the last few reasons.

I'll assign them the homework and everything will end with just enough time to assign an exit ticket ;)

We will have half days our first week which means each class will be about an hour.  Think I can fit it all in??