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October 2017 Newsletter

Then what?
The Geometers Sketchpad After this exploration
time, students will spend
Next week, students will be introduced to our new computer program, the remainder of the
The Geometers Sketchpad! This is a pilot of the program and we are week in the computer
excited to see how integrating this use of technology in math class will lab manipulating the
software to draw angle
help with student learning. The Geometers Sketchpad is the worlds
bisectors, find midpoints,
leading software for teaching math. It gives students a tangible, visual
and calculate slope,
way to practice and interpret geometry. Specifically, the software will be among other uses.
used in our class to construct and transform geometric shapes and During this time, we will
functions. be working on a class to
solve math problems
Beginning Monday, students will spend math class in the computer lab with assistance from The
exploring the various functions of The Geometers Sketchpad through a Geometers Sketchpad.
scavenger hunt type of activity. For example, they will be instructed to This will not only allow
form a triangle on the software, find the coordinates of each point of the for more familiarity with
triangle, and the distance between each of the points. We hope that this the software, but more
exploration time will lead students to start recognizing geometric importantly foster a
stronger math
patterns as well as become familiar with the software and all functions it
understanding of the
offers.
geometry.

Is that it?

Definitely not! While next weeks lessons will focus directly on using The
Geometers Sketchpad, we will continue exploring the ideas discovered
through the software during the remainder of our geometry unit. Before
Thanksgiving break, students will be completing an end-of-unit partner
project which will include using and analyzing use of The Geometers
Sketchpad in order to solve the geometric problem. We will encourage
students to continue using The Geometers Sketchpad as a resource in the
meantime as well as in the future!

508-641-6805 Anna Krah kraha@bc.edu

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October 2017 Newsletter

More Support: Khan Academy Where to Practice:

As we dive into our geometry unit, I encourage your student to refer to Khan By grade level:
Academy for extra support. This online resource provides video lessons, practice www.khanacademy.org
problems, lesson quizzes, and unit tests for students to explore and challenge
themselves with. It has all this practice organized by grade level or by math subject.
Math by grade High
This means that if your student would like to review or practice the foundations of
school
geometry, they have that opportunity by selecting By math subject but if your
student would like to practice geometry transformations, as we will be encountering
in class, they have that opportunity by selecting By grade level. Mathematics I

Things to note: Geometry

Spending time practicing previously learned concepts is a GOOD thing! I transformations
highly encourage students to use Khan Academy as a way to refresh their
memories.
By math subject:
If students encounter a lesson or problem particularly difficult, I encourage
www.khanacademy.org
them to write it down and bring it to me before class instead of ignoring its
difficulty.
Khan Academy is an additional resource, not a supplemental resource. In Math by subject
other words, students should not be relying on Khan Academy to teach new Geometry
concepts, but rather to reinforce concepts.
Khan Academy is a great resource no matter which math concept we are Transformations,
learning in school! Students should navigate around the site and discover Congruence, or Similarity
which other concepts they can practice through the online resource.

As Always

Feel free to reach out to me with any questions regarding these two
programs, the math we are learning about in school, and/or your childs
progress in math. I am happy to provide more support. Additionally,
please check in with your student. Be sure to ask them about what they
are learning in terms of math concepts as well as technology. These next
few weeks will be very exciting and unique I am sure they will be eager
to share!

508-641-6805 Anna Krah kraha@bc.edu