Intro. to Secondary Mathematics

Checkpoint 1(3/11)

Mathematics semester goals

My goal is to keep my score at an A in this course to the end of the semester.
I will turn in every assignment on time and avoid any late points
I will keep my Google site updated every week so I don’t have to rush at the last minute.

Week 6 check:

So far, I am doing well, I turned in all my work on time, and particapte in class, and my grade is what I want. I need to make sure that I can keep that attitude for the whole semester.

Research project: Al-Khwarizmi’s development of algebra

Working on the project about Al-Khwarizmi was pretty cool because I learned that math isn't just about numbers; it was developed during the Islamic Golden Age to solve real-world problems like trade and inheritance. The most interesting thing I found was that in the 9th century, equations were written in words instead of the symbols like X and Y. While working on the research project, the most challenging part was finding information and specific examples of how previous government used math for things like land records, but I overcame this by looking into some articles to see how it helped the government. Through this project, I improved my organizational skills by taking a lot of complex information and breaking it down into simple and clear slides. If I had more time, I might want to try solving one of his word problems myself to see if I could do it without using modern formulas. This project changed how I think about math because I now see it as a useful tool that people have been using for a long time to run businesses and handle money.

Simplifying and Expanding Expressions

In this activity, I worked on a worksheet where I had to simplify the exponents and expand different types of equations. I learned that any number to the power of 0 equals 1. I also worked on expanding the brackets, which means multiplying the numbers inside the brackets to get the final answer. By doing this, I learned how to handle longer math problems step-by-step without getting mixed up.

What does this say about me: This work shows that I am a hard worker who can finish long assignments. I try to write my steps clearly so that I don't get confused as the problems get more difficult.

Growth & Plan: I found out that I sometimes make small mistakes about messing up with plus and minus signs when I try to finish the question too fast. To fix this, I am going to double-check my work to make sure I am solving what I am solving so I don't miss anything.

Crossword Puzzle

For this activity, I worked on a crossword puzzle to learn the definition of algebra terms. This helps me connect words like coefficient, distributive, and polynomial with the actual math concept we used in class. I finished most of it correctly, but I made two mistakes on numbers 6 and 18.

What this says about me: This work shows that I am trying to learn the language or vocabulary of math, not just the numbers. Making mistakes shows me exactly which definitions I still need to practice.

Growth & Plan: I plan to make a small vocabulary list in my notebook to use as a cheat sheet. I will also remember what these vocabulary words are used for, and when or where they will be shown in math problems, so I won't mix up similar words again.

Connection to two or more assignments from other classes: My math work connects to my Science and PBL projects. In Science, I use algebra to solve formulas for speed and force. In my PBL project, I used these same math skills to manage our budget. It shows that Algebra is a tool I need for almost every class, not just math.

Connection to the previous assignment, assessment, or project: This semester continued what I learned in 8th grade, but it is obviously more advanced. Back then, we just solved simple equations, but now we are doing harder ones, multi-step problems, and learning the history behind them. My research project on Al- Khwarizmi helped me understand that the rules I use on my worksheets nowadays were actually created hundreds of years ago.

Peer feedback & Changes: While I was working on my research project, my classmate looked at my slides and suggested that I could explain how algebra is used in the real world today. Because of that feedback, I added more details to my slides about how math is used in modern jobs like computer programming and engineering. This makes my final project more detailed and complete.

Checkpoint 2 (Week 7-13)

Mathematics Semester Goals: Week 13 Check-in

Looking back at my progress from week 7 to week 13, the best evidence of my growth is how much better I have gotten at catching my own mistakes before turning in my work. For example, on my algebra worksheets and algebra traffic light review activity, I used to rush and make small sign errors. Now I always verify my answer and discuss it with my classmates to check the answer. My grades have stayed right where I want them because I have been more careful and double-checking the math, which proves my study habits have really improved this semester.

Algebra project: Math Adventure Field trip

The hardest part of modelling this project was having to build two separate math tables and two graphs entirely by myself on days when my groupmate was absent for personal reasons. It was really stressful and difficult to finish all of the graphing on time. Even though I asked for help from the teacher, I still couldn't really understand.

Using math really helped us make smart choices. Looking at the numbers and tables showed us the exact moment when one activity or meal option became cheaper than the other, so we didn't have to guess. If our budget suddenly increased by 50,000 NTD, I would change our plans by choosing the more expensive paintball package or adding extra game time. This is because we would have a lot of extra money to give everyone a much better time, enjoying fun with their friends or classmates.

The number of people participating changes the cheapest option. If only a few people go, it is better to pick a per person price because you only pay for those who show up. But if a huge group goes, it is much better to choose a flat fee. This is because a flat fee stays the same no matter what, so when you divide the single cost among a lot of people, the price for each person becomes very small.

SCRATCH: CODE

For this activity, I used Scratch to make two math calculators. The first one asks the user for a length and a width to find the area of a rectangle. The second one asks for the length, width, and height to find the volume of a 3D shape. This work shows that I can use a computer program to solve math problems instead of just writing them on paper. It shows that I know how to put the calculator steps in the right order so the computer doesn't get confused. What surprised me most was how fast Scratch can give you the final answer after you type in your numbers. While making my calculators, I realized that if I accidentally put a plus block instead of a multiplication block inside my code variables, the program gives a completely wrong answer. This tells me that making a small error on a math worksheet where one tiny mistake ruins the whole calculation. Now that I know how to use Scratch to ask questions and use variables, I plan to test my code step by step with basic numbers to ensure my math formulas are completely correct.

Connection to other classes: My math work connects to my Science class and my PBL project. In Science, I use algebra formulas to calculate speed. In my PBL project, I used these same math skills to track our budget numbers for our project. This shows that algebra is a tool I need for almost every class, not just math class.

Connection to the previous assignment: This semester continued what I learned in 8th grade, but it is more advanced. Back then, we just solved simple equations, but now we are doing harder ones, like building entire math models for a field trip and using coding blocks to calculate rectangle area and volume.

Peer feedback & Changes: While working on the Algebra project, I present my project to my peers, they suggested that I should make the data tables and graphs easier to read by adding clear labels for the costs and number of people. Because of that feedback, I went back and edited our project sheets to make sure all the labels were correct. This made our final project model much more organized and easier for anyone to understand.

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