Saturday, August 20, 2016

Algebra 1 Concept Map

I am excited to be teaching Algebra 1 again this year. It's been about 6 years (more?). I have other classes, too, but this is the one that I haven't taught for a while, so I am a new person and hopefully I can bring all the new things I've learned in the last while to the little kidlets. I was at PCMI this summer, and one of the key take-aways I will be using in class is more and more frequent reflections on just about everything. The kids should be processing their information and recalling it frequently. I know this is nothing new, but I want to make a conscious effort this year for this.

Also, I love how my AP Calculus AB and APCS concept maps turned out to work in the last 2 years, so I will be handing out this concept map to my students in Algebra 1 this year:


Here is a link if you so choose.

16 comments:

  1. Stunning! Love it! Inspired to think about what it would look like for Geometry and my new College Readiness Math class. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks. I hope it shows the "forest" and the "trees" to the students.

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  2. Hi, do you have a blog that explains the different sections of the concept map? Thank you for sharing it.

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    1. Hello. I don't explain this anywhere. I am just going to use it periodically in class when we learn a new skill/topic and then see where it all fits. I am thinking that as the year goes on, they will see how everything is connected. I will probably adjust it next year if I see it needs improvement.

      Did I answer your question? Let me know if I didn't.

      Delete
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    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous7:52 PM

    Yikes, I hadn't realized you responded to my question. Today I reread the post and scrolled down to comment....I had the same question as before ; )
    This is a great visual for students and I will use it. Thank you for sharing.
    Here's my question: You write RepreSent, why are you capitalizing sent?

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  5. Hi showmeyourwork. I write RepreSENT, because I've gotten in the habit of whenever I say that word to go really low and loud on the "sent", I guess I heard it in some modern context. Anyway, just an inside joke.

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  6. Anonymous3:08 PM

    Good post.

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  7. I never really thought about creating a visual that would help the students to connect the concepts within the course. I think it is a great idea. I am going to think about how I can apply it to my mathematics 1 and mathematics 3 classes.

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  8. Anonymous4:23 PM

    Thanks again for this blog post as a reminder. I catch myself not showing how concepts relate more often than I'd like, when a student is able to articulate they aren't seeing the why.

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  9. First of all I would like to thank the author for this brilliant article and the chance to check out this very detailed table which I am sure will help the teachers to better understand the principles of teaching, the kids can use it as a guide to the mathematical system of the world. I know that teaching Algebra can be hard, however, this post shows that you can figure it out if you put effort to it. I guess that even finding where to buy papers online would be easier than teaching Maths, that’s why this post is so valuable.

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  10. Hi Shireen,
    Let me start by saying how much I LOVE the idea of a concept map for Algebra 1! I have taught Algebra 1 for seven years (this is actually the first year that I don't have an Algebra 1 section), and every year I get a number of students asking me the same question, "why do we have to learn this?". I try to stress at the beginning of the school year about the importance of Algebra as a problem-solving and critical thinking tool, but as the year progresses, this statement loses its meaning. Having a map like the one you shared will be such a valuable tool to reference throughout the year and reinforce the "big picture" idea. A few years ago we adopted the common core standards, which further emphasize the importance of students recognizing the connections between concepts. I'm picturing creating a large map like the one you shared to display in my room and reference at the end of each unit, then giving students time to do a quick closure activity where they reflect on the new topics they learned and how these are shown by the concept map.
    You mentioned that you also teach AP Calculus and have a similar concept map for that class. Would you be willing to share? :) I also teach AP Calculus and am very interested in seeing what you do! Thank you so much once again for this great idea.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:22 PM

      Hi Mirna. I do have a calculus concept map. Send me e-mail, and I can send it to you: math_mambo@yahoo.com

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  11. Concept maps can be used for anything. Algebra is a good example. There are some good examples of Concept Maps that can be used to get started with mapping concept. Please do check them out, they are free to use.

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  12. You should write more articles like this, you really helped me and I love the subject

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