Monday, November 28, 2011

Not Just For Special Occasions...

In my geometry class, I'm trying to keep their algebra skills fresh (AND exciting!), so lately I've brought back lines: find the equation of a line parallel to ____ going through point ____; find 4 points on the line ______; etc. I reviewed point-slope form, slope-intercept form, standard form.

Well, many students came in for tutoring and were stuck on this problem:
Find 4 points on the line 3x + 2y = 12.

Them: "I don't know what to do."
Me: "How many points on a line?"
Them: "Infinity."
Me: "Yes, infinITE. What do you think is true about this equation and any point on this line."
Them: chirp chirp of crickets.

Me: explanation, showing, bla bla bla.
Them: "oh yea" .... work furiously.
Them: "I'm stuck. I can't find any more."
Me: looking and seeing that they have guessed and checked their capacity of integer valued (x,y) values.
Me: "Just pick an x and solve for y."
Them: "I tried, and NOTHING ELSE WORKS!"
Me: "Decimals and Fractions! They're not just for special occasions."
Them: "Oh, I didn't know you could have non-integer points."
.....

6 comments:

  1. Mine hate fractions so much they would rather have me cut their hair.

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  2. "how do you do fractions on here?" one kid said while holding up his calculator...no concept that a fraction can be turned into a decimal

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  3. Special occasions LOL. This post is an instant classic. Peace.

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  4. I got another one the other day:
    "This problem can't be done. 15 can't be divided by 9!"

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  5. ER: Oy! I don't know a fix I can maintain .... ALL problems I give are fractions?

    Funny.

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