Figure It Out Middle School Math and Logic: 7Th/8th Grade Summer Readiness
In this fun twice a week math course, students will use middle school math skills and critical thinking to generate solutions to problems grounded in real-world context and solve math puzzles to understand how to apply what they've learned.
Malikai Bass M.A
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(316)
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What's included
10 live meetings
8 hrs 20 mins in-class hoursAssessment
Teacher will provide written reports regularly.Class Experience
US Grade 7 - 8
Intermediate Level
Welcome to Figure It Out Math. Math for the kid who always needs to know why and for learners who hate doing things “just because”. This math class is designed for gestalt processors and big-picture thinkers with easter eggs hidden along the way for detail-oriented problem-solvers. This is math for the doodlers and the diagrammers where we harness the pencil as the mightiest tool in math to build deep foundational understanding through problem sovling that becomes a launch pad for deep dives and acceleration to reach our highest goals. This series is based on an accelerated math curriculum that covers three years of content, aligned to Common Core Math Standards, over the course of just two school years and prepares students very well for honors and advanced Algebra curriculums. Rather than lecture, this class spends all our time working on problems independently, small group, and whole group and discussing our results and process. The use of discussion and problem-solving leads to generalized mathematics or proofs. This process prepares students well who may seek advanced mathematics in high school or beyond. Students have access to a “mini-textbook” consisting of a summary and carefully selected practice problem for each day’s lesson in order to support students with retention and review. Please see the syllabus for a detailed breakdown of each lesson’s guiding question and objectives.
Learning Goals
Estimate quantities in a real-world situation and explain (orally and in
writing) the estimation strategy.
Justify (orally) why it is unreasonable to have an exact answer for a
situation that involves estimation, and critique (orally) different estimates.
Make simplifying assumptions and determine what information is needed
to solve a Fermi problem about distance, volume, or surface area.
Apply reasoning about percentages and equivalent ratios to analyze and
approximate characteristics of the world’s population.
Generate (orally and in writing) mathematical questions about the world’s
population, e.g., “How many people . . . ?”
Present (using words and other representations) a comparison that uses
the number of students in the class to represent the proportion of the
world’s population with a particular characteristic
Coordinate diagrams and expressions involving equivalent fractions.
Interpret and create diagrams involving a rectangle decomposed into
squares.
Recognize that decomposing rectangles into squares is a geometric way to determine the greatest common factor of two numbers.
Apply reasoning about ratios and percentages to analyze (orally and in
writing) voting situations involving two choices.
Comprehend the terms “majority” and “supermajority” (in spoken and
written language).
Critique (using words and other representations) a statement regarding the results of a vote.
Apply reasoning about ratios and percentages to analyze (orally and in
writing) voting situations involving more than two choices.
Choose and justify (orally) which voting system seems the fairest for
dealing with more than two choices.
Compare and contrast (orally and in writing) different voting systems for
dealing with more than two choices.
Compare and contrast the density of uniformly distributed dots in
squares.
Create an equation and a graph that represent the proportional
relationship between the area of a square and the number of dots
enclosed by the square.
Interpret the constant of proportionality in models of housing per square kilometer or population of people per square kilometer.
Compare and contrast different ways to distribute representatives, and
recognize that changing the way the votes are grouped can affect the
outcome.
Critique (orally and in writing) whether a method for distributing
representatives is fair.
Suggest a method for distributing representatives and justify why it is fair.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created CurriculumStandards
Aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS)2 Units
10 Lessons
over 5 WeeksUnit 1: Making Connections
Lesson 1:
How can math help us solve big problems?
We will introduce and explore Fermi Problems named after famous physicist Enrico Fermi. A Fermi problem requires students to make estimates and use several calculations including fractions, decimals, and rates for quantities that are difficult or impossible to measure directly. Students will also get to create and swap Fermi problems about areas of their own interests. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
How can math help us understand the world?
We will use our ratio skills to understand what our class would look like if it represented the world and apply our understanding of percentages, sampling, and ratios. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
How can math help us fit things together?
We will dive into pure mathematics to understand the relationship between the greatest common factor of two numbers and related factions using a geometric representation. This lesson will help us build proof skills and build connections between mathematics domains. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
How can math help us understand mistakes?
We will work with the concept of measurement error by measuring and analyzing accuracy. We will work with patterns to understand how measurement error changes when measurements are added together. 50 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Learning Needs
This class is designed by an AUDHD/Dyspraxic Educator
- slides and fonts designed to support dyslexia and visual processing
- ability to type and use virtual drawing tools
- communication aids including chat
- ND Affirming classroom
Parental Guidance
We will be using nearpod during this class. Students will need to click a link in chat and enter their first name or initial into the program. Students should be reminded not to use their full name.
Students will also need access to scissors and may require adult supervision or support.
Pre-Requisites
Students should be preparing for pre-algebra and have at least one year of experience working on middle school math skills including ratios, rates, rational numbers, division involving fractions, and related skills.
Joined April, 2021
5.0
316reviews
Popular
Teacher expertise and credentials
I am an AUDHD educator who has been working with neurodiverse learners for over 13 years specializing in working with 2E, PDA learners, and Gestalt thinking.
I have been a math tutor for over 12 years and have worked with students from ages 5-25 in small group and academic settings including serving as a primary teacher for home educated learners. I have received training and tutoring certification/awards from nationally recognized organizations. I was a group supplemental instruction leader for math at the collegiate level for four years at ETSU including working with dual enrolled and accelerated learners. I have taught and tutored math up to a graduate level in algebra, geometry, probability, and quantitative reasoning.
Academic Experience:
Constructivism and Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education
This graduate level online course for educators used practical examples and empirical research to connect the educational philosophy of constructivism to best practices in STEM education and demonstrated online teaching strategies for this endeavor. It highlighted the power of solving problems through building and applying understandings rather than rote processes which influences the problem-centered curriculum This class also addressed common misconceptions or alternative schemas students develop for math and science prior to instruction and provided ideas for experiments and explorations to adjust these conceptions.
Math 1410 Numbers, Concepts, and Algebra for Math Teachers
This in-person semester long coursed prepared students to teach common core mathematics to students in grades kindergarten through eight including early access to algebra. It included practical teaching experience, ensuring the personal math conceptual fluency of each educator, and demonstrating expertise on the Praxis math exam for educators.
Math 1420: Logic, Problems, and Geometry for Math Teachers
This in-person semester long course prepared teacher candidates to teach common core mathematics to students in grades kindergarten through eighth including advanced ideas of logic, problem solving, and geometry using a constructivist lens.
Reviews
Live Group Course
$32
weekly or $160 for 10 classes2x per week, 5 weeks
50 min
Completed by 12 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-13
3-6 learners per class
