Sample Powerpoints
I have powerpoint presentations for each unit and every lesson. Here are some samples:
Example Lesson Plans
Math Dominos and Angle Relationships Lesson Plan
Intro To Transformations (Barbie/Dilation)
Deriving Area of a Circle With Sectors (Cut out Activity)
Intro To Transformations (Barbie/Dilation)
Deriving Area of a Circle With Sectors (Cut out Activity)
Graphic Organizers and Guided Notes
Angles Graphic Organizer
Basic Geometry Terms 1
Basic Geometry Terms 2
Circles Graphic Organizer
Guided Notes-Initial Value Theorem
Basic Geometry Terms 1
Basic Geometry Terms 2
Circles Graphic Organizer
Guided Notes-Initial Value Theorem
Projects
The Glass Project
Similarity Project
Particle Motion Project
Related Rates and Rotten Teeth
String Art Project
Golden Ration Project
Volume of Solids Project and Rubric
Similarity Project
Particle Motion Project
Related Rates and Rotten Teeth
String Art Project
Golden Ration Project
Volume of Solids Project and Rubric
Review Packets
Here are the first two units for Geometry and Calculus. Please note: I have a review packet for each unit of each course.
Unit 1: CP Geometry
Unit 2: CP Geometry
Unit 1: AP AB Calculus
Unit 2: AB AB Calculus
Unit 1: CP Geometry
Unit 2: CP Geometry
Unit 1: AP AB Calculus
Unit 2: AB AB Calculus
Review Packet Keys
Please note: These are just a few samples of the numerous keys I have created to go with the Review Packets
Key-Q1 Review Packet Calculus
Key-Final Review Packet Calculus
Key-Limits Review Packet
Key-Proofs Unit Review Packet
Key-Q1 Review Packet Calculus
Key-Final Review Packet Calculus
Key-Limits Review Packet
Key-Proofs Unit Review Packet
Example Exams
Google Drive
I regularly update google drive with assignments, powerpoint, projects, keys, and review. Click here for a better breakdown of my google drive folders.
Class Activities
Newlywed Game
Students are given whiteboards, sit back to back, and are given a math question. When time is up, students turn around to see if their answers match. If they are correct and match, they get a point. In addition to math questions, I also ask "Newlywed" type questions like, "Who is more likely to talk to animals?" They write either their name or their partner's name on the whiteboard, and if their answers match, they get a point!
Geometer's Sketchpad
Students have used geometer's sketch pad in my class to discover transversal angle relationships, quadrilateral properties, and the chord theorem. Students have also used geometer's sketchpad in my class to create tessellations using both reflection and rotation techniques.
Tower Competition
Students are given a packet of congruent triangle work in groups. For every problem their group does, they get an index card. Then, we switch packets, and if another group finds an error in their work, they can take two index cards away from the group. Then, I give the students 10 minutes to build a tower out of index cards. The highest tower at the end of the 10 minutes wins. After the competition, we have a conversation about the use of triangles in architecture stability.
Name That Tangle
Students are given whiteboards and placed into groups. I put an angle question on the board (could be an inverse trig, unit circle, or transversal relationship problem for example). Students then have to solve for the angle correctly to receive 2 points. Then, I put on a song for 10 seconds, and students have to "name that tune." I repeat this process for 20 minutes (math problem then fun problem). Although most of this activity is math focused, the "fun" part creates buy-in to do the math problems thoroughly.
Family Feud
Similar to the activity above, this activity involves one math question and then one "fun question." Students are given whiteboards and a math problem. If they get it right, they get 20 points. Then, I ask them a Family Feud Question from here. For example, "Name something little kids hate to do." If a group states the number 2 answer (eat vegetables), they receive 18 points, because of the 100 people surveyed 18 people said "eat vegetables." I repeat this process for 20 minutes (math problem then fun problem). Like the acuity above, although most of this activity is math focused, the "fun" part creates buy-in to do the math problems thoroughly.
Dominos
Students are given a set of math dominos. Each domino has a math question on it and an answer from another question. Students must arrange the dominos so that the math question and answers line up like a staircase. When students are done, they yell "done!" and I run over to check their work. There are 5 rounds with different domino sets, and teams are awarded points based off of when they finish. No calculator is allowed.
I Have Who Has?
This is similar to the Dominos game except that students remain seated. They have a card with an answer on it and a new problem. The goal is to start with one person calling out a problem and a person shouting out the answer to that problem if they have that card. That same person then states the problem on their card and a new student yells out the answer if their card has the answer to the stated question.
Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?
I swap off asking students a math question and a question from the gameshow Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader. Students use whiteboards to show their work and solutions.
Math Charades
I print out math vocabulary and non-math charade words on cards. Students then pick up a card and without looking at the word, place it on their forehead. Students in the class then have to explain the word to them in words if it is a math question (without saying the actual word!) and with no words if it is a fun question. Students get to keep the cards if they are able to guess correctly.
Organize This!
Students are given multiple problems that are cut out separately. These problems come from different topics. Students then have to discuss how they are going to sort the pile into categories. At the end of the game, students walk around and observe how other groups have ordered their problems. To conclude, we have a discussion about what we learned.
Kahoot!
Students take out their phones or work on a classroom computer to answer multiple choice questions. The students are ranked based off of their speed and completeness. Students can remain anonymous by putting in silly usernames. Kahoot can also be used to do survey's in class for statistical data.
Jeopardy
I have mastered the art of doing Jeopardy without the yelling and screaming that went along with it when I first started teaching. The trick is to put the students in small groups so that more people are participating at once. When it is team A's turn, they get to pick a section of the board. Everyone does the problem. If team A gets it correct, they get full points. If everyone else gets it correct, they get half points. Everyone does the problem at the same time.
Roadtrip Activity
I put a map up of the United States. We all start in Massachusetts. Students in groups are given math problems to do, and they must check their answers with me after each problem. For every problem they get correct, they move one state west. The team that gets to California first wins.
Sometimes Always Never Competition
Students stand in two lines (based on their birthday). The two students at the front of the line compete to answer the question first with “sometimes, always, or never.” For example, I might say: “A square is a parallelogram.” The student who says “Always” as their first answer wins a point for their team (if they say it first as well). Then, those two students go to the back of the line and a new pair competes.
Audit Activity
Students are given 5 stations of work. They can work with each other and check their work with peers. I alert them that I will be collecting 1 packet for each station and grading it as a quiz. The students freak out and then buckle down and work together even more, checking their work. I then ask students to put their stations in piles, and I collect one from each pile to grade. I have done this 5 times, and each time the class gets an excellent grade. (I do tell them that this should be the result if they are working together).
Real World Competition
Students are asked to come up with as many examples as possible of a real world topic in math. For example, I have asked them to find real world examples of a “ray.” Or, I might ask students to give real world examples of “dependent probability.”
The Memory Game
Students are around 30 cards each card has a match. For example, you might use SAS and an SAS picture. Or, you might use a Derivative and its answer. If there are 30 cards, there would be 15 pairs. Students have to take the 30 cards, place them face down, and then shuffle them. Then, they flip two cards and see if it is a match. If it is, they put it aside. If it isn’t, they place them face down again. First group that finishes wins a high five.
Finish That Lyric
Students are given a math problem and then a “fun” problem. The “fun” problem is to complete the lyric of a famous song that I play out loud. Students receive points for getting problems correct.
Choo Choo Challenge
This activity works when there are clear steps in a problem. Students are placed into rows and given a problem on the whiteboard. Person one has to do step 1 and hands it back. Then, person 2 does step 2 and then hands it back. Teams are given two minutes to finish, and then answers are compared. I switch up seat arrangements so everyone gets a chance at a various step.
Bingo
Students are given a list of vocab words and then they write the words into their bingo card. When I explain the word, they mark down whether or not they have that word with a penny.
Deal or No Deal
I like to play this game when we discuss probability. Students must answer math questions correctly as a class to open suitcases on an online version of the game “Deal or No Deal.” As a class, we decide if we want to take the deal or not based off of probability.
Peanut Butter Jelly Time
To introduce proof writing, I ask students to write the instructions to making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in 5 simple steps. I then make the sandwhich to show them the importance of being specific. For example, if they tell me to jelly the bread, I’ll just jelly the edge of the bread.
Shadows and Similar Triangles
Students go outside with a yardstick and measure their shadow. They then find the length of an objects shadow and use these measurements to calculate the height of the object using similar triangles.
Phone as a Mirror and Similarity
Students place their phones on the ground a few feet from a light. They then walk away from their phone and stop when they can see the reflection of the light in their phone. The then measure the appropriate lengths and use similar triangles to find the height of the light.
Geoboards
Students are given rubber bands to create designs and then calculate the permiter using distance formula or Pythagorean theorem. Students can also use the board to show transformations.
Dice Activity
Students roll two dice and sum up their values. We then create a frequency chart and talk about the probability of rolling two dice and getting a sum of seven vs two.
Barcode Scavenger Hunt
This activity takes quite a bit of time to prep for, but the students LOVE it. Students need to download a barcode app. Then, the teacher creates a series of challenges. When a student completes the first challenge, they get a barcode. The class scans it, and then it tells them we’re the next barcode is. Students need to solve the problem that the barcode gives them in order to get the next barcode or problem from the teacher. There is a team prize at the end for each student. (I have gotten them all flash drives before.)
Jig Saw Activity
Students are assigned to a certain topic and they become experts of that topic within their original group. Then, students are spread out into groups that contain experts on all different topics. Student experts are responsible for explaining their topic to the group.
Wizard Vs. The Class
This is a fun one! A student and a class representative go up to the front of the board. I ask them to do a math question. They turn around and do it. If the wizard completes the problem first, they stay at the front of the room. If the class representative wins, they kick out the wizard from their spot and a new representative comes up to the room and tries to knock the new wizard out.
Four Corners
Students see a world problem on the powerpoint. They have to decide what type of problem it is by going to a certain corner of the room (Example: Surface Area, Lateral Area, Volume, Area)
Sing a Song Game
This is a game I play with students if they have “won” something as a class. It’s a ton of fun. Students are in groups of four, and I assign a letter to each group. All groups are given a math problem to solve. They get a point for getting it correct. Then, I pull two letters from a hat. Those two teams compete in the “sing a song” challenge. I state one word (for example: love), and the first team that sings a song with the word love in it gets a point. I switch off and on between song questions and math questions.
How Many Cups of Water Activity
The room is split into 5 groups, and at each group there is an object around the room, and a cup. Students have to guess how many cups of water fill the object by using volume formulas and estimation techniques. The students have to make an estimate for all 5 objects at each group. At the end of class, we fill the objects and determine a winner.
Around the World (Write on Desks!)
Students use whiteboard markers to write problems on their desks. Students then go around to each desk and solve the students’ problems on a piece of paper. At the end of the activity, the students responsible for creating the original problems announce their answers to the class. We go over any problems that students have discrepancies on.
Students are given whiteboards, sit back to back, and are given a math question. When time is up, students turn around to see if their answers match. If they are correct and match, they get a point. In addition to math questions, I also ask "Newlywed" type questions like, "Who is more likely to talk to animals?" They write either their name or their partner's name on the whiteboard, and if their answers match, they get a point!
Geometer's Sketchpad
Students have used geometer's sketch pad in my class to discover transversal angle relationships, quadrilateral properties, and the chord theorem. Students have also used geometer's sketchpad in my class to create tessellations using both reflection and rotation techniques.
Tower Competition
Students are given a packet of congruent triangle work in groups. For every problem their group does, they get an index card. Then, we switch packets, and if another group finds an error in their work, they can take two index cards away from the group. Then, I give the students 10 minutes to build a tower out of index cards. The highest tower at the end of the 10 minutes wins. After the competition, we have a conversation about the use of triangles in architecture stability.
Name That Tangle
Students are given whiteboards and placed into groups. I put an angle question on the board (could be an inverse trig, unit circle, or transversal relationship problem for example). Students then have to solve for the angle correctly to receive 2 points. Then, I put on a song for 10 seconds, and students have to "name that tune." I repeat this process for 20 minutes (math problem then fun problem). Although most of this activity is math focused, the "fun" part creates buy-in to do the math problems thoroughly.
Family Feud
Similar to the activity above, this activity involves one math question and then one "fun question." Students are given whiteboards and a math problem. If they get it right, they get 20 points. Then, I ask them a Family Feud Question from here. For example, "Name something little kids hate to do." If a group states the number 2 answer (eat vegetables), they receive 18 points, because of the 100 people surveyed 18 people said "eat vegetables." I repeat this process for 20 minutes (math problem then fun problem). Like the acuity above, although most of this activity is math focused, the "fun" part creates buy-in to do the math problems thoroughly.
Dominos
Students are given a set of math dominos. Each domino has a math question on it and an answer from another question. Students must arrange the dominos so that the math question and answers line up like a staircase. When students are done, they yell "done!" and I run over to check their work. There are 5 rounds with different domino sets, and teams are awarded points based off of when they finish. No calculator is allowed.
I Have Who Has?
This is similar to the Dominos game except that students remain seated. They have a card with an answer on it and a new problem. The goal is to start with one person calling out a problem and a person shouting out the answer to that problem if they have that card. That same person then states the problem on their card and a new student yells out the answer if their card has the answer to the stated question.
Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?
I swap off asking students a math question and a question from the gameshow Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader. Students use whiteboards to show their work and solutions.
Math Charades
I print out math vocabulary and non-math charade words on cards. Students then pick up a card and without looking at the word, place it on their forehead. Students in the class then have to explain the word to them in words if it is a math question (without saying the actual word!) and with no words if it is a fun question. Students get to keep the cards if they are able to guess correctly.
Organize This!
Students are given multiple problems that are cut out separately. These problems come from different topics. Students then have to discuss how they are going to sort the pile into categories. At the end of the game, students walk around and observe how other groups have ordered their problems. To conclude, we have a discussion about what we learned.
Kahoot!
Students take out their phones or work on a classroom computer to answer multiple choice questions. The students are ranked based off of their speed and completeness. Students can remain anonymous by putting in silly usernames. Kahoot can also be used to do survey's in class for statistical data.
Jeopardy
I have mastered the art of doing Jeopardy without the yelling and screaming that went along with it when I first started teaching. The trick is to put the students in small groups so that more people are participating at once. When it is team A's turn, they get to pick a section of the board. Everyone does the problem. If team A gets it correct, they get full points. If everyone else gets it correct, they get half points. Everyone does the problem at the same time.
Roadtrip Activity
I put a map up of the United States. We all start in Massachusetts. Students in groups are given math problems to do, and they must check their answers with me after each problem. For every problem they get correct, they move one state west. The team that gets to California first wins.
Sometimes Always Never Competition
Students stand in two lines (based on their birthday). The two students at the front of the line compete to answer the question first with “sometimes, always, or never.” For example, I might say: “A square is a parallelogram.” The student who says “Always” as their first answer wins a point for their team (if they say it first as well). Then, those two students go to the back of the line and a new pair competes.
Audit Activity
Students are given 5 stations of work. They can work with each other and check their work with peers. I alert them that I will be collecting 1 packet for each station and grading it as a quiz. The students freak out and then buckle down and work together even more, checking their work. I then ask students to put their stations in piles, and I collect one from each pile to grade. I have done this 5 times, and each time the class gets an excellent grade. (I do tell them that this should be the result if they are working together).
Real World Competition
Students are asked to come up with as many examples as possible of a real world topic in math. For example, I have asked them to find real world examples of a “ray.” Or, I might ask students to give real world examples of “dependent probability.”
The Memory Game
Students are around 30 cards each card has a match. For example, you might use SAS and an SAS picture. Or, you might use a Derivative and its answer. If there are 30 cards, there would be 15 pairs. Students have to take the 30 cards, place them face down, and then shuffle them. Then, they flip two cards and see if it is a match. If it is, they put it aside. If it isn’t, they place them face down again. First group that finishes wins a high five.
Finish That Lyric
Students are given a math problem and then a “fun” problem. The “fun” problem is to complete the lyric of a famous song that I play out loud. Students receive points for getting problems correct.
Choo Choo Challenge
This activity works when there are clear steps in a problem. Students are placed into rows and given a problem on the whiteboard. Person one has to do step 1 and hands it back. Then, person 2 does step 2 and then hands it back. Teams are given two minutes to finish, and then answers are compared. I switch up seat arrangements so everyone gets a chance at a various step.
Bingo
Students are given a list of vocab words and then they write the words into their bingo card. When I explain the word, they mark down whether or not they have that word with a penny.
Deal or No Deal
I like to play this game when we discuss probability. Students must answer math questions correctly as a class to open suitcases on an online version of the game “Deal or No Deal.” As a class, we decide if we want to take the deal or not based off of probability.
Peanut Butter Jelly Time
To introduce proof writing, I ask students to write the instructions to making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in 5 simple steps. I then make the sandwhich to show them the importance of being specific. For example, if they tell me to jelly the bread, I’ll just jelly the edge of the bread.
Shadows and Similar Triangles
Students go outside with a yardstick and measure their shadow. They then find the length of an objects shadow and use these measurements to calculate the height of the object using similar triangles.
Phone as a Mirror and Similarity
Students place their phones on the ground a few feet from a light. They then walk away from their phone and stop when they can see the reflection of the light in their phone. The then measure the appropriate lengths and use similar triangles to find the height of the light.
Geoboards
Students are given rubber bands to create designs and then calculate the permiter using distance formula or Pythagorean theorem. Students can also use the board to show transformations.
Dice Activity
Students roll two dice and sum up their values. We then create a frequency chart and talk about the probability of rolling two dice and getting a sum of seven vs two.
Barcode Scavenger Hunt
This activity takes quite a bit of time to prep for, but the students LOVE it. Students need to download a barcode app. Then, the teacher creates a series of challenges. When a student completes the first challenge, they get a barcode. The class scans it, and then it tells them we’re the next barcode is. Students need to solve the problem that the barcode gives them in order to get the next barcode or problem from the teacher. There is a team prize at the end for each student. (I have gotten them all flash drives before.)
Jig Saw Activity
Students are assigned to a certain topic and they become experts of that topic within their original group. Then, students are spread out into groups that contain experts on all different topics. Student experts are responsible for explaining their topic to the group.
Wizard Vs. The Class
This is a fun one! A student and a class representative go up to the front of the board. I ask them to do a math question. They turn around and do it. If the wizard completes the problem first, they stay at the front of the room. If the class representative wins, they kick out the wizard from their spot and a new representative comes up to the room and tries to knock the new wizard out.
Four Corners
Students see a world problem on the powerpoint. They have to decide what type of problem it is by going to a certain corner of the room (Example: Surface Area, Lateral Area, Volume, Area)
Sing a Song Game
This is a game I play with students if they have “won” something as a class. It’s a ton of fun. Students are in groups of four, and I assign a letter to each group. All groups are given a math problem to solve. They get a point for getting it correct. Then, I pull two letters from a hat. Those two teams compete in the “sing a song” challenge. I state one word (for example: love), and the first team that sings a song with the word love in it gets a point. I switch off and on between song questions and math questions.
How Many Cups of Water Activity
The room is split into 5 groups, and at each group there is an object around the room, and a cup. Students have to guess how many cups of water fill the object by using volume formulas and estimation techniques. The students have to make an estimate for all 5 objects at each group. At the end of class, we fill the objects and determine a winner.
Around the World (Write on Desks!)
Students use whiteboard markers to write problems on their desks. Students then go around to each desk and solve the students’ problems on a piece of paper. At the end of the activity, the students responsible for creating the original problems announce their answers to the class. We go over any problems that students have discrepancies on.