Day 73: Perimeter Intro

6th Grade Math Standards: 3.MD.8 Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving perimeters of polygons, including finding the perimeter given the side lengths, finding an unknown side length, and exhibiting rectangles with the same perimeter and different areas or with the same area and different perimeters.

The Learning Objective: Find the perimeter of a figure.

Quote of the Day: “Forbes magazine reported in January of 2013 that only 8 percent of the resolutions we make are accomplished over one year’s time. People burn out on their goals, or they never get started, or they get discouraged, and regardless of what happens, they quit. If you hope to benefit from a one day contract mentality, you need to make three promises: you will not quit, you will not procrastinate, and you will not allow discouragement to sideline you.”

Question from Yesterday (as always from a student):

Assessment: Circumventing the room as students worked in partners on Toothpick Staircase.

Agenda:

1. Pepper asking students about winter vacation
2. Cartoons passed back graded
3. Visual Pattern # 29
4. Quote/Question (question was what is the difference between the gcf of 20 and 15 versus the gcf of 20 and 16?)
5. Perimeter Intro notes
6. Toothpick Staircase
7. Perimeter Practice 

Glass-Half Full: Toothpick staircase takes a while to get through. One student recognized a pattern on the second part asking about how many toothpicks are used in staircase #10 using a chart which is not easy to spot (even I did not see it until she explained it). I also was able to use paperclips as toothpicks which worked well for students to draw out the process.

Regrets: In my first class, I dragged out how was your vacation too long anticipating that students would still be asleep from the adjustment coming back to school after 11 days off.