Day 70: Reflections in the Coordinate Plane

6th Grade Math Standards: 6.NS.6 Understand a rational number as a point on the number line. Extend number line diagrams and coordinate axes familiar from previous grades to represent points on the line and in the plane with negative number coordinates. a. Recognize opposite signs of numbers as indicating locations on opposite sides of 0 on the number line; recognize that the opposite of the opposite of a number is the number itself, e.g., –(–3) = 3, and that 0 is its own opposite. b. Understand signs of numbers in ordered pairs as indicating locations in quadrants of the coordinate plane; recognize that when two ordered pairs differ only by signs, the locations of the points are related by reflections across one or both axes. c. Find and position integers and other rational numbers on a horizontal or vertical number line diagram; find and position pairs of integers and other rational numbers on a coordinate plane.

6.NS.8 Solve real-world and mathematical problems by graphing points in all four quadrants of the coordinate plane. Include use of coordinates and absolute value to find distances between points with the same first coordinate or the same second coordinate.

6.G.3 Draw polygons in the coordinate plane given coordinates for the vertices; use coordinates to find the length of a side joining points with the same first coordinate or the same second coordinate. Apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems.

Objective: Reflect a point in the coordinate plane; determine the distance between two points that share one axis in a coordinate plane

Agenda:

1. Visual Pattern 
2. QSSQ 
3. Review homework
4. Use peg boards to see if students could create a rectangle and also count the distance between two points.
5. Reflections notes 
6. Use highlighters to find reflections of points in coordinate plane (exit ticket)
7. Pass out homework on reflections

Assessment: The peg boards was something I circumvented the room to ensure that students were recognizing where points went and how many spaces should be between points. I also circumvented the room to ensure students were highlighting as I asked on the exit ticket (many needed a reminder).

Glass Half-Full: Experience creates anticipation. I knew students would reflect points across the wrong axis and was able to jump on them when they did this for not highlighting which axis (or fence as I use in an analogy). Hopefully that will show up in their homework.

Regrets: This lesson was slightly rushed. I need to do a better job of bringing up reflections in the real world such as how the word ambulance is written or how a zit on one side of your face shows up on the other side of your face in the mirror. With a real world connection, there will be a higher interest level and investment from the students.