Day 79: Trapezoids

6th Grade Math Standards: 6.G.1 Find the area of right triangles, other triangles, special quadrilaterals, and polygons by composing into rectangles or decomposing into triangles and other shapes; apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems. MA.1.a. Use the relationships among radius, diameter, and center of a circle to find its circumference and area. MA.1.b. Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving the measurements of circles

Objective: Calculate the area of a trapezoid

Agenda:

1. Visual Pattern #72 
2. QSSQ 
3. Pepper & Review homework
4. Trapezoid Notes
5. Trapezoid Practice

Assessment: Students did a problem on their own after the notes had been completed. They were then able to start the homework on their own. Since the trapezoid notes were given relatively quickly, students were able to fix their weekly quizzes too this class.

Glass Half-Full: I liked a couple of things that were discussed as part of the notes. First, we had a brief introduction to using 4 (9) to multiply. We even touched on the distributive property.

I also think it is beneficial to discuss the order of operations and eliminating the term PEMDAS. There are always misconceptions and plain ignorance of the order of operations, and it is something that we eventually cross with numerical and variable expressions later on in the year.

Finally the idea of base meeting height at a right angle is revisited. Students struggled to identify what numbers were bases and which were height.

Regrets: For the second straight day, I went over homework for too long. There just is not enough investment from the students during this time and I need to give them more opportunities to try rather than just listen to me. Most of them will take the easy way out and just listen to me instead of exploring on their own, so it's just something I constantly need to be reminded of. Even if it is just to change the numbers of a problem we did five minutes before and let students try it on their own.