Tombstone Project

Saturday, I attended my laid about ever EdCamp.  I wasn't quite certain what to aspect amongst #edcampTULSA, but I'm definitely glad I went!  I however demand to sit down downwardly too endeavor to procedure too reverberate on all that I learned, but that volition have got to hold off for a while.  My hear is overwhelmed correct immediately amongst everything that I demand to acquire done too review earlier state testing starts inwards EIGHT days.  EIGHT days.  My Algebra 1 students volition essay on Apr 14th.  I loathe how much emphasis is placed on this 1 test.  This essay volition create upwardly one's hear what math shape my students volition accept adjacent year.  This essay volition create upwardly one's hear whether they volition endure allowed to graduate or not.  This essay volition influence what A-F grade my schoolhouse volition receive.  This essay volition eventually create upwardly one's hear how I am evaluated.

Jenks High School Math & Science Center

Anyhow, #edcampTULSA was hosted at the Jenks High School Math & Science Center (aka the most amazing high schoolhouse edifice I've ever been in).  If yous dubiety the building's amazingness, enquire yourself this question: Do yous have got a 120-seat planetarium inwards your high school?  We got an hr too 40 infinitesimal interruption for lunch.  I didn't precisely purpose the dejeuner interruption equally they intended for me to.  We were supposed to honour people nosotros didn't know too exit to dejeuner amongst them.  Instead, I went too ran a pair of errands inwards Tulsa, too I wandered through random classrooms, looking for inspiration.  I honey seeing what other teachers do.  One of the major downsides of working inwards such a modest schoolhouse district too beingness 60% of the high schoolhouse math faculty is that I don't have got many people to pocket ideas from.  I estimate that's 1 of the reasons why I am then drawn to blogging.  I tin portion ideas too pocket ideas from others without geographic restriction.

I took pictures of the things that inspired me most, too I programme on sharing them over the adjacent calendar week or so.

I've ever wanted to contain to a greater extent than mathematical history inwards my classroom, but I haven't done a bully task of it.  Last year, I asked students to decorate their interactive notebook covers amongst data they researched most a mathematician.  That projection flopped because I failed to line of piece of job concern human relationship for the fact that most of our students produce non have got Internet access or printers at home.  And, our schoolhouse library was nigh downwardly at the time. 

I scream back my favorite thought I stole from this classroom stroll was a tombstone project.  It follows the same thought equally my notebook encompass project, but the medium is at to the lowest degree 500 times cooler.  Design a tombstone that communicates the pregnant accomplishments of a famous mathematician.  The examples I flora were all inwards scientific discipline classrooms, but I don't meet why this projection would but have got to endure restricted to scientists.  Math teachers tin have got students blueprint tombstones for mathematicians.  English linguistic communication teachers tin have got students blueprint tombstones for famous writers.  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 history instructor could assign students to brand a tombstone for a historical figure.  I tin fifty-fifty meet our figurer instructor using this during her unit of measurement on the history of computing.

Scientist Tombstones

I scream back I volition hold off until later on my students are finished amongst state testing to assign them this project.  I scream back this projection volition acquire much smoother this fourth dimension because I am much to a greater extent than informed most the civilisation too realities of the schoolhouse I run at now.  Many students however produce non have got Internet access at home, but our schoolhouse library is upwardly too running amongst computers too costless printing.  Our populace library, though small, does offering costless Internet access too printing at a nominal charge.  Plus, many students tin produce the inquiry on their smartphones.  This projection could truly endure completed without printing anything if a educatee is artistic/creative enough.

My sis has decided that this projection is a bad thought because I don't truly have got much apartment display infinite inwards my classroom for these projects.  I'm non going to permit that halt me, though.

Here's what I'm thinking then far:
Required Elements
- Mathematician Name
- Birth too Death Dates

Optional Elements (Choose at to the lowest degree two!)
- Famous Quote
- Picture of Mathematician
- Mathematical Accomplishments
- Country of Origin (A map would endure helpful!)
- Interesting Fact About Your Mathematician

How could yous purpose this inwards your ain classroom?  Have yous done whatever projects like to this before?  Tell us most it inwards the comments! 
 

Since I'm a really visual person, hither are other inspiring shots of this project.  I honey that this projection allows students to endure equally creative equally they desire to be.  

         

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