11. Appendix: visualizing algebra - sample lesson plans
Teaching the “visualizing algebra” material can clearly be sliced up in many different ways. I have taught it several times, and I always followed a similar logistical format: class length of 1 hour and 15 minutes, and new material once/week, with catch-up sessions twice/week.
But the order in which I teach the various pieces, and the choice of which pieces to teach, depends largely on the makeup of the group of students I work with.
Similarly, the amount of extra background material and the choice of “visions into advanced material” anecdotes depend on the group of students I have.
In this appendix I will start collecting some of the specific lesson plan sequences I have chosen.
11.1. Fall 2024
Opening lesson 1:
Introduce myself, discuss how researchers see mathematics
Discussion of logistics and what I expect of students
Section “The why of messy exponents”
Section “An example to whet your appetite”
Lesson 2:
Review from OpenSTAX book: “A nostalgic romp through coordinates and plotting” - do the exercises suggested in the section.
Review from OpenStax book: “What are functions?” - do the exercises suggested in the section.
Section “Special powers of binomials”
Start with sympy and introduce
expand((a + b) ^ 7)
and so forth.