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.