Algebra 1 Unit 1: Graphing Stories Interactive Notebook

I'm trying out the Engage NY Algebra I curriculum this year, by my own choice. I'm doing a pretty terrible job and going at a snails pace but I'm really trying to stick it out for the year. I want to see if it makes a difference. So everything below is straight from their materials, found here.

I couldn't really bring myself to write captions because none of this came from me. I'm basically showing you how I used it in an INB.

Here is a folder of the files, again, all from Engage NY, just remixed a bit to fit my style. And because I can't leave anything alone.

Trig: Unit 2 Right Triangle Trig Interactive Notebook

Page 23-24 introduced the trig ratios used in right triangle trig. The triangle manipulative was made with transparencies and was stolen straight from here.

I made the bottom flaps myself.

These neon envelopes came from the Dollar Tree and I only have 8 trig students so each student got their 3 envelopes. I used Pam's trig ratio cards and wrote symbols in each corner. Students sorted into their envelopes. I later showed them the answers and they wrote the correct symbols on the envelopes so that they could later go back and quiz themselves.

Page 25-26 The LHP starts with students setting up the ratio without solving anything.

The RHP has them set up the ratio and solve.

Page 27-28 LHP Students set up the ratio for an angle without solving.

 RHP Students set up the ratio for an angle and use the inverse ratio to solve for the missing angle.

Page 29-30 LHP Students read the word problem and match it to the correct diagram, then write the variable in the correct place.

RHP Students draw their own diagram, write the variable in the correct place, and then choose the correct ratio and solve.

Page 31-32 We wrote what students might be given on baby post-its and then what method to start with underneath.

The actual solving triangles part of this was given to be by @rawrdimus. Thanks!

The right hand page was just me helping them to organize their work.

Here are the files.

Word Problems with Hints

In our second unit of trig, we were doing right triangle trig which of course includes word problems. As predicted, the hardest part for them was converting  the word problems to diagrams. Second hardest was knowing where to put the variable.

We did notes in our INB over them, did a worksheet of 10 more problems as a class, and then I thought of this idea.

I found word problem worksheets that already had diagrams. I copied the words into powerpoint.



I printed out each one and placed it in a page protector. Then I made index card 'hints'.

The first was a picture. I cut out the diagrams from the original worksheet and taped them to index cards. Next hint was which trig ratio to use. I just wrote sin, cos, or tan on each card, nothing more. The third index card was the answer.

I put all the index cards into an envelope and put the envelope in the back of the page protector.

I stood them up along the white board and let students pick. Students were separated into pairs and I gave them a sheet to show their work.



My idea was that students could have ownership- they decided if or when they needed hints, how many hints they needed, and if they needed my help or not.

And of course every teacher's favorite- self-checking!

Quiz Retakes Formerly Known as SBG

If you've read my blog at all I'm sure you've already read something I complained wrote about SBG before.

This is my best idea yet.

For our first test in each of my classes, I allowed them to use their INB. But of course I didn't tell them this until the test started.

Some of my older students were used to me offering test retakes in former years...even though most of them never actually did them. So when they asked about it this year, I kinda felt like a butthole to say no.

Here's what I decided. They can retake quizzes as many times as they want, but no notebook. No retakes on tests, but they can use their notebook.

This has been like magic for me. Quizzes are much easier to make multiple versions of and much easier to grade. Which eliminates a lot of hassle for me. It's almost like every quiz is a formative. It shows them what they know and then they make an informed decision about their satisfaction with their knowledge.

I do it right during class which eliminates the need for students to come in on their own time and makes me feel less guilty about not having time to work with them.

It motivates studying because once they get their original quiz back, they look back in their notebook to see what they missed and why. I could never get them to do that before.

What I've seen is students asking for retakes that NEVER have in the past. Students asking why they got something wrong and arguing their thinking. Students who want to retake more than once. Students who failed a quiz improving their score to passing.  I call that perseverance.

For tests, I think letting students use their INB is more of a comfort to them than they realize. I know exactly what is in the notebook so I can choose to make my tests in whatever way I want for them to show me their knowledge. It also increases ownership of the notebooks.

I feel like tests are more a show of retention and application while quizzes are more skill based.  By students repeatedly retaking the skill based quizzes, I think they are more prepared for the application on a test.

The best of both worlds.

I do have to say that I'm not grading with a rubric which I feel guilty about but...baby steps.

Trig: Unit 1 Interactive Notebook

This is my first year teaching trig and so far I am terrified.

My first unit was all review from Algebra II and Geometry so that was a relief! (Shoutout to Meg for helping me write my pacing guide!)

This is also my first year using interactive notebooks and so far I am underwhelmed. I think they are awesome but I'm still not doing the best job at making them useful. Yet.

But alas I have finished my first unit and taking a cue after Sarah Hagan, I'm posting a unit at a time with lots of pictures!

Color coordinated table of contents and tab for every unit. *Note to self: color coordinate the pages in the INB with the TOC and tab.*

Page 7-8: Geo Review based on a worksheet sent to me from Justin Lanier.

Page 9-10: Radical foldables based on Sarah Hagan's Algebra II radical unit.

Page 11-12: I got this idea from Pinterest via this blog. I just made a6x6 circle in Microsoft Word and then we wrote on it. The right hand page came from a Kuta worksheet. I had them pick four problems and write them in themselves.

Page 13-14: I made this one myself after looking at a few different ones online. I made a Kuta worksheet and students folded it in half and taped it in for the right hand page.

Page 15-16: These two came straight from Jessie Hester's post.

Page 17-20: I used this post's idea for 45-45-90 triangles and then replicated that for 30-60-90 triangles as well. I teach these two concepts using proportions. So students figured out the ratios on their own. Then we used those on the RHPs to work out problems. I also color coded and wrote the side lengths directly under the angles to help them match corresponding sides.

Page 21-22: My first actual trig concept and I created it myself! I couldn't really find any good interactive notebook resources for converting between decimal degrees and degrees, minutes, seconds. So I looked in the book, watched some YouTube videos, and google until I finally created this. 

We lifted up the papers and worked problems from the text book underneath.

It's probably not a very important trig concept but I felt like it was easy enough and I have to ease myself into this trig stuff slowly.

So there.

Download my resources here.