SAMPLE WRITING ASSIGNMENT
Contributed by White Sands, New Mexico teacher Kathrine Graham.
Type: Informal Daily Writing.Required references: Provided by Instructor.
Due Date: Graded once every few weeks.
Students are to keep a daily mathematics log book in a bound notebook. These daily logs will include class lecture notes, sample problems, student questions to the instructor, and homework assignments and guidelines.
In addition, each Monday students will be given a quote about mathematics by a well-known mathematical or historical figure. Students will write a minimum 3 paragraph essay about the quote. Included in this essay will be definitive explanations of key ideas, which will be covered in class each Monday when the quote is presented.
THE CONTRIBUTOR OF THIS SAMPLE ASSIGNMENT ADDS:
My students are 7th and 8th graders taking Pre-Algebra and Algebra I. I collect the notebooks for grading on a rotating basis once per class every 9 weeks. Their notebook grades are 25% of their grade. The quote essays are worth 4 points each and are counted as individual projects. Projects and Labs are graded at 15% of their total grade. My students are all allowed to use their notebooks for all tests. Note to other teachers: Be prepared with additional biographical data to present to students about the individual quote authors. My students seem to like to know more about each one. Like one "fantastic fact." Not the mundane stuff. :-)
PLATONIC REALMS ADDS:
In addition to getting students writing prose about mathematical ideas, this assignment will help the instructor help students to take effective notes, organize them efficiently, and use them to promote further learning. These are skills that will be very valuable to these students in more advanced courses. Platonic Realms offers a large Quotes Collection with many quotes suitable for this assignment.
Many thanks to Kathrine Graham, who teaches in White Sands, New Mexico, for sending this assignment to us. You will want to visit her outstanding web page at http://www.zianet.com/katgraham/index.html. If you have an innovative writing assignment for your secondary or post-secondary math students, please let us know about it!
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