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"A mathematician is a machine for turning coffee into theorems."--Paul Erdös

1. Overview

1.1. Introduction - Coordinate systems and vectors: why are they important, and how? Includes a concept map.

1.2. Essential, Unit and Entry-Level Questions - Overarching themes and windows into this world.

2. Teaching Context

2.1 The School and Students - An overview of my teaching placement and its challenges.

3. Desired Results & Assessments

3.1. Overview - What is it important for students to learn in this unit, and how will it be assessed?

3.2. Desired Results in Coordinate Systems - At the end of the day, what should students know about coordinate systems?

3.3. Desired Results in Vectors - At the end of the day, what should students know about vectors?

3.4. Where's the Technology? - Rationale for the noninclusion of technology beyond graphing (scientific) calculators.

3.5. Post-assessment Finale - Summative assessment for the unit in toto.

4. Lesson Plans

Obligatory technology note on downloads: Handouts and worksheets are available either as scanned images* (GIF or JPEG) or as downloadable RTF files, which you should be able to open in Microsoft Word, AppleWorks, and other common word processors. If you're having problems downloading and your browser spits back gibberish, try right-clicking (or control-clicking for one-button mouse/trackpad Mac users) the link and selecting "save as..." or "download..." If you still have problems, email me about it and I can either send you the file or help you figure out what's going on.

* Why scans? The fact that I don't own a printer means that I've written out some assignments by hand; others include a fair amount of graphics, and I haven't figured out a graceful cross-platform means of embedding them in editable cross-platform files. (Before you ask, no, I don't own Microsoft Office and I don't have the money for it.)

4.1. April 16, 2002, Tuesday. - (detailed lesson plan) Introduction to coordinate systems and vectors: giving directions.

4.2. April 18, 2002, Thursday. - (detailed lesson plan) Coordinate system potpourri, part 1: chess, peg solitaire, nine men's morris, and anamorphisms.

4.3. April 22, 2002, Monday. - (detailed lesson plan) Coordinate system potpourri, part 2: continuation and presentations. Brief introduction to polar coordinates.

4.4 Calendar & Outlines - Outlines of lesson plans for the rest of the unit and notes after actual implementation.

5. Rationale & Reflection

5.1. Journal: April 16, 2002, Tuesday. - An account of the first lesson: giving directions.

5.2. Journal: April 18, 2002, Thursday. - An account of the 2nd lesson: coordinate systems potpourri, part 1.

5.3. Journal: April 22, 2002, Monday. - An account of the 3rd lesson: coordinate systems potpourri, part 2, and introduction to polar coordinates.

5.4. Reflection - Lessons I've learned for "next time."

6. Resources

6.1. Bibliography - Works referenced in this unit.

6.2. Further Reading - Other resources of interest related to coordinate systems and vectors.

Copyright © 2002 Yoon Ha Lee <requiescat@cityofveils.com>
Last updated on 18 May 2002