Algebraic Task Ideas

You are responsible for choosing a task as the focus of your class presentation and paper.

You must get approval of your task from me at least 2 weeks before your paper and presentation are due. If you do not meet this deadline, 5% will be deducted from your grade on the Task Project and you may be further penalized if your task is too similar to another task already discussed in class by another student.

You are responsible for making sure we have the needed materials for your presentation, including manipulatives, graphing calculators, projector, computers/LCD projector.  Please see me at least 1 week before your presentation so we can check on materials and equipment.

Possible Sources for Task Ideas (not an exclusive list)

Any activity from one of the following books (on reserve in the LRL)

• Heid, M. K. (1995). Algebra in a technological world: Addenda series grades 9-12. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2001). Navigating through algebra in grades 6-8. Reston, VA: author. with CD-ROM
• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2001). Navigating through algebra in grades 9-12. Reston, VA: author. with CD-ROM

Any algebraic activity from an article in the NCTM journals—you can search the journals online and read article via PDF if you are a member!

Teaching Children Mathematics (TCM) –

Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School (MTMS)

Mathematics Teacher (MT) -
Online Journal for School Mathematics (ON-Math) -

Any activity from the Dynamic Algebra Explorations that accompany the Discovering Algebra textbook from Key Curriculum Press

Apps and Activities for the graphing calculator (download from Texas Instruments):

• SimCalc MathWorlds by SimCalc Technologies LLC (Sample Package Free)
  Interactive tools and animation to help the algebra and calculus student.
  Price: FREE 
• Guess My Coefficients
  An entertaining way for students to learn how to identify the coefficients of a function from a graph.
  Price: FREE 
• Solve It!
  Fill in missing numbers and operations to create true sentences.
  Price: FREE