My math catchphrase is “connecting knowledge with understanding”, which you can read more about HERE. Every time I create an activity, this phrase is what I think about. It helps me stay focused on the true goal and outcome of what I want for each activity.

There is one activity in particular that really embodies this statement. It’s an activity that I’ve used over and over with my students for different types of functions. At first, students tend to have productive struggle with this activity. BUT once they get the hang of it, they realize how making these connections helps them fully understand functions and their graphs. I call this activity Name That Function.

​​​Linear Functions
​slope, y-intercept, x-intercept, points on the line, slope-intercept form, point-slope form,  standard form, and parallel and perpendicular lines (optional).

Characteristics of Functions
domain, range, intercepts, local min, local max, intervals of increase and decrease, end behavior, parent functions, continuity, and evaluating a function from a graph

Rational Functions
factor and simplify, vertical asymptotes, holes, horizontal asymptotes, x-intercepts, y-intercepts, and domain

Parent Functions
domain, range, symmetry, intervals of increase and decrease, end behavior, and the parent function equation

Why is this activity helpful?
I cannot tell you how many times students treat equations and graphs as separate entities that have no connection. When, in fact, everything about them is 100% connected! I think this happens because we, as teachers, scaffold the content, and in doing so separate each aspect of a function into separate lessons. Which makes them appear disconnected.

Great news! This activity brings an entire function unit together, so students can understand functions based on the equation, attributes, and graph as a whole.

Do students enjoy this activity?
Yes, my students enjoy making these connections and feel more prepared for assessments because of it! But you don’t have to take my word for it. Here are some reviews from other math teachers that have used these activities in their classroom as well:

Great activity! Worked out perfectly in my stations and my students were very engaged! Thank you for sharing your creativity with me! – TexasMath4Success
 
Excellent resource! Really helped my students make the connections I wanted them to make. Thank you! – Passion 4 Mathin
 
This was a great activity after our introductory lesson. Students were able to compare and contrast different types of quadratics and it reinforced the concepts of min/max and vertex form. – Anna K.
 
I used this as a group test in my class. Students loved the activity and we’re challenged to really understand all aspects of quadratic functions. – The Square Root of Teaching
 
Great activity - my kids were able to apply their understanding and had great math conversations while they were working together. – Heather K.
 
Such rich discussions took place with this activity. It worked great as a chapter review.
– Michelle E.
 
Was very helpful for my students of different levels, engaging – Shan H B.
 
Perfect activity to test students knowledge and application of properties of quadratics and how they affect both graph and equations. – Grove Math
 
This resource had just the rigor I was looking for! Thank you! I had my students use it in groups. I used part A for my on-level class and part B for my honors class. Great resource!
​– Theresa Simmons
 
This activity engages students to understanding characteristics of function families. Great discourse and enrichment activity. – Tony R.
 
Used for an in-class activity. Engaging and fun for students. Activity was thorough with great examples included.  – Kristina R.
 
Students had to think to get the whole picture. Thanks! – Lynn S.
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​Cryptocurrency began in 2009 and has been a phenomenon ever since! The value of several cryptocurrencies has exponentially increased over the years. This is REAL WORLD math at it’s finest!
 
Okay, admittedly, I knew next to nothing about cryptocurrency, besides that it existed, until this year. More and more of my friends and family have been interested in and investing in crypto. It got me very curious about what it is and why are people buying it. As I dove more into it, I realized that the trend of several cryptocurrencies would be perfect for an exponential regression project. And quite frankly, digital currency is VERY exciting, as this isn’t something we’ve experienced ever before in history. It’s a brand new type of currency!

​So, here are the details…
In this project, students will take a closer look at the price change of cryptocurrency and where it is potentially headed in the future via historical data and finding an exponential equation of best fit.
 
What is cryptocurrency? I’m sure you’re thinking that if you don’t know anything (or much) about cryptocurrencies that you can’t use this project with your students. WRONG. I’ve included a “Cryptocurrency: What is it?” introduction activity. This will help give the students (and you) enough basics about cryptocurrency in order to complete the project.

OBJECTIVE
Students are to find the curve of best fit for a exponential function in the real world by performing the following:

• Understand the basics of cryptocurrency
• Research a cryptocurrency
• Gather accurate data and create a table
• Graph a scatter plot
• Find an exponential equation of best fit
• Graph an equation
• Predict future values of cryptocurrency using the equation of best fit

RESEARCH & COLLECTING DATA
Students are given a specific cryptocurrency to research. The research includes finding the ticker symbol, learning what their currency is, three facts about their cryptocurrency, and collecting pricing data for their currency over a specific time period.
 
GRAPHING & RESULTS
Students use the TI-84 graphing calculator to find the exponential regression equation. Then they use Desmos to create a scatter plot and graph the exponential regression equation. Students answer questions to help them understand and analyze their results, including future price predictions for their cryptocurrency.

VISUALS
A Google Slides template is provided, so students can type in their information in the specific location. They then can easily turn their project into you via Google Classroom or email.

​GRADING
An answer key that gives the data, equation of best fit, and the answers to the questions is included for each cryptocurrency. A rubric is provided, so you can easily evaluate each aspect of the project. It is great for students to use, so they know exactly what is expected of them.

​Most of my students knew nothing about cryptocurrency when they began this project. But, they were intrigued because they’ve heard about cryptocurrency AND knew some businesses that were beginning to accept it for payment. Why not learn more for themselves?! This is a cutting edge project that you don’t want your students to miss out on!

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I’m back again with another fun math project! This one is perfect for virtual learning or in the classroom. What’s even better is it can be used for ANY math topic for Grades 6-12. The only requirements are that students have to be a little tech savvy, creative, and able to demonstrate a math skill…because they are about to become a math vlogger!
 
​First, what is a vlog? A video blog or video log, usually shortened to vlog, is a form of blog for which the medium is video, and is a form of web television. And a vlogger is someone who creates a vlog.
 
Why would your students want to become a vlogger? It’s honestly all the rage right now! Even my 6 year-old and 9 year-old want their own vlog. Plus, some earn millions of dollars a year!!!

Is this REAL? Yes, there are vloggers and some do earn milions (and millions) of dollars a year. However your student isn’t actually going to have to post their video on a site to earn a grade for this project. This project inspires them to pretend to be a vlogger and create a math video, which is a fun way to demonstrate their knowledge of a math concept. You can choose to create a class vlog or have students present their video to the class. Either way, they get to pretend to be a vlogger…and who knows, maybe one of them will be a real vlogger some day! Are you tired of me saying vlogger yet?! It’s okay, you get used to it, so keep reading…

MATH VLOGGER
 
OBJECTIVE
Students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of one review topic from their math course in a video that will be viewed by their classmates to help them review math concepts.
 
How do students do this?
Each student is assigned a math topic to teach or demonstrate in a video. Students are also given a storyboard template to help plan out their math concept throughout the video. The teacher must approve the storyboard BEFORE the student makes the video. This helps eliminate mathematical errors and to be sure the concept will thoroughly be explained.
 
Students then need to decide how they want to present their concept. I’ve included links to various styles of videos and free programs they can use to create their video. Students must also include a short summary of their video.

Here is a student example video, so you can see how creative, fun, and educational being a vlogger can be for your students!

*This video was used with student and parent permission.

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Math games are an absolute must in my classroom! I use games as a fun way to review topics before an assessment. It’s a great way to break up the week or even end a week for a “light” Friday. However, if you only expose your students to one or two games, they will get bored with it fast week after week. Sooooo, I make sure I have a variety of games for every topic. Below are my top 10 favorite middle school and high school math games! Included are some links to blog posts describing the games, so check them out….

This is obviously my favorite! And if you're wondering why it’s my favorite, read my Battle My Math Ship blog post to learn all about this game! My students LOOOOOVE this game too! I think they like it so much because even if you aren’t the best math student, you have a great chance of winning because it involves luck and strategy.

Task cards can be used for a variety of games. Here are a few different ways I use them:

• Speed Dating:​ Students become experts of their task card and then speed date with classmates to solve other problems and check their partners work at the same time. You can read about it HERE.
• Lottery:​ This is such a simple way to make task cards fun! I like that it involves teamwork and luck! You can read how to set this up HERE.

• Let the Cards Decide: Mrs. E Teaches Math wrote a blog post about this game and I love how she makes the game exciting with cards to help earn points or lose them. Check it out in this blog post.
• Boom: Mrs E Teaches Math is on a roll with task card review games, as this is another one that is super fun! Check it out in this blog post.

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This is one of my go to games, as the students like having the correct answer as an option, so they can easily determine if they answered the question correctly. Idea Galaxy does a great job of explaining how to use this game in the classroom. You can read about it HERE.
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Both of these platforms are awesome internet based games that can be played live or at the student’s own pace. The best part is there are so many games already created, so you can just pick and choose the ones that work for you. Here is a guide on how to use Quizziz in the classroom  and here is Kahoot Blog where you can learn more about this interactive game.
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We all know how to play BINGO and there are some fun ways to do it in math class, especially for whole group review. All Things Algebra and Free to Discover have some great activities for BINGO.
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The two that come to mind that students love are Math Libs by All Things Algebra, which you can read about HERE and Whodunnit by Clark Creative Education. Students always love a little mystery!
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Free to Discover created this fun game that is a spin on Old Maid. It’s a great game to print, laminate, and use year after year. You can read about 9 different ways to use this game in math class HERE.
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​I love to use puzzles to do group challenges! They are a fun way for students to make connections between the same concept, but in different ways. I really like how Scaffolded Math and Science creates her puzzles, which you can find HERE. And Lindsay Perro has some unique versions as well, which you can find HERE.

I’ve also used KenKen puzzles for after an assessment for some extra fun! You can read more about them HERE.
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There are a few different ways to play this game! You can find several versions on Teachers Pay Teachers HERE. Students enjoy this classic game with a twist!
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Other games I haven’t tried yet, but look fun and interesting…

• Voyage to the Treasure
• Around the Clock
• Connect Four: Middle School Math Man or Smith Curriculum & Consulting
• Four in a Row 
• Trashketball
• Spin to Win

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Using data to find a quadratic graph of best fit is an awesome way to connect math with the real world. However, it’s not always easy to find authentic data to use for a quadratic regression equation. I REALLY wanted to use the flight of a soccer ball or golf ball and find a video on YouTube that had all the stats using a trace finder that states the distance and height. I searched and searched, but could not find a video that was clear and had the information needed to collect data for a scatter plot. So, I began looking at weather patterns, but that wasn’t quite right either. However, it helped me stumble across the timeanddate.com site. This is when I realized I can use the time of day and the altitude of the sun for a quadratic regression real world project! Of course, you can only use it for ONE day otherwise, it’s a periodic function. Here are the details of the project...

OBJECTIVE
In this project, students are to find the curve of best fit for a quadratic function in the real world by performing the following:

• Choose a city, country and date for your research.
• Collect data on the relationship between time of day and the altitude of the sun.
• Record your information in a table.
• Find the curve of best-fit model using the quadratic regression feature on a graphing calculator.
• Graph the scatter plot of the data set and the curve of best fit in Desmos.
• Analyze the results.
• Record all of the information in a Google Slide Presentation.​

​VISUALS
The Google Slides template is provided, so students can type in their information in the specific location. They then can easily turn their project into you via Google Classroom or email.

The project directions and rubric are 100% editable! This is very easy to integrate into any Algebra course either in-person or online, gives students some freedom of what place to research, and is mathtastically fun! And since it’s editable, you can even change it to record data over several days and find the sinusoidal regression equation for a higher-level math course.
 
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