Teaching graphs, patterns, and equations are some of my favorite things! I love helping students discover that they can write an expression with a variable to represent a pattern. I think it helps break the stigma that algebra is hard. 

FREE STUFF!!! This is part of a lesson in my TpT store- Graphs, Patterns, and Equations. The lesson guides students through naming patterns and writing equations by solving word problems with line graphs and tables. With this page students name patterns, use them to write an equation, and graph the coordinates.

When I taught at a charter school in Oklahoma one of my responsibilities was to accompany the middle school students as they went through the DoD Starbase program. It was a great hands-on learning experience for the students. We went once a week and each time they did activities that sparked their interest in STEM. Our culminating activity was shooting rockets they had made off the tarmac of the Air National Guard base. The curriculum they use has been updated since then, but in the old version there was an activity where the students were given a drawing of an F-16 with points labeled to measure and draw an image with a 1:2 scale. I have used this activity with my students every year since then.

The students are given instructions to follow so they can keep track of which line segments have been measured and can do them in a logical order. This year with my 8th graders I decided to put them in pairs and give them different scales to work with. I had various sizes of grid paper available for the students to use. (In the past I have taped sheets of graph paper together to make larger pieces.) They drew the images with 1:.5, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4 scales. Having them complete the project in pairs worked out great as they problem solved together. I would walk around and spot check some of their measurements as they worked because a mistake on even one measurement can throw off the rest of the drawing. 

Once the students finish the scale drawing I allow them to design the jet however they would like. To grade the project, I choose several line segments to measure and grade for accuracy.

Students have such a hard time conceptualizing operations with fractions. I've spent a lot of years developing fraction lessons and activities to use with my students. The best way I've found to get them to understand dividing by fractions is this simple statement "How many _____ are in _____?" Once the blanks are filled in a representation can be developed.

I created a PowerPoint to use with my classes that takes them step by step through the concept of dividing by fractions. This is one section of the PowerPoint. In the downloaded version the parts of each slide are presented one at a time. I used it on a digital board and students were able to come up and draw out their representations.

The full PowerPoint version includes an introduction to using "How many _____ are in ____?" with 2 whole numbers, dividing whole numbers by fractions, and dividing fractions by fractions. It also uses a couple word problems. You can find the full version by clicking on this link to my TpT page.

Free Stuff! Use this student sheet with the PowerPoint presentation to practice fraction division.