12th Grade Linear Relationships Standards- and Research-Based Study of a Curricular Topic

Section and Outcome

Selected Sources and Readings for Study and Reflection Current Research on Topic
Algebra covers many concepts and big ideas. One of main concepts the Beyond Numeracy book discusses is variables. A variable is a quantity that can take on different values but whose value in a given situation is often unknown. Variables are expressed by the use of letters (usually x, y, and z). Variables allow mathematicians to generalize problems rather than using constricting constants. Science for All Americans also discusses the use of variables but calls them symbolic representations. The symbols we choose become objects that can be combined and recombined in various ways according to precisely defined rules. Variables and the manipulations we make to the variables is a large component of linear relationships. I really enjoyed reading about variables in Beyond Numeracy. In that particular section, variables, a mathematical concept, is compared to pronouns, an English concept. It was an interesting way to describe and explain variables and would be especially useful for the students that understand pronouns (and its related methods) very well but struggle with the concept of variables. One example, provided in Beyond Numeracy, discussed the age of Henry and Henrys son. It states that Henry is 5 times as old as his son but in 4 years time will be only 3 times as old; what is Henrys age? We do not know how old Henry is or Henrys son. Since this problem is discussed in terms of Henrys son we will denote X as the current age of Henrys son. Right now we know that Henry is 5 times his sons age or 5X. In 4 years Henry will only be 3 times as old as his son. So the equation reads 5X + 4 = 3(X + 4). In order to solve this equation we must use the distributive property and from there we are able to balance and solve the equation. Henrys son is 4 years old and Henry is 5 x 4 or 20 years old. I never knew the origin of algebra as a word or as a mathematical topic. I learned about Al-Khowarizmi, an Arabic mathematician in the ninth century. The word algorithm came about from his name. Also, his book, Al-jabr wal Muqabalah, is where the term algebra appeared first. It is nice to learn where mathematical concepts and terms originated and can be very useful to include in engage portions of lesson plans. I was further intrigued to find out that the title of Al-Khowarizmis book translates to restoration and balancing. This ties in to elementary algebra, which is defined as a generalization of arithmetic in which variables are used to stand for unknown numbers. In algebra, students work with equations in which they must manipulate either side to balance.

IA. Science for All Americans As Science for All Americans states students need to perceive mathematics as part of the scientific endeavor, comprehend the nature of mathematical thinking, and become familiar with key mathematical ideas and skills. Algebra is one of the main strands of mathematics and within the strand is a subtopic called linear relationships. Adults should be familiar with and have an understanding of some of the main concepts related to linear relationships. They should know that mathematics explores relationships and patterns among abstractions. Mathematical relationships can be expressed in a variety of ways. Examples include tables, charts, equations, words, and graphs. Adults must understand that algebra explores the relationships between quantities by displaying them as symbols and manipulating the statements relating the symbols. In order to explore those relationships statements must be manipulated. Manipulation of data, graphs, equations, etcetera requires following of sets of rules and procedures, similar to those in games. An algebraic statement allows a quantity to take on any of a range of value and implies for each what the corresponding value of another quantity is. Reading Science for All Americans helps me see what a K-12 education is aiming towards. It does so by defining mathematics in a detailed manner and providing examples for the main concepts it discusses. K-12 education strives to develop members in our society that are knowledgeable in mathematics and its related components. Curriculum is laid out so that students will build upon their knowledge and understanding of mathematics. By the time students graduate high school, they should have a strong foundation in mathematics. The topic of linear relationships is touched upon throughout the K-12 curriculum, with some grades placing more emphasis on the topic than others. IB. Beyond Numeracy The reading helps me identify the basic ideas underlying a math topic by explaining the history of the topic, breaking down the ideas and topics into manageable pieces, and using easily understood examples. For instance algebra is expressed as using balancing and restoration principles; what is done to one side must also be done to the other side. Beyond Numeracy also compares the manipulations of algebraic variables to arithmetic rules that govern numbers. It is very helpful to see the connections between mathematic topics as it helps solidify my knowledge and understanding, allowing me to become a better educator. One of the main concepts students should understand when it comes to linear relationships is the use of variables. Variables allow much greater generality than does restricting our mathematical discourse to constants. With that said, mathematicians perceive variables as a blessing and extremely useful. Students, however, often struggle with the use of variables. In Beyond Numeracy, variables are compared to pronouns, a concept few people have

difficulties with. If pronouns did not exist, the phrase Help whoever helps you would become Help Thomas if Thomas helps Gemma, help Wanda if Wanda helps Gemma, help Matthew if Matthew helps Gemma, help Olivia if Olivia helps Gemma, and so on. This example is a good way to show students the usefulness of variables in mathematics. Metaphors are a great way to help students understand an otherwise confusing concept/idea. Many students do not realize and/or acknowledge mathematics presence in our everyday lives. Mathematics is everywhere paying taxes, determining the weather forecasts, how much a monthly cell phone plan will be. The above examples use algebra techniques and methods, including the formation and solving of equations. II. Consider Instructional Implications Both texts, Benchmarks for Science Literacy and Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, suggest teachers reveal student thinking through the use of questioning. They also suggest teachers implement a wide range of examples relevant and interesting to students. Examples that include realworld implications are helpful, especially if they are relatable to students. Variables, symbolic representations, and change are large components of linear relationships. If students do not have a sound understanding of these, they will have difficulty grasping the main ideas about the topic. It is important for these concepts to be introduced gradually to students, starting in kindergarten and evolving, deepening throughout the years. Teachers can reveal misconceptions by questioning and address them by walking students through examples. It is suggested for teachers to include real-world examples in their lessons. Interesting, relatable examples allow students to not only learn the main ideas but also do so in a setting that models life outside of K-12 education. Another suggestion for teachers is to use the support of technology. Once students know how to do basic mathematical procedures, such as graphing, the use of technology and related programs allows students to focus on the underlying meanings behind the concepts. This will help students gain a deeper understanding. IIA: Benchmarks for Science Literacy Algebra is one of the main topics students need to learn in their K-12 education. The general essay helped me gain a K-12 understanding of linear relationships. To understand this topic, students must first learn about symbols, then what it means to manipulate symbolic statements, and finally, with plenty of experience exploring various examples, students will begin to understand algebra and what it is, including linear relationships. While the term algebra is not used until middle and high school grades, some of its major principles are introduced and practiced in the elementary years. In the first few years of a students education they will explore change and situations in which changes in one thing seem to be associated with changes in other things. In grades 3-5 students learn about symbols, symbolic statements, and methods (tables, graphs) that show relationships between

other values. Middle school years build on top of students previous mathematical knowledge. By the end of 8th grade students should understand variables, rates of change, and graphing linear relationships. High school adds further depth to students knowledge and understanding of linear relationships. Students learn about the specific types of relationships encountered in equation, table, and graph form. By the end of high school students should have a solid understanding of linear relationships and the methods/practices used to examine, interpret, and evaluate them. IIB: Principles and Standards for School Mathematics Some people easily understand algebra and linear relationships, especially those who decide to teach those topics; however, many students have difficulties grasping the content. With that being said, teachers must do what they can to help students understand the content. The essays, tasks, and student work presented in Principles and Standards for School Mathematics helped me think about instructional implications of the topic. Teachers should provide examples to students that helps build upon their current knowledge and strengthen there understanding of the topic at hand. Throughout the various examples teachers provide and walk students through, they must ask students a variety of questions to test their understanding and reveal their thinking. Such questions include What relationship do you see?, Is the change constant?, How can we verify the solution to the problem?, What observations did you make?, etc. Teachers must reveal student thinking to uncover possible misconceptions and address them whenever necessary. If students have misconceptions and do not address them, then all new knowledge will be skewed. Questioning is a wonderful way to assess students understanding of a topic. III. Identify Concepts and Specific Ideas In Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, four main learning goals were stated for algebra. All students should: understand patterns, relations, and functions, represent and analyze mathematical situations and structures using algebraic symbols, use mathematical models to represent and understand quantitative relationships, and analyze change in various contexts. These goals align well with the topic of linear relationships. Within the four learning goals I mentioned above there are specific ideas and skills students should learn and understand. By the end of 12th grade, students should be able to: understand relations and function, including selecting the appropriate representations for specific problems, analyzing the rates of change, using arithmetic principles to evaluate functions and equivalent representations, write equivalent forms of equations, functions, and systems of equations, identify essential relationships, and determine the appropriate method (graph, equation, tables, etc.) to solve problems. The goals listed for algebra help me determine what I need to emphasis on when teaching linear relationships to students. Principles and Standards for School Mathematics provides a variety of examples addressing the main learning goals of algebra. Two ideas that I understand to be a couple of the most important for this specific topic are symbolic representations and change.

In order for students to fully grasp the intricacies of linear relationships, they must understand what variables are and represent, as well as the rate of change. The learning goals presented in the Benchmarks are aligned quite well with the ideas in Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Both suggest the gradual implementation of concepts to students through their K-12 years. The books discuss the importance of understanding the relationships among functions and linear equations, including the types of change. These symbolic representations, functions, and equations can be represented in a variety of ways including graphs and tables. Principles and Standards for School Mathematics discusses the concepts more in-depth than Benchmarks does. Numerous examples are provided to explain the concepts and ideas related to algebra and linear relationships. IIIB: Principles and Standards for School Mathematics Almost all mathematics topics are related one way or another. Many concepts and principles make up the topic of algebra and more specifically linear relationships. Algebra is not an easily understood mathematical topic, however, with a strong foundation in arithmetic, some of the main procedures of algebra will not seem so difficult. This allows students to focus on the parts of algebra that are novel and sometimes complicated. In Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, expectations are listed for each major grade group. The expectations go into detail about the concepts, ideas, and skills students ought to master and have a sound understanding of. By providing in-depth examples backing up the expectations listed I am able to gain a deeper understanding of what the standard involves. IV. Examine Research on Student Learning There are a few misconceptions/difficulties students have concerning algebra and linear relationships. Students have difficulty understanding how symbols are used in algebra (Kieran, 1992). Variables are arbitrary and many students do not understand that concept. Students also have troubles with interpreting graphs and what it means for a linear equation to have a slope. Another difficulty students have is with the equality sign in equations. A lot of students view the equals sign as the starting point of calculations or arithmetic rather than a symbol of equivalence between the different sides of the equation. With regards to equivalency when solving equations, students who are taught to solve equations only by formal methods may not understand what they are doing. If students are encouraged at first to use trial-and-error substitution and then are taught more formal methods to solve equations, they are more likely to succeed in understanding what it means by equivalency. Algebra and linear relationships are topics introduced to students from middle school onwards. All students develop differently, so some students may be ready to tackle the concepts involved in 7th grade while others are not ready until 9th grade. In order for students to succeed in algebra they must have a

strong foundation of arithmetic. Most students are provided opportunities from early grades to play around with the ideas of change and variables, but it isnt until at least middle school where the actual terminology is introduced. By giving students examples that include finding the change or unknown component in elementary school when they reach middle school and are officially introduced the proper terminology, the concepts will not sound too daunting. Elementary school leads the path to success in the later school years. IVA: Benchmarks for Science Literacy The research complements the benchmark ideas by discussing common challenges and misconceptions students hold with certain concepts within the topic. Through understanding what the benchmarks are and discussing the difficulties many students have when learning the concepts, it gives teachers a deeper understanding of what they must do in order to successfully translate the material. The research components provide me with helpful instructional suggestions and tips that I can use when I teach the concepts. IVB: Research Companion I previously mentioned the difficulties students have understanding the meaning of the equality sign in equations. If the equality sign is introduced as a symbol indicating equivalence between arithmetic equalities from the very beginning, students will have fewer issues later on. Also, it is helpful to introduce the concepts to students early on by having them make their own generalizations and identify relationships before they learn the actual terminology behind the concepts. Then when the actual concepts and related terminology are introduced students will be less overwhelmed and more understanding because they have already accomplished similar activities in the past several years. V. Examine Coherency and Articulation Viewing the related pages in the Atlas for Science Literacy was a very helpful tool. I am a visual learner so physically seeing the relationships between important concepts and skills helped me understand the big picture. The maps discuss rates of change, variables, manipulating data, graphing equations, finding relationships, and much more. Most of the nodes connect to at least one other node, with some having as much as six connections. From looking at the map I notice that the content connects with both science and technology. Within mathematics, the content connects to geometry and probability. The placement of the nodes and connections allows me to visualize the K-12 overview of the topic, including the various relationships the topic has with other focus areas. Students must have a strong knowledge of numbers and the various things they can represent. From here, students can begin to understand symbolic representations and variables. The storylines/conceptual strands help me organize the concepts and skills, solidifying how I am going to address such concepts to students in the future. Reading the narrative section and viewing the map helps me solidify and strengthen my understanding of the topic.

VI. Clarify State Standards and District Curriculum

I believe the most important thing to cover, before diving into the material, is symbolic representation and variables. If students have a solid understanding of variables it will lead the way for the rest of the material. If students are not clear on variables, the definition and their purpose, students will struggle and may not understand further content. Some of the verbs included in the state standards are identify, solve, convert, describe, determine, and recognize. I believe all of those verbs are appropriate for the topics covered under linear relationships. VIA: State Standards: For algebra and linear relationships there many state standards including MA.912.A.3.1 MA.912.A.3.15. All of the standards I listed are essential to learning the ideas in the topic. By researching linear relationships in the first five sections of this project I now understand the intent of the state standards. The standards enable teachers to focus on specific concepts related to a particular topic. VIB: District Curriculum Guide or Instructional Materials: To truly teach students the standards set forth by the Alachua County Pacing Guide it is vital for students to understand variables and different types of relationships among equations/graphs. The material for this course prepares students to take and pass P.E.R.T and begin college level mathematics courses. I believe the pacing guide sets up the lesson sequence quite nicely. The pace progresses well throughout the semester. The topics in this course have already been discussed and covered in previous mathematics courses. Sometimes, in order for students to fully understand certain topics, it is necessary to reteach or recover the material.