Supplement: Monte Cristo Characters List

1.  Abbe Faria	15.  Julie Morrel
2.  Albert	16.  Luigi Vampa
3.  Ali Pasha	17.  Madame Danglars
4.  Barrios	18.  Madame de Villefort
5.  Benedetto	19.  Maximilien Morrel
6.  Bertuccio	20.  Mercedes
7.  Caderousse	21.  Monsieur Beauchamp
8.  Edmond Dantes	22.  Monsieur Danglars
9.  Eduord de Villefort	23.  Monsieur de Villefort
10.  Eugenie Danglars	24.  Monsieur Debray
11.  Fernand Mondego	25.  Monsieur Morrel
12.  Franz d'Epinay	26.  Monsieur Noitier
13.  Haydee	27.  Peppino
14.  Jacopo	28.  Valentine de Villefort

Supplement: Pi Day Worksheets

http://www.homeschoolmath.net/worksheets/table-circle.php?col=2&row=3&space=2&metric=1&customary=1&pi=3.14&round=2&image=1&c1=1&c2=1&font=Default&FontSize=11pt&pad=5&ptitle=&Submit=Submit

http://www.homeschoolmath.net/worksheets/table-circle.php?col=2&row=3&space=2&metric=1&customary=1&pi=3.14&round=2&image=1&a1=1&a2=1&font=Default&FontSize=11pt&pad=5&ptitle=&Submit=Submit

http://www.homeschoolmath.net/worksheets/table-circle.php?col=1&row=3&space=2&metric=1&pi=3.14&round=2&image=1&d2=1&r2=1&a3=1&font=Default&FontSize=11pt&pad=10&ptitle=&Submit=Submit

http://www.homeschoolmath.net/worksheets/table-circle.php?col=1&row=3&space=2&metric=1&pi=3.14&round=2&image=1&d2=1&d3=1&r2=1&r3=1&c3=1&a3=1&font=Default&FontSize=11pt&pad=10&ptitle=&Submit=Submit

End of the Class Reflection

This class has been quite an experience for me.  I consider myself quite tech-savvy already, but this can become a curse.  When you already consider yourself quite proficient in something, you tend to not take the time to improve and expand your knowledge and skills in that area.  This is the rut I find myself in often when it comes to technology.  Classes like this force me to expand my horizons and explore new tools and resources that are available.  Many of the topics we discussed in our class I had been exposed to before this class, however working through the assignments for this class forced me to challenge and push myself to find effective ways to use each of these concepts in the classroom.  It is easy to learn about something on a conceptual level, but to force oneself to find a practical application can sometimes be difficult.  Because of this and a very busy schedule over the last few months, this class was quite a challenge for me.  However, reaching the end of it and thinking back on everything I learned and created, I feel very accomplished and that I have learned a lot.  At the start of the term, I had set three goals for myself throughout the class.  Some I was able to accomplish throughout the course of the term.  Some of them are still a work in progress.  Here are the three goals I set.

1.  To find a way to use technology resources in my math class.
This goal I made a very conscious effort to accomplish, and I did.  Every chance I got, I tried to apply the topics we were covering to my math class and was able to get several strong math lessons using technology out of it.

2.  Utilize active learning more in my math classes.
Going through this course has forced me to think outside my box and look more at active learning.  Many of the topics in this course forced me to look at ways to look at my classroom in a different way, and I am leaving with some great ideas I can implement in my classroom.

3.  Establish a technology-centered way for students to present their book report in my literature class.
With so much focus going toward improving my use of technology in my math classes, this is one of my goals that didn't quite get as far along as I would have liked.  I did find a good mind mapping program that would work for students to present their book report.  I hadn't thought of it in the context of a book report when I found it, however it would be quite effective in that capacity.

Overall, this course has been a positive experience for me where I have learned many things that I will be able to apply to my classroom immediately.

Lesson Plan: Learning Through Giving: Sponsoring a Child

Our class is helping our school support two children in other countries.  With only $38 per month per child, we are able to provide clean food, clean water, education, and instruction of the gospel.  Getting students to sacrifice money to do this can be difficult.  This lesson will be used to help middle schoolers realize how small of a sacrifice it is for the students to give and how much it provides for the children that are being sponsored.  It is powerful, yet simple.  Here is the review:

1.       Descriptive Data- This lesson is for a class of 16 8^th graders.  There are 7 boys and 9 girls in the class.  The class is a mix of rural and suburban backgrounds.  There are 15 Caucasian students with one African-born student adopted into a Caucasian-American family.  There are no special learning needs in the classroom.  This class is part of a departmentalized middle school within a 160 student K-8 Lutheran school.  About one-third of our school is Lutheran, with one-third some other Christian affiliation, with one-third having no church ties.

2.       Prior Requirements-  For this lesson, the students will already have a working knowledge of the internet, Word, and Excel.  They will have been given an introductory lesson in how to post a blog on the class blog on blogger.com.  They are also on an 8^th grade level or higher in math.

3.       Learning Objectives-

a.       The students will apply the basic math operations to real-life situations.

b.      The students will be able to calculate the percent of change given a real-world situation.

c.       The students will be able to calculate percent when given a real-world problem.

4.       Assessment of Student Learning- The students will post a blog of their findings on a class blog page.  This will be graded for accuracy and completeness.

5.       Rationale- This year, our class has been supporting two children; one through Compassion International and one through World Vision.  Each child is supported with $38 per month.  This monthly donation provides clean food, clean water, education, and the presentation of the Gospel.  This lesson will give some perspective to how far their money can go by comparing it to how much things cost in their reality.  It will help them understand how fortunate they are, and how little is being asked of them to provide so much.

6.       Materials and Equipment – Materials needed will be a computer lab with internet access and a word processor, a google account for every student, a class blog set up prior to the lesson on blogger.com, and scratch paper with pencils.

7.       Procedure-

a.       This lesson will most likely take several class periods and will be most effective the week before Christmas break.

b.      Have the students create a Christmas wish list of 5 items they would like for Christmas.  Use the internet to look up exactly each item costs.  They can spend $456.

c.       Keep track of everything they find on an excel spreadsheet.

d.      Next, since they just made a list of what they want, now make a list of everything they need to survive per month (food, clothes, etc.).  Get specific.  Look up how much the items cost.  At this point, they have no cash restrictions.

e.      After they plan their needs, tell them they have a $456 budget to spend for the month.

f.        Perhaps they plan on saving some each month to work towards the wish list they made earlier.

g.       After they have planned out their budget, tell them to re-work their budget knowing they have $456 to spend for the year.  We would do the math to determine that this is $38 per month.

h.      Ask them to calculate what percentage of decrease there is from their original budget to their current one.

i.         Explain that this is the budget we provide for the children we sponsor that provides for everything they need.

j.        Split the class in half.  Half of the class will research the country one of the kids is from while the other researches the other country.  What type of food do they eat?  Are there any specific needs someone living in that country would have?

k.       Calculate how much money it would cost per month to live with those needs in our country.  What percent is the $38 of that amount?

l.         Calculate: “If we support two children at $38 per month, and there are 16 8^th graders in the class, how much will that cost per student to support per month?  Per year?”

m.    Have them look at the budget and wish list they came up with earlier.  What could be sacrificed off your list to come up with the amount needed per student to support these two children?

n.      Once we complete the calculations, they will take the data they gathered throughout the assignment and create a narrative blog post on blogger.com showing what they wanted, needed, and sacrificed to potentially live off what it will take for the children we sponsor to live.  Each step of our assignment needs to be represented in the blog.  This will be graded on effort and completeness.

o.      Once the blog posts are completed, I will send a link to the blog home so parents can see what they learned about the children we sponsor.  This blog may also be sent, with permission, to Compassion and World Vision so they can see the students working to support their sponsored children.

Lesson Plan: Life Applications of Math

Working with middle schoolers is often a challenge.  One of the most challenging parts of teaching this group is they tend to question everything.  As a math teacher, this question can be quite daunting as algebra does not have an obvious application to everyday life. This lesson will help them answer this question for themselves and provide some added motivation going through math class.  Here is the lesson plan that takes advantage of a WebQuest for help:

1.       Descriptive Data- This lesson is for a class of 16 8^th graders.  There are 7 boys and 9 girls in the class.  The class is a mix of rural and suburban backgrounds.  There are 15 Caucasian students with one African-born student adopted into a Caucasian-American family.  There are no special learning needs in the classroom.  This class is part of a departmentalized middle school within a 160 student K-8 Lutheran school.  About one-third of our school is Lutheran, with one-third some other Christian affiliation, with one-third having no church ties.

2.       Prior Requirements- For this lesson, the students already have a working knowledge of the internet and PowerPoint.  They are also on an 8^th grade level or higher in math.

3.       Learning Objective:

a.       To investigate and research the math requirements for desired career options.

b.      To create a presentation showing the importance of higher-level math in professional life.

c.       To present their presentation to the rest of their class clearly and effectively.

4.       Assessment of Student Learning- The students will create a PowerPoint presentation and present it to the class showing what they have learned.  This will be graded according to the rubric provided by the WebQuest.

5.       Rationale- This lesson is important because middle school students are constantly asking the question “why?”  This not only helps answer one of those questions, but also helps them discover some potential career paths they could pursue.  By taking the time to present this in this way, it allows for the students to find something that truly interests them and investigate it.

6.       Materials and Equipment – A computer lab of computers equipped with PowerPoint will be needed.  Also, the WebQuest located at this address: http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=168570

7.       Procedure

a.       This lesson is not specific to one specific piece of curriculum so it can be presented at any time during the school year.

b.      Start by having a discussion with the class about why math is important.

c.       Continue the discussion with how math can affect one’s future.

d.      Ask who knows what they want to be when they grow up.

e.      Have an assignment due the next day giving, in one paragraph, an occupation they are interested in and why.

f.        The next day take the class to the computer lab and introduce the WebQuest as an investigation of their future.  They will investigate what job they want to do and what kind of math will be expected of them to do it.

g.       Give them the link for the WebQuest and allow for two days for them to work.  When their research is completed, they will prepare a presentation for the class on their findings.

h.      At the end of two days, each student will give a 2-4 minute presentation on their findings.  The presentation will be graded on length of presentation, clarity of speech, and use of technology to aid in the presentation.

Lesson Plan: Tracking the Characters of "The Count of Monte Cristo"

Reading The Count of Monte Cristo with a group of 8th graders is no easy task.  It is a challenging story with many characters and plot twists.  One of the main ways to review what was discussed in the book is to review each character, how they were connected, and what each character did.  In the past, this was done by class discussion.  Thanks to technology and a program like FreeMind which is used in this lesson, visual learners are able to organize their thoughts and reviews and better prepare for a test like this.  Here is the lesson plan that will accomplish it:

1.       This lesson is for a class of 16 8^th graders.  There are 7 boys and 9 girls in the class.  The class is a mix of rural and suburban backgrounds.  There are 15 Caucasian students with one African-born student adopted into a Caucasian-American family.  There are no special learning needs in the classroom.  This class is part of a departmentalized middle school within a 160 student K-8 Lutheran school.  About one-third of our school is Lutheran, with one-third some other Christian affiliation, with one-third having no church ties.

2.       The students have been studying The Count of Monte Cristo for the last two months in literature class.  They have become familiar with the characters and their stories.  They have had experience with characterization and plot analysis from previous studies.  For this lesson, the students will need to learn a mapping program.

3.       Objectives:

a.       The students will organize the connections and stories of different characters in The Count of Monte Cristo as a final review.

b.      The students will present their character map to their classmates.

4.       The students will turn in a map showing connections and stories of a list of characters provided by the teacher.

5.       This lesson is important in our review to wrap up our study of the book.  This book has many characters known by many names that can get confusing.  Since the reading of the book is completed, we can go back through and see all of the connections to help establish the overall story.  Using a mapping program will help organize thoughts and make a visual map of the story.  The technology allows for us to create these maps digitally in a way that is easy to edit.

6.       The materials needed are their The Count of Monte Cristo book, a class set of ipads with either Inspiration or FreeMind installed, and the teacher-provided list of main characters needing to be organized.

7.        

·         The teacher will introduce the lesson by showing some example mappings.  The first example will “all about the teacher.”  (This map will be specific for each teacher.  Constructing it allows you to become familiar with the program as well.)  The second example will be organizing a previous book we have read.

·         Explain how a mapping can help organize complex ideas.

·         Allow them to create a mapping about themselves to practice with the program.

·         Introduce the assignment of using the mapping program to create a character map for the Count of Monte Cristo using the list of characters provided.

·         They will work on this project in pairs.

·         Help get them started by going through the first few steps with them.

·         Allow for several days in class to complete the activity

·         At the start of each day, allow for 5 minutes of share time with one another in the class to share and brainstorm ideas and make sure all information is correct.

·         When maps are completed, students will share their maps with each other looking for differences in presentation, information they may have omitted, and that all information is correct.

·         Observations of other’s maps will be shared in a class discussion and turned in individually as an “observation log.”

·         Once all maps are shared, they will take their test over the book.