Geometry Chalk Talk

Sunday, April 6, 2014

According to the 5th grade math CCSS, students need to master the following:

Graph points on the coordinate plane to solve real-world and mathematical problems.

CCSS.Math.Content.5.G.A.1
Use a pair of perpendicular number lines, called axes, to define a coordinate system, with the intersection of the lines (the origin) arranged to coincide with the 0 on each line and a given point in the plane located by using an ordered pair of numbers, called its coordinates. Understand that the first number indicates how far to travel from the origin in the direction of one axis, and the second number indicates how far to travel in the direction of the second axis, with the convention that the names of the two axes and the coordinates correspond (e.g., x-axis and x-coordinate, y-axis and y-coordinate).

CCSS.Math.Content.5.G.A.2
Represent real world and mathematical problems by graphing points in the first quadrant of the coordinate plane, and interpret coordinate values of points in the context of the situation.

I wrote the following the following essential questions and presented them to the class in the beginning of the unit using the Chalk Talk routine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I felt that this particular activity game me some understanding of where the students were in their mastery of the standards.  It also gave them some indication of the expectations for the end of the unit.  Many students were very comfortable plotting points in the first quadrant but had no idea how to plot points with negative coordinates.  They also didn't understand the purpose behind using a coordinate grid and plotting points.  We spent a great deal of time building on these essential questions to give them a purpose for coordinate planes.