Kelly Holzmeyer and Family Website WFT

Kelly Holzmeyer and Family Website WFT

Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts. ~Author Unknown

My name is Kelly and I am a Middle School Math major. I decided to go back to school full time about a year ago. I am scheduled to intern this spring and to student teach in the fall. I am the older person in your classes; most of my friends and family think I am having my mid-life crisis. I think it’s cheaper than a BMW convertible and much better for my marriage than an affair. I am a wife and mother of three great kids (but don’t tell them I said that). Addison is twenty-one and is a student at Ranken studying to be an electrician. Taylor is a senior at Hazelwood West and is currently looking at colleges to study criminal justice and play football. My daughter, Rianne is a sophomore at Hazelwood West and is very excited about getting her license soon. My family means the world to me and I would not be able to do what I am doing without their support. Thanks guys, I love you.

The informality of family life is a blessed condition that allows us to become our best while looking our worst. ~Marge Kennedy

LONIP

Me, Myself & Shirley

Kelly Holzmeyer

Final Draft

October 8, 2009

Me, Myself and Shirley

All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his.
Oscar Wilde

“BECAUSE I SAID SO!” Who is saying this?

“THAT’S NOT FAIR!”

“WHO SAID LIFE WAS FAIR?” Who is this person?

Growing up, my mom, Shirley, yelled a lot and made rules that I did not understand or agree with. Now apparently I am acting the same way. I told myself that I would explain my reasons and make sure my kids understood why I did not allow them to do certain things. Certainly I have tried to accomplish this task, however, at times my kids need to understand that no means no. When I say this, I must explain that if I give my kids my reasons for them not doing a certain thing they will certainly do it to spite me. For example, my son has some not so trustworthy friends. If I tell him he can not do something based solely on the fact that it involves this set of friends; what do you think he is going to do? I know what I would do. My mother also knew what I would do.

Yelling is not an attractive trait. I do not start a conversation yelling so how do I end up there. I should be able to keep my cool, right? I am the parent, right? I like to think that most of the time I remain the adult in the situation, however there are times when my kids can push buttons I did not even know I had. The amazing thing is that it is usually just one of us yelling. Either, I stay calm and the kids are losing it. Or, do you remember the scene from the Exorcist when the little girls head spins around and around? I swear that happens to me.

I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much.
Mother Teresa

Have you ever walked into a room and you can not for the life of you remember why you walked in there? Thank your mother for that one. No? It happens to everyone? It has never happened to my husband, or so he says. I know it has happened to my mother, I have witnessed it. If it happens to you, do not panic just march up to the first item you see, say there you are, and walk out. I promise no one will know. When you figure out what you were searching for, write it down before you go get it. By the way, do not forget to take the other item back; otherwise, when you really need it you will have no idea where to find it.

How about repeating yourself? Not experienced that yet? Lucky you. It usually happens with my kids. “Taylor, what time is your game?” “For the twentieth time, one o’clock, Mom!” I usually respond with, “If you didn’t mumble all the time I wouldn’t have to ask so much.” I prefer this to, “I could not remember if I asked you much less what you said.” You can also write this off to how busy you are; you just simply can not be bothered with pesky details. However, we all know your mother just surfaced again.

I was on the phone with my mother the other day and she told me she has been avoiding my brother’s phone calls. He is going through a rough divorce and tends to lean on our parents for emotional support. My mother feels like when she gets off the phone with him, her entire mood has changed and she is down for the rest of the day. She loves him and wants to help and support him, but some days it is just too much. I do not have the heart to admit that I sometimes do the same thing. She is a wonderful lady but when she is down, for whatever reason she has the unique ability to pass that on. There are days when I just can not afford to go down that road. One more way that I have turned into her without even realizing I was doing it.

Good news! A complete transformation from daughter to mother has not happened, yet. I admit I channel my mother more often than I would like. The only satisfaction I have is the horror my mother faced when she realized she was her mother, my grandmother. She, of course, has the same satisfaction when she hears herself in me. What a vicious circle!

My mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune.

Graycie Harmon

Kelly Holzmeyer

Final Lesson Idea

Geometry Timeline

Math

Eighth Grade

Rationale: As we begin our unit on geometry, I will have the students create a poster on a place that is relevant to geometry’s history. It is important for the students to understand the history of geometry and its importance to the world. This poster assignment will allow the students to build prior knowledge and relate geometry to real life. The students will focus on a place in history where geometry had an impact. They will be required to research why this place was important, who in this specific time in history had the most influence in furthering geometric concepts and what knowledge was gained during this time. The students will be required to have historical text, maps, and images. Although geometry has many influences throughout the years, for this lesson we will be focusing on the historical side of geometry. By doing this assignment before we start the unit, the students will have prior knowledge on which to build and will also realize the magnitude geometry has had on the world’s development. When the posters are completed the students will assemble a classroom timeline with their posters.

Summary: The poster must contain at least two paragraphs of historical text (telling why the place the students choose is important to geometry), one map and one image. They are encouraged to be creative and put their own style into the poster.

Objective: GLE MA1A8 – Analyze characteristics and properties of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes and develop mathematical arguments about geometric relationships – describe, classify, and generalize relationships between and among types of a) 2 dimensional objects and b) 3 dimensional objects using their defining properties including Pythagorean Theorem.

Length: This project should take up to two weeks. I will allow students time to work on the poster in class.

Materials and Resources: We will go to the school library at least once. The students can use the classroom library and computers. We will assemble the posters in the classroom.

Means of Assessment: The students will be given a copy of the rubric I will use to grade this assignment.

Name of Lesson: Geometry Timeline

Grade Level: Eighth Grade Subject: Geometry Prepared By: Kelly Holzmeyer

Overview & Purpose: For this lesson the students will go to the library to research a place in history that was important to geometry. / Education Standards Addressed: GLE MA1A8 – Analyze characteristics and properties of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes and develop mathematical arguments about geometric relationships – describe, classify, and generalize relationships between and among types of a) 2 dimensional objects and b) 3 dimensional objects using their defining properties including Pythagorean Theorem.
Teacher Guide / Student Guide
Objectives (Specify skills/information that will be learned / Students will choose a location that was important to geometry and research the reasons why / Research geometry’s history and choose a location for your poster / Materials Needed
Internet
Library books
Sir Cumference book
Note Cards
Information (Give and/or demonstrate necessary information) / Give websites to use for research and show students the area in library where they will find the appropriate books for research / Use websites and books to decide on a location and begin research for poster timeline / Pens/Pencils
Librarian
Verification (Steps to check for student understanding) / Have students give you a short summary as to why they have chosen this specific location / Take notes to justify your location choice
Activity (Describe the independent activity to reinforce this lesson) / Read the students Sir Cumference and the First Round Table / Journal about the book Mrs. Holzmeyer read in class
Summary: Students should come away from lesson with a topic and notes related to that location / Students will decide on a location of their poster / Begin taking notes and chose a location for geometry poster

Name______

Please name your place in geometry history in the box. Then list the details you have researched under the appropriate headings.

Place

Who was Why was Knowledge

Important this place Gained

important

Teacher Calendar

Day 1: Introduce the lesson. Give out the handout. Have students start research on classroom computers and in classroom library.

Day 2: Take students to school library.

Day 3: Have students finalize selection and start doing specific research.

Day 4: Give students time for research.

Day 5: Give students time for research and to start writing paragraphs.

Day 6: Offer to proof read paragraphs and remind students to gather images and maps.

Day 7: Have students start organizing their poster layout.

Day 8: Have students finalize their layouts and start typing.

Day 9: Have students finish their typing.

Day 10: Finish last minute typing and assemble posters. Have students share their work.

Day 11: Hang posters in classroom to form a geometry timeline.

Student Calendar

Day 1: Look over handout and start thinking about what place you would like to research.

Day 2: Go to school library for research.

Day 3: In class research – finalize your topic – take notes.

Day 4: In class research – take notes.

Day 5: Continue research and start writing.

Day 6: Proof read your work or check with teacher. Don’t forget maps and images.

Day 7: Organize your work for poster.

Day 8: Finish organizing and start typing.

Day 9: Finish typing.

Day 10: Print and share your work with the class.

Day 11: Assist teacher with organizing and hanging posters for timeline.

Geometry Poster Rubric

Written Portion

X = 10 points / X = 5 points / X = 3 points / X = 1 point
Clarity / Each section in the poster has a clear beginning, middle, and end. / Almost all sections of the poster have a clear beginning, middle and end. / Most sections of the poster have a clear beginning, middle and end. / Less than half of the sections of the poster have a clear beginning, middle and end.
Attractiveness
& Organization / The poster has exceptionally attractive formatting and well-organized information. / The poster has attractive formatting and well-organized information. / The poster has well-organized information. / The poster’s formatting and organization of material are confusing to the reader.
Grammatical
Errors / The text is free of grammatical errors. / The text has few grammatical errors. / The text has several grammatical errors. / Too many errors.

Content Portion

X = 10 points / X = 5 points / X = 3 points / X = 1 point
Content / All facts in the poster are accurate. / 99-90% of the facts in the poster are accurate. / 89-80% of the facts in the poster are accurate. / Fewer than 80% of the facts in the poster are accurate.
Graphics/Pictures / Graphics go well with the text and there is a good mix of text and graphics. / Graphics go well with the text, but there are so many that they distract from the text. / Graphics go well with the text, but there are too few and the poster seems "text-heavy". / Graphics do not go with the accompanying text or appear to be randomly chosen.
Creativity / Poster is exciting and fun to read / Poster is attractive and visually appealing / Poster met requirements but not visually stimulating / Poster is bland

Geometry Poster/Timeline Assignment

You may pick any place that has a relevance to geometry.
You should design a poster much like this handout. It should contain at least two paragraphs of written material on your place, date in history and why it is relevant to the history of geometry. If there is a specific person tied to this place and geometry, please include that information. We will then turn the posters into a classroom timeline. /
/ Requirements:
Create a poster about a place where geometry has had an impact on the world.
Your poster must include:

• 2 paragraphs on the place including the date
• At least one image
• At least one map

Remember to be creative and have fun! / Due Date:______

Egyptians c. 2000 - 500 B.C.

Ancient Egyptians demonstrated a practical knowledge of geometry through surveying and construction projects. The Nile River overflowed its banks every year, and the river banks would have to be re-surveyed. In the Rhind Papyrus, pi is approximated.

Babylonians c. 2000 - 500 B.C.

Ancient clay tablets reveal that the Babylonians knew the Pythagorean relationships. One clay tablet reads

4 is the length and 5 the diagonal. What is the breadth? Its size is not known. 4 times 4 is 16. 5 times 5 is 25. You take 16 from 25 and there remains 9. What times what shall I take in order to get 9? 3 times 3 is 9. 3 is the breadth.

Greeks c. 750-250 B.C.

Ancient Greeks practiced centuries of experimental geometry like Egypt and Babylonia had, and they absorbed the experimental geometry of both of those cultures. Then they created the first formal mathematics of any kind by organizing geometry with rules of logic. Euclid's (400BC) important geometry book The Elements formed the basis for most of the geometry studied in schools ever since.

The Fifth Postulate Controversy c. 400 B.C. - 1800 A. D.

There are two main types of mathematical (including geometric) rules : postulates (also called axioms), and theorems. Postulates are basic assumptions - rules that seem to be obvious and are therefore accepted without proof. Theorems are rules that must be proved.Euclid gave five postulates. The fifth postulate reads: Given a line and a point not on the line, it is possible to draw exactly one line through the given point parallel to the line. Euclid was not satisfied with accepting the fifth postulate (also known as the parallel postulate) without proof. Many mathematicians throughout the next centuries unsuccessfully attempted to prove Euclid's Fifth.

The Search for pi ??? B.C. - present

It seems to have been known from most ancient of times that the ratio of the circumference and diameter of a circle is a constant, but what is that constant? A search for a better answer to that question has intrigued mathematicians throughout history.

Coordinate Geometry c. 1600 A.D.

Descartes made one of the greatest advances in geometry by connecting algebra and geometry. A myth is that he was watching a fly on the ceiling when he conceived of locating points on a plane with a pair of numbers. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that he stayed in bed everyday until 11:00 A.M. Fermat also discovered coordinate geometry, but it's Descartes' version that we use today.

Non-Euclidean Geometries c. early 1800's

Since mathematicians couldn't prove the 5th postulate, they devised new geometries with "strange" notions of parallelism. (A geometry with no parallel lines?!?) Bolyai and Lobachevsky are credited with devising the first non-euclidean geometries.

Differential Geometry c. late 1800's-1900's

Differential geometry combines geometry with the techniques of calculus to provide a method for studying geometry on curved surfaces. Gauss and Riemann (his student) laid the foundation of this field. Einstein credits Gauss with formulating the mathematical fundamentals of the theory of relativity.

Thanks to Cynthia Lanius for the timeline of events.