LESSON PLAN REQUIREMENTS
FORMAT: All lesson plans are to be printed on one side of 8½ by 11 paper double-spaced with 11 or 12-point font. Use the MLA format that you were taught in your freshman English classes.
The cover page should have the title in the middle. In the lower right hand corner type each of the following on a separate line: Your name, History of Mathematics, the date due, and the problem number(s) pertaining to your lesson plan.
The next page should be an abstract. An abstract is a concise synopsis (100-150 words) of the lesson plan that (1) introduces the topic, (2)briefly describes the mathematics history in the lesson and (3) briefly describes the mathematics in the lesson.It should be on the second page of your lesson plan, single spaced, and centered on the page with two-inch left and right margins.
The actual plan will then start with your name, the date, the topic, the subject, and the level of the class. Then the essential question or questions that drive your plan will follow. The behavioral objectives should state the expected achievement levels and be measurable. List all of the materials and equipment needed for the lesson.
A brief preview of what has happened before the lesson, what is happening during the lesson and perhaps what lessons will follow should be included.
The next several pages should include your direct instruction. You should begin with a warm up that is appropriate for your lesson. General motivation for your lesson should follow. Then, each section of your lesson should have its own motivation, material to learn, guided practice, understanding check and a summary and/or transition to the next phase of the lesson. The lesson should end with a closure and an activity to use in the case you finish early.
Finally the lesson plan should include a homework assignment. It can be a statement of the numbers of problems from a text. There should be a modification plan for IEP learners, and an extension for the lesson.
There should be a bibliography that includes sources from mathematics, history of mathematics, and education. Sample lesson plans are available for your viewing in my office and on my website.
All pages should be numbered starting with a one on the first page after the abstract. Some students prefer to submit the paper in two documents, the first document is in Word and the direct instruction area is a description of what is on each slide of a PowerPoint presentation. The second document is a PowerPoint presentation of the direct instruction. While this is acceptable I prefer it submitted as one document by using export in the PowerPoint program to send you slides to your Word document. In either case, please make sure your slides are numbered and that you use those numbers in your narrative.
Lesson plans will be collected at the beginning of class on the due date and will not be returned to students so it will be necessary for you to make a copy for yourself. In addition, you will also submit an electronic version of your work by 2 PM on the due date. This version should be in Microsoft Word and submitted on the web on this course Blackboard website under assignments. The entire paper should be in one folder with a title of Surname-Paper#,(Smith-Paper1).
Abstract
This lesson plan covers the invention of logarithms and the laws of logarithms and logarithmic properties. It also includes the relation between logarithms and exponents as opposite operations. First, the mathematician John Napier is introduced along with his significant inventions and innovations, including some important weapons of war. Next, his effective computing device of rods, or bones, is illustrated and briefly discussed. Finally, logarithms are investigated and a few real life applications that use the logarithmic scale are presented. These include the decibel scale, the Richter scale, and the music scale.
CITATIONS: Please use MLA citations in your work.
1.Author not named in your text.
One researcher concluded that, “Descartes’ analytic geometry can cope with the general problem and is a fine tribute to the power of the new method” (Eves 349).
Work cited entry.
Eves, Howard. An Introduction to the History of Mathematics. New York, SaundersCollege Publishing, 1990.
2.Author named in text.
The author of our text, Eves, concludes that, “Descartes’ analytic geometry can cope with the general problem and is a fine tribute to the power of the new method” (349).
Work cited entry.
Eves, Howard. An Introduction to the History of Mathematics. New York, SaundersCollege Publishing, 1990.
3.Journal Article.
Sharna states, “an algebraic method is available that has the double advantage of providing a nonstandard, but still elegant, application of the discriminate conditions as well as an exact method of optimization for these problems” (574).
Work cited entry.
Sharna, Alan. “Max and Min Problems Using the Discriminate.” The Mathematics Teacher. Oct. 1996: 574-575.
4.An article in a reference work.
“René Descartes was born near Tours in 1596. At the age of eight, he was sent to the Jesuit school at La Flèche.” (Snyder, Vol 12, p234.)
Work cited entry.
Snyder, Fred. “Descartes and His Philosophy.” The New Encyclopedia Britannica: Macropaedia. 15th ed. 1996.
5.Paraphrase citations within the text. (Should be brief.)
One article mentioned that Descartes was most productive for the twenty years he lived in Paris. (Eves 347)
Work cited entry.
Eves, Howard. An Introduction to the History of Mathematics. New York, SaundersCollege Publishing, 1990.
6.Electronic sources.
As pointed out by Miller, “...when Descartes heard of Galileo’s condemnation by the Church he abandoned his writing of a physical account of the universe.”
Work cited entry.
Miller, Elizabeth. “On Descartes and His Writings.” (21 Sep. 1998).
Information for this hand out was paraphrased from:
Fowler, H. Ramsey, and Jane E. Aaron. The Little, Brown Book. 7th ed. New York: Longman, 1997.
The following is a suggested time frame for your papers.
3 weeks before due date select the topic.
Immediately after selecting the topic start your bibliography search.
You should be compiling notes as you do your bibliographic search.
Ten days before the due date write your outline.
Finish your first draft by 6 days from due date.
Immediately take your first draft to the WritingCenter.
Spend the last three days revising and typing your paper.
Using Microsoft Equation Editor
In writing papers it may often be necessary to insert equations. Microsoft Word can to that quite easily with its equation editor program. The equation editor is located under the Standard Toolbar, under Object under Microsoft Equation 3.0.
It may be useful for you to add this editor to your Standard Toolbar. At the end of the Standard Toolbar click on the down arrow to “add or remove buttons”. Click on the last option customize…Click on Insert and page down until you find the Equation Editor button. Drag it to the location on the toolbar you want and drop it. Now when you want to insert an equation you only need to click on that icon.
The following is an example of the use of Microsoft Equation Editor.
The quadratic equation is given by .
Incidentally, an equation may be edited after it is inserted into the document. Right click on the equation giving you a box that allows you to size the equation. Then right click on that box and select Equation Object and then select edit.
Equation Editor has a website with lots of handy hints and of course an opportunity to purchase a more sophisticated version of its editor. Visit