The Process

Before you begin your Quest, it is important that you review a couple basic processes that you will use during your exploration.

Let's start with brainstorming...

*All of these questions will be answered at the following web site.

Process Guide #1: How to Brainstorm

http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/tpss99/processguides/brainstorming.html

Think about when you used concept mapping in the past...Take a look at these web sites for a short description of mapping so that you know how to use it because you will be creating your own concept map.

The Concept Mapping Homepage

http://users.edte.utwente.nl/lanzing/cm_home.htm

Concept Mapping

http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/map_ho.html

You are now ready to start brainstorming different ways that Math is used in real-life, especially your lives. You will look at Math in the following SOL Strands:

  1. Number Sense
  2. Computation
  3. Measurement
  4. Geometry
  5. Probability and Statistics
  6. Patterns

Start Brainstorming...fill in this concept map.

 

Since you will be creating a children's book as your final task for this project, it is important that you look at some web sites to help you design your book.

*Start with something light, learning about what an illustrator does and how he/she creates good illustrations.

Illustrator

http://library.thinkquest.org/J001156/publishing%20book/sl_illustrator.htm

 

*Now, check out the the parts of a book.

http://library.thinkquest.org/J001156/publishing%20book/cp_bookparts.htm

 

*Lastly, explore about the forms of writing, the writing process, and punctuation at this site by clicking on each link.

Writing

http://library.thinkquest.org/J001156/writing.htm

 

Now, it is time for you to each do some individual exploration and become an expert in a certain area of Math in reality. So, first you must choose your roles.

After you have decided who is going to be what expert, click on the [title] of the expert you are in order to be directed to a new page with your own set of directions to follow in order to complete your role assignment.

Math in Measurement Expert

Math with Numbers and Statistics Expert

Math and Computation Expert

 

Start working...

 

Since you all are now different experts of Math in Real Life, it is time for you to share what you found out with your group members. Remember, it is important that you all pay attention to each other because you all are going to write the children's book together and each of your parts will be represented in the book.

Here are the steps you should follow:

  1. Talk with your group about what each of you found out by exploring the six different web sites.
  2. Together, choose three activities (from your six) that you all agree would be best to include in your book.
  3. Fill in the worksheet with the nine different activities that you chose for your book - draw a sketch in each box to represent the activity.

 

Now it is time for you to start writing your book. Remember in the beginning of class, your teacher read you Math Curse, think about how you want to create your book and what you want to say.

Use the following worksheet to start writing your sentences for each activity.

The Beginning of Our Math Book

 

The Creation Begins...

We are going to create our books on the computer. First, you will type in your narrative, then you will find clip art that matches your sketch you drew earlier. After your pages are complete, print out them out on your classroom color printer. The final step is to bind your book, which your teacher will do for you. After they are all binded, you can share your books with the class in a reading circle.