Rate of Change
The students will determine the rate of change from tables and graphs by using the slope formula. The students will discover and interpret the real-world applications of rate of change.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment
Click below to learn about the TEKS related to the unit and Research Lesson. The highlighted student expectation(s) is the chosen focus for the Research Lesson.
Solving Rational Equations
Students will discuss and formulate an equation to solve an engaging real-world problem. They will use manipulatives to describe how to find the common denominator they need to solve the equation. They will break up into groups and solve for a more complicated problem.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment
Click below to learn about the TEKS related to the unit and Research Lesson. The highlighted student expectation(s) is the chosen focus for the Research Lesson.
Producing Plump Produce
In collaborative groups, the students investigate the transport of water within potato cells placed in various tonicity solutions.
Teacher explains the task to the students
Energy Transfer in an Ecosystem
All matter contains energy. Energy can be transferred from one object to another. Energy transformation can occur through the conversion of energy from one form to another. Energy is never created nor destroyed; it is always transferred and/or transformed. Students will demonstrate how energy is transformed and transferred in an ecosystem. To do this, students will create energy pyramids by stacking cups that represent organisms and available amounts of energy. Students will graph and analyze the data.
Students working on the task
Inferring Through Imagery and Figurative Language
Students rotate to four posters which contain a single stanza from a common poem (“Digging” by Seamus Heaney), marking key literary elements (imagery, diction, figurative language) before rotating to explain the connotation of the words and phrases selected by the previous group. After text marking, students regroup to discuss the inferential connections between literary terms and their connotative meaning to theorize thematic meaning within the poem.
Making an Inference
The class will review previous learning about how authors describe characters using speech, thoughts, effects on others, actions, and looks (STEAL). Students will make annotations on an excerpt using the STEAL strategy. We will talk them through making a guided inference. Students will complete a short-answer response on chart paper with evidence and inference for the focus question
Plant, Parts, and Function
Students use prior knowledge of body systems as they make connections to systems in plants. Students learn that some plant systems have similar functions as the respective animal systems. The lesson highlights the following systems in plants: root system, shoot system, vascular system, and reproductive system.
Thesis Throwdown
After students watch a brief video introducing thesis statements, they will create a class thesis statement checklist, use a prompt to write a personal thesis, compare theirs to others in their group while working to craft and revise a group thesis to present to the class after participating in a Gallery Walk where they provide and incorporate revision suggestions.
Teacher Introducing Lesson
Proving Triangles Congruent Using the Side-Side-Side and Side-Angle-Side Postulates
Students will prove: Two triangles are congruent using the Side-Side-Side (SSS) and Side-Angle-Side (SAS) postulates.
Teacher giving instructions
The Magic of Words: Playing with Meaning
Students process the meaning of unknown words using a foldable that guides them through the stages of using context to predict definitions. In the first stage, students predict connotation and denotation of words in isolation. In the second stage, students read the same words used in a sentence to expose them to the word in context. In the third stage, students read the words in a passage, providing the greatest context. Students collaborate throughout the process, comparing and discussing differences in predicted meanings and connotations. Students ultimately compare their first, second, and third definitions to further understanding how context is important for word meaning.
What’s the Verdict? An Investigation of Herbicide Drift on Grapevines
Students will investigate the possible effects of herbicide drift on grape production by making inferences from an article about a local vineyard and using various experimental materials.
Students demonstrate their experiment design
Eric's Journey
Students will collaborate to solve a word problem involving rates of change using their prior knowledge and create a graph and/or table showing their work.
Teacher going over vocabulary
Stoichiometry
Students will model real-world formulas and chemical reactions to investigate the meaning of limiting reactants.
Emergency!
After being placed in groups, students will apply vector addition and subtraction strategies along with a map of the Paradise, California area to determine which town should evacuate first when threatened by the Camp Wildfire.
Students analyzing their map
Square Root Regression
This lesson is a student discovery lesson that culminates in square root regression with technology. Students will use their study of inverses, the relationship between quadratic and square root functions, their previous knowledge of regression, and determine how to find the square root regression of real-world data.
Identifying Key Features of Quadratic Functions
The students will be able to graph quadratic functions using key attributes of quadratic equations.