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Martin-Gay, E. (2005). Prealgebra & Introductory Algebra. Upper Saddle Creek, NJ: Pearson Education. (p. 1067 only)
/ Notes

Guide-O-Rama for textbook page 1067: 13.4 Slope

Page # / Tip
1067 / Read this page slowly. It shows you three different representations of “slope”. Can you find and name the representations? Which makes the most sense to you?
In the first paragraph the word “measure” doesn’t mean we are pulling out a ruler.
In the second paragraph, the number “4” occurs twice. It is not the same number “4”. The two “4’s” come from different things so be careful as you read.
Also the second paragraph begins with “On the line below…”. The “line” referred to is on the graph not the next line of text or the line in the word-equation below the paragraph.
When the author refers to “units” what do you believe she is referring to?
Look at the bottom of the page where the equation is at with “m=”. As a student I always wondered what the “m” stood for. After being a teacher for awhile I decided to research it. Did you know that there is not really a solid reason for m=slope that math historians agree on? Check out this website from Math Forum for what others have to say – it’s interesting and a quick read (http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52477.html).
(I feel a bonus question coming on!)
I personally don’t think the Helpful Hint is too helpful the way it is written. Rewrite the Helpful Hint so that it really is helpful to you and other students that may read your Helpful Hint, maybe provides examples if you think it helps. The author was restricted by space – you are not.
1068-1070 / Etc.

Notes for Workshop Participants: You can be as detailed as you want to or not. You can focus on one main idea or item on a page or even skip pages. You can lump several pages together like pp. 1067-1069.

References

Barton, M., & Heidema, C. (2002). Teaching reading in mathematics: A supplement to teaching reading in the content areas: If not me, then who? (2nd ed.). Aurora, CO: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Daniels, H., & Zemelman, S. (2004). Subjects matter: Every teacher’s guide to content-area reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

DeLong, M., & Winter, D. (2002). Learning to teach & teaching to learn: Resources for professional development. Washington, D.C.: Mathematical Association of America.

Draper, R. (1997). Jigsaw: Because reading your math book shouldn’t be a puzzle. Clearing House 71(1), 33-36.

Draper, R. (2002). School mathematics reform, constructivism, and literacy: A case for literacy instruction in the reform-oriented math classroom. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 45(6), 520-529.

Draper, R. Smith, L. Hall, K., & Siebert, D. (2005). What’s more important – literacy or content? Confronting the literacy-content dualism. Action in Teacher Education, 27(2), 12-21.

Kane, R., Byrne, M., & Hater, M. (1974). Helping children read mathematics. NY: American Book Company.

O’Mara, D. (1981). The process of reading mathematics. Journal of Reading 25(1), 22-30.

Porras, D. (1994). Do your students digest mathematics like ice cream or like steak? Mathematics and Computer Education 28(1), 6-15.

RAND Reading Study Group. (2002). Reading for understanding: Toward an R&D program in reading comprehension. Santa Monica, CA: The RAND Corporation.

Rubenstein, R. (2007). Focused strategies for middle-grades mathematics vocabulary development. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 13(4), 200-207.

Stodolsky, S., Salk, S., & Glaessner, B. (1991). Student views about learning math and social studies. American Educational Research Journal, 28, 89-112.

AMATYC Conference 2008 What Has Reading Got to do With Math?