Looking ahead to our next unit, I was sifting through some ideas about introducing relations and functions to both my algebra students (8th graders) AND my pre-AP Math 8 students (7th graders experiencing new 8th grade TEKS and therefore, experiencing more algebra than in the past). I created this function vocabulary ThingLink last summer as part of the “ThingLink Teacher Challenge” to help introduce the concept. I plan to use Function Carnival after a bit more instruction about functions. Between introductions and Desmos fun, I wanted to give students some sort of “learning check”.
I was exploring Open Middle for ideas (have you not heard of Open Middle?!? GO! NOW!) and was inspired by this simple prompt.
Immediately, I thought of Nearpod’s “Draw” feature and giving students an opportunity to create a table that represents a function, AND a table that does NOT represent a function. I’ve found that the constant contrasting between what IS and what IS NOT a function helps students understand the concept. It’s brain-friendly to show contrast!
Why stop there? Asking students to also create mappings and graphs that ARE and ARE NOT functions would further reveal misconceptions and hopefully solidify understanding in the end.
So, I created a Nearpod “Learning Check” (see below to grab it for your students). Not every Nearpod needs to be a comprehensive lesson. This one serves as a brief assessment after instruction has occurred, giving students the opportunity to show what they know by creating relations for themselves. During the Nearpod session, student work samples can be anonymously shared with all students to further discussion. There’s a quick 5-question quiz at the end too.
Feel free to use this NPP (Nearpod presentation) with your students. Clicking on the image below will take you to the Nearpod login screen. Once you log in, Nearpod will let you know I’ve shared a NPP with you. Say you’d like to accept it and it’s yours to use. Feedback welcome!
Follow-up: Thanks to Susan Oxnevad for mentioning my “What is a Function?” ThingLink on the ThingLink Blog. Did you know that Tackk and ThingLink play nicely together? Click below to check it out!
Here’s a glimpse of some of my students using the Nearpod learning check. I wish I could capture the emotion in the room. They love seeing what their peers are thinking and talking about authentic work samples… even if they’re wrong. Great discussions always ensue!
This post is awesome Cathy, and it could not have come at a better time. Students in my Algebra class are prepping for a test this week that includes relations and functions! I did the Nearpod with them today, and they loved it. The only problem we had was in the draw slides. Some students couldn’t add data to the y column in the “this is NOT a function” tables/mappings. In addition, some students could not write on the graph for “this is NOT a function”. Not sure why. Otherwise, it was wonderful!
Awesome! I had a similar experience with “draw” slides on my iPad 2 (which IS NOT updated to iOS8) but had no trouble on my iPad mini (which IS updated to iOS8). Is there a chance that those who couldn’t “draw” did not have the latest iOS update or Nearpod update? Please let me know – thank you!
Thank you for the great resource. I can’t wait to use this with my students. I have been looking for ways to use Nearpod in my class. This will hopefully give me the kick I need to try it out with my students. I love the ability to see their work as they show me what they know.
I’ll be using this with my own students next week as well! Let me know how it goes!
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