Untitled Document

Reviewed Sites:

http://www.sabine.k12.la.us/vrschool/ExcelTemplates/Excel_templates_for_classroom.htm

The water quality data activity at this site is a spreadsheet that is almost like an applet in that it takes some data and does the calculations for you. This is a good activity, but it is not amazing. This exercise deals with creating a survey, collecting data, and graphing the information. It is an activity that was made for eighth graders.
If I had computers readily available I would use the spreadsheet, but if I had to put in a lot of extra time to get a computer lab reserved, I would not bother. This activity allows for the students to create proper survey questions on a scale of 1-5. It shows the students how to nicely organize their data and graph it. This spreadsheet also has the students look at information not only as a whole, but separate it into gender. The spreadsheet also has an example, which is nice to refer to. One down fall I feel that this spreadsheet has is that it does too much of the work for the students. It is a good activity if you are trying to fit in multiple data sets into one class period, but if they are supposed to be discovering Excel, they get nothing out of it. I would probably use this spreadsheet to show an example to the class, but I don’t think I would go to the computer lab for just this activity.

http://www.teacherlink.org/content/math/activities/ex-smoking/home.html

This was a lesson which used Excel to interpret, organize and graph a particular data set. I think it would be well suited for an AP Statistics class. In my opinion, I thought it was a good use of technology and the use of Excel enhanced the learning of the students. Most of the students would be seniors in high school. In this activity, students explore the connection between numerical, algebraic and graphical representations of data. The students are asked questions throughout the lesson that steer them in the direction of understanding the main objectives of the lesson. The lesson provides instructions for those students that do not have a lot of experience with Excel. There are areas that may need more detail around the instructions and need to be updated to fit the most recent version of Excel (as I think it was created for Office 97-98).

http://www.teacherlink.org/content/math/activities/ex-sequence/guide.html
Sequences/series - claims middle school through pre calculus (probably good for algebra and has extension for pre calculus)
This is a good activity: the math concept is difficult, the directions are clear, Excel helps a lot esp. doing numerous calculations, shows sequences with tables and graphs

http://www.microsoft.com/education/makingmoney.mspx

This activity is for students in both elementary and middle school. So that includes students ranging in age from 5 to 14 years old. I would use this activity in a lesson dealing with measurement or numbers and operations. I would use this activity because it has student perform different operations until they find the best one for a specific condition. At the end of the activity the students also have to calculate a few results. Some of the results they need to calculate are total income, total expenses, and net profit/loss. It would have been nice to see the activity include more calculations that in return would give the students more practice. The activity really doesn’t use Excel. The students only use Excel when they are recording their results. Overall, this is an activity that should be used for a lower level math class. The activity could be done by hand and the use of the applet is not necessary. The applet may aid the students in understanding the assignment better though. I probably would use this activity on a fun day for math not during a regular math lesson.

http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~technology/Excel/files/mystery_functions.html
Title: Mystery Functions
Math Content: Algebra, Finding functions using points and patterns
Excel used for: There are 20 different mystery formulas in this spreadsheet. For each one the student enters several numbers for the "Input" and examines what comes out for the "Result", trying to determine each function by looking for patterns.
This lesson could be presented to the class without using Excel. However, it is cool to have the formulas already in the computer and to pull them up during class. This is also something that can be saved over time; therefore the teacher would not have to come up with new functions every year. It is also nice that the students would simply have to type in a number, receive an output number and find a pattern for the numbers given. It is a fun and different alternative to paper and pencil or simply numbers given to the student. The great thing about this lesson is that they teacher does not have to have each individual student use Excel; the teacher can present it to the class and they can work through the functions as a class or individually.

Graph Related Linear Inequalities Lesson
http://www.microsoft.com/education/lessonplans.mspx

What students, and what math topic? Why?
Any high school students that have worked with inequalities would be able to do this activity.
I would say this would be good for an Algebra class because it reviews inequalities and their graphs.

Reivew:

Beginning of the lesson is a good review on finding perpendicular lines
Good because it helps students graph a lot of inequalities quickly
Not very useful- students also graph every graph by hand so the technology is not enhancing the learing.
Overall- Good- review of inequalities

Bad-technology doesn’t make the learning different/better

Dietrich

http://www.wmburgweb.com/Resources/Candy/index.htm

http://www.fi.edu/qa98/me5/me5.html

http://teachers.net/lessons/posts//1651.html

http://mathforum.org/alejandre/frisbie/student.locker.html

http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/1542.html

http://www.sfusd.edu/schwww/sch634/Webpages/7thgr/mousse.html

http://teachers.net/lessons/posts//1211.html

Liz

http://www.teacherlink.org/content/math/interactive/interactiveExcel.html ( 9 lessons)

Chris