instructor: Dr. Medhat Rahim

contact: 807-343-8053, BL-1028

Office Hrs: Tues 4-5pm, Wed 1:30-2:30pm

email: medhat.rahim@lakeheadu.ca

Website: http://www.lakeheadu.ca/~mrahimwww/

(Please include this website in your bookmarks or favorite and look for announcements)

OVERVIEW

This is a mathematics methods course for middle and senior school levels (grades 9-12). The emphasis throughout the course will be on  

(1) planning and developing lessons, 
(2) mathematics activities,  
(3) mathematical units, and 
(4) on understanding essential mathematical concepts.

It is therefore appropriate to use this methods course for actually planning lessons, activities and units preparation that you would be using in your student teaching sessions and in your future teacher career.

The main processes for doing mathematics are: (a) Problem Solving, (b) Mathematical Modeling and Manipulation, and (c) Use of Technology as a Teaching Aid. We will try to remember these processes throughout as we progress.

Note that there has been a strong indication by the Ministry of Education on content understanding as part of the "re-licensing" process that is taking place .

REQUIRED TEXTS

Niven, I. (1974). Numbers: Rational and irrational. The Mathematics Association of America (MAA).

Posamentier, A., & Stephelman, J. (2003). Teaching secondary school mathematics (5th ed.). Merrill Publishing Co.

Rahim, M.H. (1996). Mathematics for teachers 1: Visualization and informal reasoning. Unicorn Academic Press.

[This test is out of print. There will be copies reserved in the Education Library for copying.]

TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE

F A L L

W I N T E R

ED 4450: Curriculum Planning. In addition to the related chapters (CHS 7&8) on curriculum planning and extra enrichment activities, a separate assignment outline will be provided. You pick an enrichment unit; enlarge it, and make it suitable for use in a high school classroom. They are at the end of Posamentier's text pp. 246-487.

DUE: 1^st week of March or earlier

ED 4451: Evaluation. In addition to the chapter on assessment (CH 6) of students performance, a separate assignment outline will be provided. You will be given a set of articles on curriculum and instruction in math (3 published articles). You are required to make a critical assessment of each of them. Then provide your opinion.

DUE: 1^st week of February or earlier

NOTE

• Students are expected to do the assigned reading and have the understanding of the relevant mathematics for grades 9-12.



• As it is stated in the Overview/Background above, the emphasis throughout the course will be on (a) mathematics as part of a problem-solving environment, (b) hands-on experience as part of visualization and informal reasoning process for understanding mathematical concepts in an informal fashion, and (c) the use of technology as a teaching aid for mathematics.

ASSIGNMENT

Teachers are expected to be well prepared for their mathematics teaching activities. And for you as a future teacher of mathematics, it is essential to know and understand both the mathematical content and the methodology. The major assignment for the course in addition to the reading assignment is to review gradually all mathematics for grades 9-12. Any Canadian school mathematics series for those grades dated from the mid eighties up to now is a suitable source. How well you have done your assignment will be determined during the week 7 [First Mid-term Test: Grades 9-10] and the week 6[Second Mid-term Test: Grades 11-12]. Note that there are several mathematics series for these grades reserved for you at the Education Library.

*****Important Remark: As we progress, will try to review all essential contents for the grades 9-12. *****

TESTS/EXAMINATIONS/ASSESSMENT

1. Fall Test on first half of the assignment described above.

DATE: Week 7 (Grades 9-10)

CONTENT: School mathematics grades 9 and 10.

There will be one question from Niven's text, Numbers: Rationals and irrationals in each part and one question from Rahims text.

DURATION: 90 minutes

There will be NO Christmas examination.

2. Winter Test on the second half of the assignment

DATE: Week 6 of the Winter Term

CONTENT: School mathematics from grades 11 & 12.

There will be one question from Niven's text, Numbers: Rationals and irrationals in each part and one question from Rahims text.

DURATION: 90 minutes

Final Quiz: Week 7 Take home

MATHEMATICS ENRICHMENT

The text by Niven on Rationals and irrationals is for Mathematics enrichment. A brief guideline is below.

1. The text: Numbers: Rationals and irrationals, by Niven, I.

(a) Through the Fall, Chapters 1, 2, and part of 3 will be covered.

2. The text: Numbers: Rationals and irrationals, by Niven, I.

(a) Through Winter, Chapters 3 and 4 will be covered (pp. 38-64).

(b) Chapter 6, Part 6.1 may be covered.

(c) Chapter 7, Part 7.1 may be covered.

Details of these coverings will be made as we progress.

TECHNOLOGY IN MATH TEACHING AND LEARNING

Terrapin Logo DUE: Last week of the Fall Term or earlier = 15%

1. Exercise:

• Use logo to create a program for an equilateral triangle with the length of its side as a variable.
• Create a new program using your program in (a) or a modification of it to draw a parallelogram.
• Create another program based on (a) to draw a trapezoid. You may use the program in (b) if you wish.

D) Try to make your program interacting with the user.

2. Challenge: Create a logo program that will return the turtle to the center of any regular polygon after drawing that polygon.

Challenge:

Your response for each part should be typed, the Logo programs should be saved on the disk in a working form, when submitting.

Submit

(1) a hard copy of your program,

(2) a hard copy of each figure,

(3) a disk containing your programs, and

(4) a journal describing in details what has been going on when implementing your assignment. I need a full and honest description of your successes, failures, and refinement as you dialogue with yourself and/or with your classmates; I encourage you to dialogue with me and with your neighbors.

Deadline: The last week of the Fall term.

DUE: 1^st week of March or earlier = 15%

EVALUATION OF FINAL MARK

ED 4450:

• Choose one enrichment unit from the main text pp. 246-487. You have to select one and submit in writing your selection.



• Your task is to make a unit of your choice that is accessible to high school students. You, as a teacher, are about to simplify the unit in details. All has to be typed. Your work will be evaluated on its simplistic explanation and your organization of your thoughts and illustration. (Typed)

Due: End of February earlier

ED 4451:

You will receive three articles recently published in the Ontario Mathematical Gazette . They are on how mathetmatics should be viewed, taught, and evaluated in the schools.

Your task is:

• to prepare a critique response to each of them.
• to express your thoughts about each of the authors' position. (Typed)

Due: End of October or earlier

INCOMPLETE STANDING

Incomplete Standing indicates that a student has not passed a course, but that the instructor is prepared to insert a grade upon the completion of required course work or the writing of an examination. The privilege of deferring part of the work in this way will be granted only when, in the opinion of the instructor and his/her department/school, the incomplete work is a separable part of the course. Where a grade of Incomplete is recommended by the instructor and approved by the chair/director of the department/school concerned and the Dean of the Faculty, the designation Incomplete shall be temporarily entered on the student's record by the Registrar. If a student wishes to clear a grade of Incomplete from his[her] record, he [she] must make application to the Registrar within one month after the publication of the grades for the course, and pay the required fee. (Lakehead University Calendar.

GOOD LUCK!