M 175, Fall 2005

FIRST ASSIGNMENT

I. Do this by Friday, September 9:
  1. Go to the Problems with a Point website at http://www2.edc.org/MathProblems/.
  2. Read the main page.
  3. Click on Teacher Resources. From there, read the Letter to the Teacher, Goals of Problems with a Point, Overview of Mathematics Problems, and Preparation for Use. (Optional: Explore other links)
  4. Go back to the main page and take the Guided Tour (link from lower left of main page). When you reach "next" at the bottom of the first Guided Tour page, click the red button (Middle of page -- faint red "Search" and smaller red "Math Problems") to continue the Guided Tour. (If you get lost, go to http://www2.edc.org/MathProblems/guidedTour/gt2.asp.) Continue reading through the Guided Tour, following the instructions at each "Next". You should then be familiar with the way the site is organized, how to search it, and what the terminology used in searching means.
  5.  Spend some time browsing through the website, but do not read any hints, answers, or solutions.
  6.  Find several problems, meeting both of the following two requirements, that you would like to lead the class in solving:
i.    They have duration "part of a lesson"
ii.    They are new problems to you.

    7. Email your short list to the rest of the class. (You should be able to do this through Blackboard. If you have difficulty, contact me.) Please copy me.

II. Start this September 9 or sooner:

    Check your email. See if any of the problems proposed by other students match any of yours. Work among yourselves by email or otherwise so that by the time you come to class on Tuesday, September 13, you have formed pairs of students to work together to lead the class on problems or problem seequences (one problem  or sequence per pair) and have assigned your pairs to dates starting Tuesday, September 20. (Just arrange dates until everyone has had one turn.)

Next week (September 13) I will pass out guidelines for you to follow in leading and preparing to lead the class in solving problems from the website.