1. Algebra 2

1. Exploring Algebra - Learning to Speak Algebra

New Teachers Pay Teachers Resources

I've been a stay at home mom for over a year now, and I've decided to dust off some of the teaching materials that I have created and post them on Teachers Pay Teachers.  My first math activity is free and it is called Patterns in Sierpinski's Triangle.  I originally used this activity with 6th and 7th graders, but it would also be appropriate to use when introducing sequences in high school.

This is currently a FREE resource and you can download it at Teachers Pay Teachers.   I'll be adding a bunch more resources in my store called:  "Help for Learning Math."

Basketball Math Games for Solving Equations

Here's a website with basketball math games that help you practice solving equations:  http://www.math-play.com/math-basketball.html

Note:  The systems of equations game appears to be the 2-step equations game.

Slope-Intercept Form for Linear Equations: y = mx + b

The slope-intercept form, y = mx + b, for writing linear equations is very popular because it tells you a lot about the line.  The "m" value in the equation is the "slope" of the line and the "b" value in the equation is the "y-intercept," or the point where the line will cross the y-axis on a graph. 

Here's a good website that explains how to use the slope-intercept form of an equation to graph the line:  http://www.gradeamathhelp.com/graphing-linear-equations.html

I like how the website helps you to remember to start with the y-intercept because you can think of "b" as "beginning."  Then you use the slope to move from your starting point  by thinking of "m" as "move."  

Here's a little clip from the website...

Here's another website that helps you explore how the slope and y-intercept values will change the appearance of the line:  http://www.math-play.com/Slope-Intercept/Slope_Intercept.html

To check your understanding of Linear Equations in the y = mx + b form, try to answer these questions:

1)  What is slope?  How does the "m" number in the equation tell you how to move?

2)  What types of numbers for "m" will give you steep slopes?  What types of numbers will give you flat slopes?  What value for slope will give you a completely flat, or horizontal line?

3)  What does a linear equation with a positive slope look like?  What does a linear equation with a negative slope look like?

4)  How does the "b" value change the appearance of the line?  What can you say about a line that has a "b" value of 0?  

Welcome!

It appears that this blog may get a lot of traffic, and I only have one small post!  I am primarily using this blog to post content for students that I tutor.  However, if you post a comment about a topic you are struggling with in math, I may try to help you find resources too!  Please keep stopping by...

Help for Writing Linear Equations...

Here is a game to help practice writing linear equations when given a graph.  Remember the equation you want to write needs to go through 4 "Zogs" (4 points).

http://www.mathplayground.com/SaveTheZogs/SaveTheZogs.html