Putting Geometry to Bed and Waking up Jacobs

Today we finalized Geometry. That meant filling out a reflection on the entire unit which I'm going to read over this evening.

I also took up their Geo Part II Tests (which were the measurements and problems they solved from their Gingerbread House). I'll be processing those tonight as well.

This brings us to Jacobs. :)

Back many, many years ago there was a shift in the middle school math curriculum with respect to the amount of time we had to teach the course known as "Jacobs." As such, the first and second chapters of the Jacobs text were handed down to Pre-Algebra. I can't tell you what a great opportunity this is for kids. The next two months (give or take a few weeks) will be spent in these two chapters of the Jacobs text. This will be one of the first real (other than their other textbook) textbook they will experience. (If you want to get particular, I use that text more as a problem holding vessel.) Regardless, the Jacobs text is unlike any other textbook they will see--especially in terms of math texts!

Jacobs at first can be demanding. Gone are the days of here is the skill, practice the skill, test the skill, you know the skill. :) Well, it sort of still is with Jacobs, but this is one of the ways I explain it to the kids. The Jacobs text is very reading intensive--a concept can be introduced in question #2 and will be referenced in question #15 of the same set... and could be referenced 30 pages later! It could be described as constructive as well (in that, within a chapter each lesson builds on one another, each question in each set builds upon the questions you've already answered).

I say all of this to give you a big heads-up! Tonight their homework was to read pages 1-3, the Introduction. Many of them will struggle with the questions and problems that the author presents in those first few pages. The kids actually don't have to "do" the problems--we'll process them together in class.

This is where we sometimes can hit a wall. Most kids find the transition into this text to be not as easy sometimes as they think or thought it might be. That's part of the reason why I love that it's included now in Pre-Algebra! I get them, I get to answer all their questions, and hold their hands through this experience--which in turn prepares them to think critically and solve problems in totally new ways--and gets them ready for full-blown Jacobs next year.

Whew! I hope I have not given you too much to read! If you're wondering what this is all about, go grab your child's book and take a look. (It is a clear-covered, spiraled Kinko'd creation... ask them about what happens if something happens to the book!) Or if your children are being incredibly careful--come find me in the middle school and you can borrow a copy to read through.

I hope you are well as you read this. More soon!