Rationale
Philadelphia high school students, and many high school students around the country, struggle with math. Not only do many of these students have math anxiety building within them for years, but a parade of new curricula are thrown at students and teachers alike, year after year, and remediation is difficult to come by. Bringing math units that students can relate to and enjoy into the classroom has the potential to make a huge difference in attitudes towards math as well as understanding of math concepts.
This unit is specifically designed for 11th grade students who are coming from Algebra 2 and starting Geometry class for their math requirement. My students all have IEPs and have been diagnosed with a disability that impacts their learning in some way. They come from all over Philadelphia; as I teach at a magnet school in what is considered a “safe” neighborhood. These students are also part of the mainstream classroom with neuro-typical 11th graders, which means that differentiation is crucial. The lessons are geared towards those students who struggled with concepts in Algebra, but are also suitable for students who are on track or more advanced. Since most of the students I teach have documented disabilities both in math and other areas of executive functioning, all lessons will be written for those students with modifications available for students who prefer more constant focus. I teach students who are twice exceptional and might benefit from more independent and self-guided work than some other typical students, which means that multiple formats and choices for lessons is absolutely a must.
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