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We started Unit 2: Polynomials in PreCalculus.  Quadratic functions go fast, as this is the third time they have seen them.  I would like to say that I get super creative for Quadratic Functions.  I would, but I don't.  We fly through them focusing on factoring, solving, and graphing. I spend more time in this unit on the concepts which I find can be challenging - zeros of polynomial functions, polynomial division, and graphing rational functions.

China is a challenging topic for me.   I often feel like I am learning the material just ahead of the students and wish I knew more.  There just never seems to be enough time.  Instead, our journey through China is one of mutual inquiry and discovery.  We look at the cyclical nature of the 11,000 period of China we study as well as how similar cycles continue today.



Linear equations and functions is one of the largest Algebra 2 units.  It is also one of the easiest to teach, because students are familiar with the concepts from Algebra 1.  The goal of the unit is to refresh and reinforce students' understanding of these concepts and to take their knowledge to the next level.  There are three big ideas to shape the unit:  

  1. How we represent functions
  2. Graphing linear equations and inequalities in two variables
  3. Writing linear equations and inequalities in two variables (including modeling).


World War I also called the war to end all wars or the great war had an impact that can still be felt today.  Despite its absolute importance in our history, it is quite possibly one of my least favorite units to teach.  I struggle to get creative with my curriculum.  So, the last time I taught World War I, I turned my classroom into a newspaper room, and that made all the difference.  

I am a total math nerd.  I LOVE quadratics.  Quadratic functions and equations is the fourth unit in my Algebra 2.  The class is running (usually) pretty smoothly.  Students are aware of my expectations, know where to get help, and can work fairly independently.  

 Students spent a good deal of time on quadratic equations in Algebra 1, so this is not an entirely unfamiliar topic.  We start simply and swiftly with notes that serve as a reminder of what quadratic functions are, the vertex versus standard forms and graphing.  I like to play with graphing a little (see our funny faces activity here).  

Teaching Ancient Egypt can be challenging because frankly students often know a great deal.  They aren't awed by hieroglyphics or King Tut's tomb or the Great Pyramids.  They often even know much of the mythology. 

 To teach Ancient Egypt,  I set two central goals for the unit: 

First days of school are a mixed bag (Ideas for you here, here, and here!)  But once you get through that first day, what do you do on day two?  I don't waste time.  I want to know where my students are right away.  I get my students into unit 1: expressions ,equations and inequalities with notes.  This unit is entirely review.  I expect a good amount of independence.

 I like to get students up and moving.  Students get a set of graphic organizers and a challenge.  
The Progressive Era is one of my favorite periods in history to share with my students.  I could spend a whole year on this period if I had the chance.  Typically, my class spends 2-3 weeks.  An enormous number of events and decisions were made from 1900 to the early 1920s have shaped the century that followed this period.  So, my biggest challenge is not having enough to teach but trying to cram it all in to a tight schedule without making it feel like speed dating.  I teach what I can and hope to inspire students to dig deeper on the events, people and topics that inspire them.  

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