What does a mathematician do?
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards:
Geometry: Specify locations and describe spatial relationships using coordinate geometry and other
representational systems
This activity helps students learn to graph ordered pairs.
(BACKGROUND INFORMATION)
This is what we already know about mathematicians:
- Mathematicians look for and describe patterns.
- Applied mathematicians may use what they've learned to draw conclusions about the world, or they
may look for these patterns simply because it's fun.
- Mathematicians begin with a set of basic assumptions that seem reasonable.
- Mathematicians use a common vocabulary, conventions, and similar experiences to share what they
learn with other mathematicians.
Activity - Navigating Through Coordinates
graph paper (with added drawings)
Pre-Lesson Instructions:
- Prior to the lesson, transfer the animal drawings on the graphs at the end of the directions
to graph paper for each student. You may choose to create overhead transparencies of each graph
instead of giving each student their own copies of each graph.
- Review some of the traits of mathematicians with your students by watching the video newsbreak
"What does a mathematician do?" Discuss that one thing mathematicians do is look for patterns and
ways to describe patterns and location. Discuss with your students the importance of using
mathematics to identify specific locations.
- In this lesson, students will use ordered pairs to identify a specific location. Remind students
that the first number in an ordered pair is found on the horizontal line, and the second number
is found on the vertical line. Draw a sample graph on the board and practice these concepts.
Draw a straight line on the graph paper that goes through specific points. Ask students to name
the points using ordered pair.
- Give each student graph paper with the added drawings OR instruct students using overhead
transparencies of the graphs.
- Ask students to describe the location of the animals (crab, sheep, bird, guinea pig, rabbit) on
the graph paper. For the first graph, ask these questions:
- What animal is found at (1,1)?
- Where is the guinea pig?
- The bird is at ______?
- What animal is at (2,5)?
- Where is the rabbit?
- Ask students to describe the location of the animals on the second graph. Use these questions:
- What animal is found at (2,2)?
- Where is the guinea pig?
- The bird is at ____?
- What animal is at (3,9)?
- Where is the rabbit??
- Discuss whether this is an easy or hard task. What would make this task easier?
First Graph: 
Second Graph: 
Extension:
Give students blank graph paper with labeled axes. Ask students to place their own drawings on the
graph and write questions about the location of the drawings. Allow students time to switch graphs
and questions to practice the use of coordinate pairs.
|
