Welcome Mary. Mary first posted her question on my blog post about ISTE, so I sent her here, thinking of the work that many of you have been doing. In addition to Kirby, Andy Harrington has been looking at Python and algebra and I know there were others.
I hope some of us can help you out. Cheers, Vern On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 12:50 AM, kirby urner <kirby.ur...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Hi Mary -- > > Many subscribers to edu-sig have developed interesting approaches over the > years. > > There's a lot of interest in turtle art and/or turtle graphics. There's > this tendency to divide algebra from geometry, whereas some teachers think > it's important to keep lexical and graphical connected. > > To that end, my pre-algebra tends to focus on numeric sequences that have a > clear geometric meaning (like triangular and square numbers, but I also take > it into volume and growth sequences in space -- polyhedral numbers some call > these sequences). > > You'll get the flavor my approach from the Oregon Curriculum Network web > site, this page in particular, and this essay in particular: > > http://www.4dsolutions.net/ocn/cp4e.html > > http://www.4dsolutions.net/ocn/numeracy0.html > > I'm guessing others will chime in. > > Python's 'How to Think Like a Computer Scientist' literature, a free > syllabus, is not inconsistent with developing skills in algebra. > > If you want to be more serious and formal about "object oriented" and link > in a notion of "math objects", I recommend spiraling through the same or > similar material with that in mind. > > They may not be ready for vector objects tomorrow, but perhaps the day > after. > > Polyhedrons are stellar objects because they're both abstract and concrete > in their properties and behaviors. > > Algebra and geometric shapes are good friends, or should be, starting with > such as V + F == E + 2. > > Kirby > > > On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 4:15 PM, <mary.do...@comcast.net> wrote: > >> I teach 6th grade math and Python was suggested as a way to apply >> pre-algebra concepts in a programming context. My programming background >> consists of one C++ programming class. How do I begin? Are lesson plans and >> small programs available, for example, where students could write and "drop >> in" a script that includes integers and the output would not only calculate >> it, but see the relevance of it in a real world situation? >> * >> * >> *Or, perhaps, the program controls a "wheelchair" robot and students >> would write scripts to drive the robot at a certain speed considering the >> slope of a ramp?* >> * >> * >> *As you can see, I am a novice, but I see great potential and am willing >> to learn.* >> * >> * >> *Thanks,* >> * >> * >> *Mary* >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Edu-sig mailing list >> Edu-sig@python.org >> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > Edu-sig mailing list > Edu-sig@python.org > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig > > -- Vern Ceder vce...@gmail.com, vce...@dogsinmotion.com The Quick Python Book, 2nd Ed - http://bit.ly/bRsWDW
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