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PBL, Slopes, & Lines in Stained - Glass Sarah C. Ferguson, Brittany Houdashelt , Deja Richardson, & Kelly Johnson

op their own answers. To demonstrate their under standing, students create a publicly presented prod uct to share with people within or beyond the class room. (Larmer et al., 2017) PBL environments are typically “ student - driven. ” During this lesson, the students had some prior knowledge of slopes but had not mastered calculat ing, identifying, or evaluating slopes. However, as math teachers know, understanding the concept of slopes in linear equations and graphically is crucial in the development of math knowledge and skills. Conducting a PBL lesson on foundational material, such as slopes, gives students the opportunity to enrich their understanding through research, explo ration and practical application. 5E Lesson Plan The 5E Instructional Model, or the 5Es, consists of the following phases: engagement, exploration, ex planation, elaboration, and evaluation. Each phase has a specific function and contributes to the teach er ’ s coherent instruction and to the learners ’ formu lation of a better understanding of scientific and technological knowledge, attitudes, and skills. (Bybee et al., 2006) Framing the PBL within a 5E lesson plan over the course of three days aligned rather well. The 5E In structional Model offered an organizational method to the PBL. The engagement and exploration phas

Introduction Understanding slopes in linear equations can be a challenging concept for students to grasp. Students ability to memorize and recall the mathematical definition of a slope is useful; however, being able to evoke deeper meaning by critical evaluation of an actual or simulated problem involving slopes can help students evolve their critical - thinking and problem - solving skills. Students aptitude to under stand linear equations and slopes can enable them to evaluate, assess and predict practical situations in the real world. This article describes a student - centered, inquiry driven lesson on slopes. Given a class of twenty 7 th grade Algebra I students, three 90 - minute classes, and a desire to bring some depth and fervor to slopes, a project - based learning (PBL) lesson was developed and paired with a 5E Lesson Plan. Project - Based Learning Project - based learning offers an approach to teach ing lessons that exposes students to “ why ” they are learning a concept while establishing to the stu dents that they “ need to know ” the concept. In a PBL lesson, students are gently guided through the content using a meaningful question to explore, an engaging real - world problem to solve, or through a challenge to design or create something. Typically, students first inquire into the topic and then devel

Virginia Mathematics Teacher vol. 46, no. 2

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