A Mathematics Class Design

This is a course design that is intended to teach mathematics in the second year of high schools. A variety of methods will be used to deliver knowledge to the students in this class (Dubin & Olshtain, 1986). Some of these methods include motivation, goal setting, creation of a sense of curiosity, convincing students on their capabilities in learning, team based learning and play based learning. These methods will be designed in such a way that they deliver the maximum benefit to the student.

The class

The class is a study of geometry intended to help children to determine the area of quadrilaterals. The class will be attended by students in their second year of high school. The students will be expected to calculate the areas of various quadrilaterals. This will be determined by the end of the class by the use of a test. The class is envisioned for children aged 14 to 17 years of age. The course should be ready in two months and will be offered at a Secondary School in Fresno California.

Purpose of the course

This course purposes to offer high school students with the ability to calculate the areas of various quadrilaterals. This knowledge is very important in almost every profession with specific importance in surveying and architecture. Students are expected to select their career paths around their second year of high school. This knowledge is important in ensuring a bigger population selects these careers.

The participants of this course are high school students whose ages are expected to range between 14 and seventeen years. At this point in time, such students are expected to be able to measure lengths by the use of a straight ruler that is one foot long. The students are also expected to be knowledgeable enough to determine the difference between the length and the width of a rectangle and the height of other quadrilaterals. The learners should also be in a situation to determine the perimeter of each of these figures. The knowledge of these concepts will be determined prior to the beginning of this class by using a series of questions that are asked at the beginning of the class. Students who understand the concepts may explain them to other students.

By the end of the course, each of the learners should compute the area of each of the quadrilaterals named below.

• Square
• Rectangle
• Trapezium
• Parallelogram
• Rhombus

Testing

After the class, the students will be tested by the use of a test. The test will be able to test various concepts in this class. Some of the ideas that will be delivered include calculating the area of a quadrilateral with all the measurements provided, calculating one of the dimensions of a quadrilateral with the area and some of the dimensions provided. Moreover, the students will be required to determine the dimensions provided algebraically together with the area.

Course outline

Questions based on the basic knowledge of quadrilaterals are provided

Various quadrilaterals are introduced and named with the assistance of the students

Areas of squares and rectangles

Area of a trapezium

Areas of parallelograms and rhombuses

Review of main concepts

Tests

Teaching methods

In this course, various teaching methods will be employed. The intention of each of the teaching methods will be to improve the understanding of each of the main concepts along with leaving a lasting impression of each of the concepts taught. Some concepts may be more important to some students than to others (Dubin & Olshtain, 1986) The use of various methods will serve to increase the understanding of each of the students or at least a majority of them.

The following formulae will be used in finding the areas of the different quadrilaterals.

Name	Shape	Formula
Rectangle		L x W
Square		S2
Trapezium		½(a+b)h
Rhombus		Bxh
Parallelogram		Bxh

Motivation

Motivation is an important factor in teaching. It is intended to energize, direct and sustain positive behaviors. There are two forms of motivation. Intrinsic motivation ans extrinsic motivation. Self driven students have an intrinsic motivation that is driven by a need to achieve. Extrinsic motivation is obtained by rewards, appreciation and grades.

Activity: In this class, extrinsic motivation will be introduced by awarding students with stars every time they perform exemplarily. Students with very numerous stars will be recognized weekly.

Goal setting

Activity: Prior to starting this course, students will be required to set goals on what they intend to score in the final exam.

Students will then be promised an award if they succeed in meeting their goal. His will make them more motivated to work harder. Moreover, the motivation used will help to become more capable,

Creation of a sense of curiosity

Creating curiosity can be used in improving the way students understand their teachers. Hen curiosity is created in the course of studying; students want to learn the next concept (Romano & Simonyi, 2014).

Activity: Require students to compute the area of their classroom and other surfaces they work with.

Convincing students on their capabilities in learning

It is possible to convince students that they are more capable than they believe. This will guarantee they are more poised in their capabilities and hence attempt to build on this belief. The teacher’s use of language determines how much students believe in their capabilities. A teacher who tells the students that something is easy for them makes them more likely to ensure that they score highly on it.

Team based learning

Team based learning can be initiated by setting up study groups in class. Certain students will enhance the capabilities of others. Moreover, as a group, the little contribution that each member makes to the group benefits each of the members. The groups also tend to compete against each other hence making them more capable of scoring highly.

Play based learning

Play based learning can be used in this case. Students can be put in groups with that compete against each other. The groups will then be provided with playing objects intended to create a certain structure. The students should be provided with one block for each question they answer right. The students will compete in either completing or increasing the size of their structure.

References

Dubin, F., & Olshtain, E. (1986). Course design. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire]: Cambridge University Press.

Romano, R., & Simonyi, S. (2014). The Power of Curiosity in the Formation of a Teacher: Overseas Student Teaching. John Hopkins University. Retrieved 3 December 2014, from http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/strategies/topics/multicultural-education/thepowerofcuriosityoverseasstudentteachi/