What suggestion can you offer for enhancing a specific lesson of a Glencoe mathematics text? Ideas may include using concrete objects to illustrate concepts, working with cooperative groups, incorporating ongoing assessment, or any other strategy that you have used successfully in your classroom.

Example: This activity was written by a teacher using the 2001 edition of Mathematics: Applications and Connections, Course 2, lesson 6-1, page 228. The lesson is entitled "Solving Addition and Subtraction Equations."

"To reinforce the Addition and Subtraction Properties of Equality, I use the example of a teeter-totter. You and a friend are perfectly balanced on a teeter-tooter. What happens if your friend jumps off? Or what happens if someone else jumps on with your friend?"

Lesson 1-1: Nancy H.,
Campton, KY
"To start the school year, I ask teams of students to determine approximately how many days it will take a line of people (standing 10 feet apart) to pass a basketball from San Francisco, California to Washington, D.C. To solve this problem, students will need a basketball, stopwatch, U.S. map, ruler, calculator, and masking tape to mark off 10-foot intervals on the gym floor."

Lesson 1-5: Dennis W.,
Muncie, IN
"To teach combining like terms, I simulate an inventory problem in a retail outlet. Students must physically collect packages of golf balls, tennis balls, or eggs from various parts of the classroom and put them in the same place to determine how many they have, and ultimately, the cost of the items."

Lesson 2-8: Darlene T.,
Gibsonia, PA
"After practicing solving problems with integers, I separate students into groups of three. Each group is given a legal-size sheet of paper. Students fold the paper into three columns and select one of the problems from the chapter to solve. Column 1 is used to write the problem. Column 2 is used to show a picture explaining the problem, and Column 3 is used to show the numerical solution. Each member of the group should be able to explain how the problem is solved."

Lesson 3-5: Phyllis P.,
Camden, NJ
"I have students use square chips to form rectangles on their desks. The students can visually find the perimeters and areas. I then ask students to determine the formulas on their own. If students do not discover them after several attempts, I give the formulas and have students practice finding area and perimeter."

Lesson 5-2: Richard W.,
Hampton, VA
"We play Supermarket Challenge. Put prices on about 12 items from the grocery store (empty boxes work forever). Then have several students each estimate which items could be purchased for a certain amount; for example, $8. Allow 30 seconds for the activity. Students enjoy competing to see who can get the closest."

Lesson 5-3: Bonnie L.,
Accident, MD
"I use the names and examples of properties to create a game of Concentration. Write the property name on a card and an example on another. Mix and place cards face down on a desk. One student selects two cards. If the cards match, the student keeps them and continues. If they do not, the cards are returned face down, and another student selects. Play until all cards are matched. The one with the most cards wins."

Lesson 6-4: Kathryn C.,
Hamden, CT
"During this lesson, I introduce the concept of complex fractions. I use this concept to explain why we multiply by the reciprocal to divide fractions."

Lesson 7-8: Cynthia A.,
Trion, GA
"I give each student a metric cord, a Popsicle® stick, and different objects measuring under a decimeter. I ask as many students as possible to demonstrate measuring the lengths of various objects. Also, many students remember the order of the prefixes by using the phrase 'King Hector Died Monday Don't Call Me.'"

Lesson 9-1: Bonnie L.,
Accident, MD
"The golden ratio can be found in art and nature. I like to have students explore the golden ratio more thoroughly by looking through books and magazines to find examples of the golden ratio."

Lesson 9-4: Bonnie L.,
Accident, MD
"I introduce the concept of scale models to my students as another application of using proportions. My students then use their knowledge of proportion and the cardboard from cereal boxes to make scale models of their bedrooms."

Lesson 9-8: Naomi H.,
Rutherfordton, NC
"I have students experience real-life discounts by giving students a grocery list, a pricing list, and a number of cents-off coupons. Have them first find the total grocery bill prior to using the coupons and then the final grocery bill using the coupons. Let students explore their savings in terms of percent by finding the discount on their grocery bill when using coupons. Also have them calculate the discount on individual items."

Lesson 10-6: Denny W.,
Muncie, IN
"To teach combinations, I ask students to generate an advertisement for a new pizza parlor they are opening. Sooner or later, students will suggest advertising a wide variety of pizzas. At this time, I ask students to calculate the possible combinations of pizza toppings given a few parameters."

Lesson 10 Study Guide: Dawn R.,
Palos Hills, IL
"As a review for this chapter, I give each student a bag of M&Ms®. They must complete a worksheet that includes a tally chart. They then answer permutation and combination questions about their data. They cannot copy another student's answer, since each bag is different."

Lesson 11-1: Tricia B.,
Mobile, AL
"I have students measure the angle of their peripheral vision by using a large quarter of a circle, index cards with a dot for the student to follow with their vision, and a string with a heavy object to determine the point on the quarter circle. This helps students see that an angle opens from one side which, in turn, helps them understand which scale to use on the protractor."

Lesson 11-2: Loren H.,
Big Lake, MN
"My students work in cooperative groups to collect data and then use a protractor to construct a circle graph of their data. Then we use a spreadsheet and statistical graphing computer software to enter the same data and make a circle graph. The students compare the two graphs and raw conclusions from the results."

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