Our goal in choosing a topic for this unit plan was to come up with something that would be meaningful and interesting to sixth grade students. We chose the Golden Ration because it is something that could easily be implemented into the curriculum and fun for students to involve themselves in.
Our first task was to come up with some sort of organization for the lessons. We had to come up with, measure, and record things ourselves that we thought would be of importance in the lesson. I found this helpful, because we were actually completing the lesson ourselves so that we would know exactly what the students should be doing.
Technology is used in each of the three days within the unit. Both Microsoft Excel and Fathom 2 are used, but the data analysis capabilities in Fathom 2 are emphasized in this unit. Writing out the specific procedures for the lessons made me realize the importance of becoming familiar with mathematics technology. This technology can be very useful in enhancing mathematics lessons, but it is important that the teacher know how to navigate and operate the program.
I have also come to realize the time that goes into planning such an involved lesson. It is difficult to get a full lesson into a 50 minute class period, so it is very important that each lesson is planned out very well, especially those involving technology.
Creating this webpage has been very useful to me. I feel that I have come up with lessons that I can use in my future teaching endeavors. I hope that others may find it helpful as well.