Pi-Kus with a Twist

I know I am a couple of weeks late, but I wanted to write about our Pi-Day activities. Since we were not anywhere near circles in Geometry, and our state's Algebra 2 standards do not really discuss pi to any deep extent, I decided to do something a little bit different for Pi Day.

I was on Twitter one evening, and I saw where Sarah Carter was blogging and posting about her Pi-Kus. I really enjoyed what she had posted, so I decided to give it a try in my classes.

Here are the assignment requirements:

1. Create a Pi-Ku, which is similar to a haiku, but the first line has three syllables, the second line has one syllable, and the third line has four syllables.
2. Write two Pi-Kus: One must be math related, and the other can be anything school appropriate.
3. Write your Pi-Kus on index cards.
4. Now here is the twist!!! Have students post their Pi-Kus to Seesaw, which is a website that I have just recently began using. If you have not used Seesaw, it is a digital portfolio, which allows students to post their work. Classmates and the teacher can then respond to their work.

Here are a few of the Pi-Kus that were created. Let me know what you think!

I want to do this again, and this is how I would change the assignment.

• I would be more strict about double checking when students submitted. 
• I would also be more clear about what I expected. 

I feel this was because I noticed after the fact that a few students miscounted syllables, but, overall, I was happy with their work. 

I would definitely not spend more than 15 minutes on this activity, but I would recommend it if you are looking for something quick to do next Pi Day! 

TED-Ed Riddles

We were starting class in my Honors Algebra 2 class one day last week, and one of my students asked me if we could do a TED-Ed riddle. The video for what I had planned previously wasn't working, so I was willing to give it a try. I was hesitant at first, but I am really glad that we did!

We watched this video and discussed it as a whole class. I was happy with the level of engagement that the students exhibited as well as with their abilities to reason through the riddle and not being afraid to take risks.

Here are a couple of photos that I took, highlighting the riddle itself as well as a couple of student representations of the riddle.

An Evening with Eva Schloss

I have been behind in blogging, but I wanted to write about an amazing experience that my girlfriend and I had a couple of weeks ago. Eva Schloss came to Knoxville to speak. Eva Schloss was the stepsister of Anne Frank, and Mrs. Schloss was also a Holocaust survivor who spent time at Auschwitz. We decided to buy tickets to hear Mrs. Schloss speak because many Holocaust survivors are no longer alive, and this number will only continue to increase. 

Mrs. Schloss told us about her childhood and how she knew Anne Frank and told some personal stories. Then she discussed her experience in hiding from the Nazis and finally being discovered and taken to the concentration camp. One of the most eye opening experiences that I felt during the lecture was her story about how her family (among many others) were separated. She also told the story of how people were grouped and sent to the gas chamber at the concentration camps, which she referred to as "death camps." Another chilling moment to me was when she showed the audience her tattoo from the concentration camp. She told the audience that she shows this to show proof to those that said that the Holocaust was a lie. 

Then she talked about how it took her many years to be able to tell her story. My girlfriend bought Eva's book before the show, and she opened the book to find that Mrs. Schloss had signed the book. At the end, we watched an inspirational video from the local Jewish school in Knoxville. I am so glad that we had this experience to hear a living Holocaust survivor, and I recommend that anyone who has the opportunity to hear a Holocaust survivor speak, take that opportunity.