As a math coach it’s natural for me to always, I mean “ALWAYS,” find a math connection to anything. So to address the question – what is one way you can connect your summer externship experience to your classroom curriculum – I immediately think of angles.

So, an acute angle is less than 90 degrees and creates the shape of the point of an arrow. So for my first connection will make use of an acute angle pointing to the “bulls eye” target.

During my externship at the NCCEE (North Carolina Council on Economic Education) I found a publication entitled, “Teaching Economics using Children’s Literature.”  You can imagine my excitement!  My financial literacy project asks teachers to set up a mini economy to teach economics but many teachers in elementary school don’t have resources to teach basic economics. Teaching Economics using Children’s Literature is an  “angle” that “hits the target – Bulls Eye!” How about teaching students basic economics with terminology like unit production, specialization, assembly line, division of labor, interdependence, and productivity using a children’s picture book! How about using “The Goat in the Rug.” The lesson in the book provides teachers with handouts and key questions to ask students so they learn the difference between a good and a service…”acute angle to the target” again!  How about asking students if the main character Glenmae specialized or used unit production. Fascinating!

Okay now to the 90 degree right angle! Notice how the angle produces a direct connection “up” and also produces a square with four corners.  When I teach a math lesson, at the end of the lesson for closure, I ask the students to write statements in their math journals with the symbols triangle, circle, and a square.  The square symbolizes “I’m secure…I’m ‘square’ with understanding this concept.” So my 90 degree…higher order thinking straight to the top…square connection is what I’ve learned about The Stock Market Game.  The Stock Market Game is an online game that teachers can use to set up teams of students in their classroom about investing in the stock market.  Each team of students has $100,000 to invest. It’s designed to have students read about companies that they are interested in purchasing stock AND they buy and sell their stock for a 9 week period of time…..economics and MATH!!! I love it….higher order thinking…reading…writing…calculating…collaboration…and 10 other things I know will happen for the students!!! I’ve registered three of my fifth grade teachers to have this for their students “FREE” of charge!!! My externship with the North Carolina Council on Economic Education brought me this too!

Now for my 180 degree angle…you know the straight line….

The “segment” provides the foundation leading both left and right.  I love this symbolism for my project and the curriculum that I’m writingbecause I’m excited about where the students

are going to take the foundational skills that they learn about economics and apply it to their learning. Impacting student learning with well thought out curriculum is certainly of great importance but my passion is teaching life skills and providing students an authentic way to “invest” in their own education. What I’m gaining from my fellowship is meeting the needs of my personal passion AND the economic standards for grades K-5 are well on their way to become part of Making Global Cents! 

Would any of my KF colleagues be interested in implementing my curriculum in their classrooms this year?  Maybe my soon to be PHD friend would like to join me. 🙂