Drowning in Formulas

     I feel like I should go out and plant a forest of trees after all of the paper that I have used to write notes this semester.  One unit that probably took up the most space in my notebook was the unit on area.  Each shape has a different formula, so each shape that I came across, I would start a new section in the notebook.  It got to the point where I was flipping through half of my notebook just to find the correct formula. 

     In order to make my notes more efficient, I went back and re-wrote all of the formulas on one sheet so I wouldn't have to search for them.  This gave me an idea for an activity for my future students.  Instead of just giving them all of the formulas, they could make up their own cheat sheet of formulas.  They could draw or cut out and paste the shapes and then write in the formulas. The following is a very linear example of the chart, the work of the students would not look exactly like this, but it shows a general example.

                                                      source

By having students make their own chart, the are able to take ownership of the resource as well as helping them cement into their memory all of the different formulas that they will need for the assignments.  I always believe it is better to get students working hands-on with the material than just giving them the information are expecting them to remember is all.  This is just not a realistic expectation and it setting both the students as well as the teacher up for frustration.

For more practice finding area, visit this website for an interactive game for students:

                               Area and Perimeter Game