Radian Stations - A Rotating Review
Objective
Big Idea
Roll Out - 4 Stations Î /2, Î .....
Radian Rotation Time!
Now that the stage is set, it's time to "Radian Rotate!" Given a 45 minute class period to work with, I allow my students to work for 7 minutes at each station. My hope is that this is just enough time for the students to complete the station, while also creating a sense of urgency at the start - - because 7 minutes is not very much time! (The reason for only 7 minutes per station is so that I can ensure time at the end for questions, debrief, and quiz prep.)
If you would like an online stopwatch to be displayed during the activity, click HERE.
While the students work, I am extremely diligent about making sure they follow the protocol for the activity. That is, I want my students to first consult the sticky notes (explained in the Roll Out video) BEFORE asking me for help. I do not help a student who does not have a sticky note in front of them having already sought out the help from the easel. This supports the following:
- Students begin to recognize that the teacher is NOT the sole provider of knowledge
- The vibe in the classroom becomes one of shared work and collaborative problem solving
- I don't have to answer the same questions OVER and OVER again, which can be a challenge and time sink with 4 different rotations going on at once!
Note: It is a good idea to allow an additional 1-2 minutes for the students to write a sticky note after the first station, regardless of whether they completed all of the problems or not.
Closing Questions and Quiz Prep
As we close the class period, I make sure to address the following:
- Questions that remain after the activity. If questions remain, I want to make certain that they are answered. If I noticed that one or two questions in particular seemed to be an issue, I'll make note of those prior to addressing the whole class. It more efficient to have problems written on the board rather than writing it out while you trying to get students' attention, especially at the very end of the period when time is of the essence and their attention is dwindling.
- An overview of the quiz format for tomorrow. I alert the students that tomorrow's quiz will be similar to today's questions, however, there will also be an opportunity for them to reflect on their learning. I tell my students in advance to be prepared to talk about how the "Will It Topple Investigation" and "Side-Walk Investigation" helped their understanding of the fundamental trigonometry concepts.
- I make sure to let student know that, "I will, like always, be around tomorrow morning for help if you need it!" The worksheets from the activity are due tomorrow before the quiz.
