Unit Review: Sequences and Series

I was really inspired by Amelia Jamison's method of doing a review before an exam. Amelia gives a list of learning objective with a sample problem or two for each. Then students self-assess their progress on the unit in order to focus on the ideas that they definitely need to study. Many students do not know how to study math, so this is a way to get them thinking about how to help themselves.

I decided to use the same method for this unit. I give students this review and have them read through the learning objectives first and have them self-assess. Then I give them most of the hour to work on the review. It seemed like doing the mortgage and interest problems were what students felt most uncomfortable with.

While students were working, here are some interesting things I heard and observed.

• "How do you find the limit without using a graph?"
• Students wondered whether to multiply or divide the payment by the interest rate while doing to the financial problems. They also wondered if the last payment to an account should be compounded or not.
• The calculator work is tricky - especially finding the sum of a sequence using sigma on the calculator. My students understand how to do it, but don't always remember the correct keystrokes.