Math-U-See Geometry Tips for Success
What Tools Will My Student Need to Successfully Complete This Level?
Ensure your student has a ruler, compass, and protractor for this course. A notebook or scrap paper to draw diagrams will also be helpful.
Should I Utilize All Review Pages?
On the back of each Systematic Review E page, there are Algebra 1 review problems. Encourage your student not to skip those pages – they will help them keep their algebra skills fresh while working through this level, ensuring they are prepared for Algebra 2 afterward.
Why Should My Student Show Their Work?
While mental math has its place in real-world applications, showing each step is crucial when learning new material and helps prevent careless errors. Explain that showing their work also saves time when correcting errors, as it makes it easier to retrace steps. This process helps students transform mistakes into valuable learning experiences.
How Should My Student Interpret Diagrams?
There will be many diagrams shown in the workbook with various questions about them. The only assumptions the student should make are those that are actually GIVEN. Instruct them not to trust their eyes that a diagram “looks like” something if it is not explicitly stated in the book. (E.g., if there is no given statement that an angle is a right angle and there is nothing marked on the diagram to indicate a right angle, then don’t assume it’s a right angle just because it appears to be one.)
What Is the Recommended Procedure to Begin a New Lesson?
On Day 1 of each new lesson, ensure the student watches the video and also reads the written lesson summary in the Instruction Manual. Emphasize that these two resources together are necessary for complete instruction. If the student is not already doing so, advise them to begin taking notes. Suggest that they make notes of new vocabulary words, rules, formulas, procedures, etc.
Index cards can be a helpful tool: encourage the student to write one note per card in their own hand and their own words, so that it is clear to them. Recommend that they show examples or draw diagrams to aid in recall later. Advise the student to make note of the lesson where the concept was taught. Then, suggest hole-punching a corner and collecting them on a jump ring to create a reference resource that can be added to over time. The Glossary and the Symbols & Tables page in the back of the book contain formulas, conversions, etc. While these are helpful resources to read, explain to the student that writing the information out themselves will likely improve retention.
When Should My Student Start the Worksheets for a Lesson?
After watching the video and reading the written lesson in the Instruction Manual, if your student understands the lesson, go to Lesson Practice Page A in the workbook. However, if they’re confused at all, put the work aside for the day and rewatch the video on Day 2.
What Should I Do If My Student Is Confused?
Re-watch the video on Day 2 if they’re confused. More understanding happens when our brains have time to download and organize the information overnight while at rest. Watching the video again will reinforce what they previously understood and clarify anything they may have missed the first day. Then work the A page.
One page per day is recommended. If it takes more than 15-20 minutes to complete a page, consider letting your student take a break and do other things for a couple of hours before returning to math work. This will give their brain a chance to rest before working at it again.
Check each day’s work right away to correct any errors immediately. This will help prevent errors from being reinforced.
Why is it Important to Verbalize the Problem-Solving Process?
When your student has completed both Lesson Practice pages (A-B), and before starting the Systematic Review pages, have them work one or two problems out loud, narrating each step to you. If your student is unsure how to do this, model it for them first. This ‘teach-back’ is important for the student’s understanding and long-term retention. It will also demonstrate their understanding to you and signal that they’re ready to start the review pages.
How Important Are Lessons 17 and 19 on Radicals?
Lessons 17 and 19 present some advanced concepts using radicals. Emphasize to the student that these lessons will be important for subsequent lessons in Geometry and even more so in Algebra 2, so encourage them to take the time to master them!
Where Can I Find Support Videos?
There are support videos for many of the concepts/lessons available in our online Support Center. Click on the Levels link in the Math-U-See section, then on Geometry.
Are There Additional Practice Pages Available for This Course?
Apart from the workbook pages, there are no additional worksheets available for the Geometry course, so use the provided pages wisely. However, you can find some extra worksheets at KutaSoftware.
How Can I Support My Student Through Lessons 22-27 About Proofs?
Lessons 22-27 address proofs, and there are a number of things to note for these lessons:
- There are many terms provided in Lesson 22 that will be critical for success with the proofs, so encourage your student to write them out and work on memorizing them.
- The actual proofs begin in Lesson 24. These lessons will help your student learn to formulate logical thinking and justify their statements. This is where Geometry moves from visual, concrete, objective concepts to more subjective areas.
- There is sometimes more than one way to formulate a proof, and your solution may not always match the solution in the Instruction Manual. However, your student should be able to support each statement they make by their prior statements, which should all lead back to the given information.
- A notebook or scrap paper will be of great use for the proofs. When your student has to prove triangles congruent, and the given diagram shows them connected, it’s helpful to re-draw the triangles separately to be able to see them both ways. As the student works through their proof, stating that different parts (line segments or angles) are congruent, ask them to mark those parts with slashes on their hand-drawn figures. That will help them more clearly see which parts of the triangles are congruent and determine which postulate they’ll use at the end. (See the last page of Lesson 26 to view how these slashes are done.)
What Should I Do If They’re Really Stuck on a Problem?
If your student is really stuck on a concept or problem, suggest they look at the solution and try to work it backwards. And remember that you may also reach out to AdvancedSupport@demmelearning.com for help!