Math 122 & Math 123

Introduction to Math ABCS Courses  Math academically-based community service courses that provide the opportunity for Penn students to both learn and teach fundamental concepts with algebra and geometry to high school students  Math 122 & Math 123 (since 2007)  Partnership schools  University City High School (UCHS)  Sayre High School

UCHS

Goals of the Courses  Allow students to learn new ideas in mathematics and examine their understanding of previously learned algebraic and geometric concepts  Encourage students to develop methods for teaching with understanding  Provide students with the opportunity to explore the context in which algebra and geometry are taught in Philadelphia public high schools

SAYRE

Structure of Math ABCS  1 st portion of the semester  Refresh students’ algebra and/or geometry knowledge  Complete and Keystone and high school math placement problem sets  2 nd portion of the semester  One class/week dedicated for dry-run of certain math exercises  One class/week dedicated for implementation of certain math exercises  (Each student returns to same high school and works with same student)  3 rd portion of the semester  Penn students create final projects

UCHS

Qualitative Aspects  During our class sessions at Penn, a portion of our lectures are dedicated to discussing  Racial landscape of public school systems  Socioeconomic dilemmas in education  Effective teaching/learning methodologies

SAYRE

Gauging Effectiveness of Partnership  Pre-test on wide range of curriculum material before Penn students begin tutoring  Assessment on topics that will be covered that semester  Post-test on same curriculum topics after tutoring program is complete  Certainty meter to evaluate student changes in confidence throughout program

UCHS

Sample Pre-test Problem