1. From Concrete to Abstract: Helping ALL Students Develop Algebraic Thinking Skills Heather Sparks, NBCT Taft Middle School Oklahoma City Schools www.hisparks.com August 9, 2010

2. *Adapted from Van de Walle and Lovin

3. Turtle and Snail On summer day, Little Green Turtle challenged Teeny Tiny Turtle to a race from the oak tree to the elm tree. Turtle travels at a rate of 3 feet per minute and Snail travels at a rate of 2 feet per minute. The trees are 12 feet apart. STORY:

4. Turtle and Snail 12 feet PICTURE

5. time distance TABLE 0123401234 Turtle Snail 0123401234

6. RULE OR EQUATION Turtle: multiply by 3 d= 3t Snail: multiply by 2 d = 2t

7. GRAPH distance in feet time 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

9. x y 25 36 47 58 69 x y -2 7 0 3 1 4-5 6-9 What’s My Rule?

10. Every graph tells a story…

14. Let’s Apply!  Ball Bouncing  Slinky Stretch  Cup Stacking  Party Tables

15. Extend and Explain

16. Heather’s Website: www.hisparks.com