This section of my site is dedicated to teacher resources and links.
I have been teaching Algebra I and II for a few years now. Every year, I come across a topic that the students have a difficult time with, and despite all the exercises in the book, extra resources and worksheets, sometimes I just need more material for practice. Also, I often need to have instant access to problems that "work" to use for examples while re-teaching or tutoring. Further, I have found that it's almost impossible to find materials that include sufficient practice for solving linear equations that include fractions.
My friend Linda Parker in the special education department at West Boylston Middle/High School in MA said she was looking for a way to instantly print a worksheet for students to practice fractions, etc. I thought about it and said, “I can do that”.
I got to work and, in a short time, had a program that instantly creates worksheets for algebra. Each time it runs, it creates problems at random that are "friendly". I made the first version using Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0. It is a stand-alone program that needs to be installed on your computer. Just unzip the package and run SETUP.
After I finished, I was not completely satisfied with the look of the worksheets that it creates. I like the way that MathType creates expressions and equations that look neat and professional. So, I set out to see how I could implement MathType into a Microsoft Word macro. I was successful. The program is simply a Word file, but you must have MathType installed on your computer to use it. Open it, enable macros, then hit the HAPPY FACE button on the standard toolbar and you're on your way. Since the potential of this program is unlimited, expect frequent updates. It has been an ongoing project for over a year now. If you dabble in macro programming, feel free to mess around with this program and try to improve it. If you do, send it back so I can have a look. I hope you enjoy it and find it useful.
· More options for integers and fractions
· Answer sheet option for linear equations
· Factoring
· Multiplying polynomials
· Quadratic equations
· Also fixed a couple of bugs
October 20, 2005: I added a routine that slows down the interface with MathType (not much), so it should now work better with faster computers. Also, in the works is a new section on common word problems. I’m beginning with mixture problems, like chemical solutions, bags of candy or nuts, money, interest, etc. If you have any samples of said problems, please Email them to me at MrSparkman@MrSparkman.com .
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Topics Included |
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Operations with Fractions Quadratic Equations and Inequalities Radicals Trigonometry Logarithms Complex Numbers Absolute Value Exponents Rational Expressions Algebra of Calculus Decimals Percents |
Download Worksheet Maker for MS Word, MathType 5.0 required.
Download Worksheet Maker, stand alone version.
Download these calculator programs for the TI-92 or
TI Voyage-200 that I use for instant examples while I'm teaching.
I stole this PowerPoint presentation, a Jeopardy game from somewhere else and turned it into a great algebra review. It worked great in class! If you have Math Type, it can be adapted for any level math review. In fact, it could be adapted to work for any subject in the curriculum. Download it here.