In it, DePriest laid out the math and science concepts and the learning goals, the state content standards that would be covered, the questions students would consider, and the criteria for student success. She included writing standards and a planning guide. She also gave parents a checklist for assisting their children in the final project that entailed building a flying machine and writing a paper about it. In another note home to parents on multiplying and dividing large numbers, DePriest told parents five ways a child might divide 245 by eight. I wanted them to know that just because I was not using a traditional textbook, I was still teaching math and had done my research.
Parents feel welcome to come to class, sit at their child s table, and dive into the work.
Dad Steve Miller arrives as his daughter, Lindsey, and classmate Emma are puzzling over a graph that has five vertical bars, but no title, and no numbers. The students task is to figure out what the bar graph might be representing. DePriest wasn t looking for just one answer. Any reasonable solution would be okay. Miller picks up one of their calculators and starts helping.