Mirrored Math

Mirrored Math

Five Parallel Mathematics Lessons in
American Sign Language and English

with
Steven Fuerst and Harv Schuldt

This project is a creation of the COLLEGE OF ST. CATHERINE in partnership with SLICES, LLC; RSA Region V ITP Award #H160A000008  First Edition 2001 | Revised 2002  Distributed in collaboration with the Minnesota Region III Low Incidence Project

Mirrored Math

License Information

The contents of this CD were developed under a grant from the Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning and with support from the NE Minnesota Region III Low Incidence Project. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Children, Families, and Learning , and you should not assume endorsement by the Minnesota State Government. Because it is a state funded project, it has an open copyright and maybe transferred to the hard drive of as many computers as wished. It is also allowable to burn your own CDs, provided they are not used for making a profit. When duplicating this resource, take care to give credit to those who created and produced this project.

Strategies for Use

This project was produced with many different possibilities for use. What is listed here are simply suggestions for focusing on developing
interpretation skills within mathematics settings.

1. View and analyze the parallel lessons.

  1. First, study the lesson plan to have an idea of what topics will be covered.
  2. Then, watch either the ASL or English lesson in its entirety. Make note of how specific math concepts are explained and conveyed.
  3. Then, watch the parallel lesson. Compare and contrast the language usage.

The lessons range from 8 – 20 minutes in length, so be sure to allot enough time to allow for viewing both in one sitting.

2. Practice interpretation from English to ASL.

  • First, study the lesson plan. You may even want to print it out so that you will have it for a reference.
  • Then, interpret the English version of the lesson. If desired, videotape this interpretation to provide a baseline.
  • After this, watch the ASL version of the lesson. You can then compare Steven’s use of ASL to the language used in this first interpretation
  • After this analysis, return to the English version and re-interpret it, attempting to incorporate new ideas taken from the ASL lesson. Videotape this again, so that you can compare with the baseline videotape and see what improvements were made.

3. Practice interpretation from ASL to English.

This may be more challenging due to the movement of the ASL instructor making it a more difficult source to work from.

  • First, study the lesson plan. You may even want to print it out so that you will have it for a reference.
  • Then, interpret the ASL version of the lesson. If desired, videotape this interpretation to provide a baseline.
  • After this, listen to the English version of the lesson. You can then compare Harv’s use of English to the language used in this first interpretation.
  • After this analysis, return to the ASL version and re-interpret it, attempting to incorporate new ideas taken from the English lesson. Videotape this again, so that you can compare with the baseline videotape and see what improvements were made

Meet the Instructors

The movies on this page give some background about the instructors, and also allow a bit of an opportunity to familiarize yourself with their signing/speaking styles before starting with the Math lessons. Be sure to “meet your instructors” before moving into the lessons.

Introduction to Steven Fuerst

This movie is 2:32..

Introduction to Harv Schuldt

This movie is 1:16.

Lesson 1

Lesson 1 – Lesson Plan

Objective: Students will use perimeter, area, and volume formulas.

Procedure / Development of Learning Activity

1. Give a lecture about perimeter, area, and volume formulas. Draw three different formulas on the chalkboard. Ask students to identify all three formulas.
IMage showing graphic representations of formulas for perimeter, Area & Volume

2. Given 3 different sample problems:
Three sample problems using formulas for permieter, area, and volume

3.  Discuss about real-life situations that utilize all three formulas

Harv in English


This length of this lesson is 15:16.

Steven in ASL


This length of this lesson is 8:27

Back to Lesson Plan

Lesson 2

Lesson 2 – Lesson Plan

Objective:

Students will graph a point on a number line, given the coordinate of the point, use real numbers to describe real-life situations, and compare real numbers

Jump to Movie

Procedure / Development of Learning Activity:

1. Give a brief lecture about real numbers such as natural and whole numbers and integers.
Natural = 1,2,3…, Whole = 0,1,2,…, Integers = ….-2,-1,0,-1,….
2. Given the coordinates of A,B, and C on the graph. The students will tell what number is the coordinate of these letters.

Number Line

3. Given several real-life situations to the students, have them write the appropriate algebraic expressions.

  • 25 degrees above zero
  • a 5 yard loss in football
  • withdrawal of $250 from a checking account
  • a gain of 1-1/2 on the stock market

4. Give a better concept of how to identify > (greater than) or < (less than) by using the chalkboard.

Examples:

1) 3 __ -2 4) -5 __ -3 Bonus) -1000 __ 0
2) -2 __ 3 5) -2 __ -1
3) 0 __ -4 6) 5 __ -6

 

Harv in English

This length of this lesson is 10:13.

Steven in ASL


This length of this lesson is 10:42.

Back to Lesson Plan

Lesson 3

Lesson 3 – Lesson Plan

Objective:

Students will identify the representations of numbers that are in the word problem and translate from English to Algebra.

Jump to Movie

Procedure / Development of Learning Activity:

1. Given four word problems on the chalkboard, the teacher will demonstrate to the students how to find the representations in each word problem.

  1. The larger of two numbers is twice the smaller. Write representations of the two numbers.
  2. The price of a book is $3 less than twice the price of a tape.
  3. The first side of a triangle is 3 times as long as a second side. The third side is 5 cm shorter than the first side.
  4. This year, the price of a movie ticket increased by one-fifth of the price last year.

2. Give hints such as of, is, and and, ask the students to see if they are able to catch all of these hints in each word problem. Can use this for group activity.

Harv in English


This length of this lesson is 13:14.

Steven in ASL


This length of this lesson is 13:18.

Back to Lesson Plan

Lesson 4

Lesson 4 – Lesson Plan

Objective:

Students will multiply rational expressions.

Jump to Movie

Procedure / Development of Learning Activity:

  1. Demonstrate to the students how to multiply rational expressions on the chalkboard. Factor both numerator and denominator first before using the Cancellation Property of Fractions.
  2. Demonstrate using the FOIL method for factoring quadratic expressions.
  3. Given sample problems on the chalkboard, the students will participate in helping and solving these problems.

rational expressions

Harv in English


This length of this lesson is 17:37.

Steven in ASL


This length of this lesson is 15:17.

Back to Lesson Plan

Lesson 5

Lesson 5 – Lesson Plan

Objective:

Students will perform operations which include square roots.

Jump to Movie

Procedure / Development of Learning Activity:

  1. Review basic square roots first before learn how to solve sums, differences, and products.
  2. Tell the students about the rules of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The radicals can be added or subtracted only if they both are the same identity. The radicals can be multiplied or divided no matter if they are the same or not.
  3. Apply the Distributive Property to the radical expressions and simplify them.
  4. Apply the FOIL method to the radical expressions and simplify them.

Examples:

square roots

Harv in English


This length of this lesson is 15:16.

Steven in ASL


This length of this lesson is 20:20.

Back to Lesson Plan

Credits

Roll the Credits

This project was a collaboration of many people’s minds and talents and we wish to acknowledge them here.

Instructors/Language Models:
Steven Fuerst
Harv Schuldt

Filming/Computer Design:
Doug Bowen-Bailey

The Staff of the RSA Region V Interpreter Training
Project Administrator:
Laurie Swabey

Project Managers:
Paula Gajewski
Richard Laurion

Administrative Assistant:
Darla Barrows

Special thanks to the participants of the Wisconsin Summer Institute and to Darla and Adam Barrows, for serving as students for Steve and Harv’s simulated classrooms. Nothing worse than teaching to the wall, or worse, to only a camera.