More (cool) things you can do with Excel

Week 4: February 4

MATH 459/ELMA 559 ~ Technology in Elementary and Middle School Mathematics Instruction ~ Spring 2004

Class meeting schedule and topics

Wednesday, February 4 ~	More (cool) things you can do with Excel
Wednesday, February 11 ~	Simple activities for calculators
Wednesday, February 18 ~	Learning mathematics with calculator

Homework Assignments

4. Due Wednesday, February 11

   Required work

   1. Bring a calculator with you to class. TI-15 and TI-30 calculators are preferred, because the chance is good that you will encounter these or similar calculators in a school setting. However, any other kind of calculator is allowed as long as it has a memory button.

   2. Prepare a lesson about simple substitution codes for the students in the grade level you teach or intend to teach.

      Accompany your lesson with an Excel workbook that includes:

      1. Examples of messages coded and decoded using a simple substitution code.
      2. A coded message with a hidden and protected simple substitution code for the students to “crack.”
      3. A worksheet where the students can enter their own substitution values for their own code.
      4. A worksheet where the students can decode coded messages (if they know that the code matches the one installed in the Excel workbook).
      5. Student access to a substitution code lookup table so that the students can enter their own substitution code for coding and decoding messages.

   3. Review the resources found in at least one link on the "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Spreadsheets: Lesson Plans and Ideas" site maintained by Tracy Volz from Manassas City Public Schools (http://www.manassas.k12.va.us/round/classweb/volz/excelweb/sslplan.htm).
      Include at least the following information in your review:
      1. What is the title or name of the resource?
      2. What is the address (URL) of the resource? Does the link work?
      3. Who is the author?
      4. What kinds of activities or ideas are included in the resource?
      5. What grade levels are appropriate for the materials in the resource?
      6. Do the materials require any additional information or support that is not provided in the link?
      7. Are the materials clearly documented and explained?
      8. Do the materials work the way they are supposed to work?
      9. Would you try to use the materials at this resource in your own class? Would you recommend that another teacher consider using the materials at this resource?

   Optional work

   • Figure out how to code and decode spaces and punctuation using a lookup table substitution code.

   • Edit the "Terry's Trials" Excel macro so that it doesn't max out at 20 occurrences of each number of points.

   • Complete any other optional tasks that are given on the assignments.

5. Due Wednesday, February 18

   Required work

   • To be announced ...

   Optional work

   • To be announced ...

   • Complete the other optional tasks that are given on the assignments.