Geometry: A Guided Inquiry

[wonderfilled]

Hi, I'm wondering how this went for those who used it. How was the workload? How did your child like it? I've seen the posts here by Carrie and Julie and they were very helpful. Julie said that her son worked the Central Problem section with the teacher. Is that how others have done it? And I also have a question for Julie if she reads this. Did you mean that before attempting it on his own, your son watched the video to see how it's done? I can see how that would be helpful and make sure that the child stays on track, but was wanting to make sure I understood correctly.

My son has done Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1 and 2 and has done great with them, so I'm hesitant to switch, but I'm also thinking a change might be good. I love the self-correcting aspect of Teaching Textbooks since I find it hard to keep up with all the correcting. I have four kids in HOD and a six-month old (I know there are others with more. ) so anything automatic is good.

[Motherjoy]

I ha enthused the text, and don't plan on it. We use Ssxon. For math, I'm not overly fond of TT, but I really woul advise to not switch up at this point. I think math needs continuity, and switching from curriculum to curriculum can leave holes. While it can help when someone is really struggling, I wouldn't suggest it unless it's absolutely needed.

[StephanieU]

Switching for geometry wouldn't leave holes as once you get to high school math, the courses are more independent. Geometry doesn't have any real ties to Algebra and only a few to trigonometry/pre-calculus. So, if you want to use something different for geometry and/ore pre-cal/trig, it would be fine. Look at a college, and you will see there is no continuity in texts used for intermediate algebra, college algebra, and pre-calculus/trigonometry.
That being said, I would talk to your high schooler about future plans and what he likes about Teaching Textbooks. Switching to something you are so involved in might not be a great fit for your family. You might find that Carrie's other suggestion of VideoText would be a better fit. Or there are other options out there for geometry (Jacobs is very common, Thinkwell is similar to TT and another good option, etc). At his age, he could do a lot of the "grading" himself though if you want to go with A Guided Inquiry or Video Text or Jacobs. You can spot check a couple of questions and then have him check the rest with the key. I have had my college students do this, and often they learn more from correcting their own work then when I grade it (I teach math at a community college).

[wonderfilled]

Thanks for the replies! I was thinking that switching to another curriculum for Geometry is probably not a big deal. Doesn't even HOD do that? I think my son would do great with any program so I'm not too concerned about him not doing well. I am more concerned with teacher involvement. I do like the looks of the Guided Inquiry text. I loved Geometry when in high school so the book looks fascinating to me.

I was thinking about letting my son do his own grading, but was concerned that might be more difficult with proofs.

[my3sons]

We just finished using HODs Geometry: A Guided Inquiry and enjoyed our year very much! Carrie and I looked extensively at geometry programs before she made the recommendations she did. We both used Geometry: A Guided Inquiry this year, and both our sons did well with it. I began the year by being more involved, as the program was new to me and to my ds. We followed these guidelines...

GEOMETRY PLANS

1. Watch the chapter introduction on the computer on your own.

2. Work the Central Problem section with the teacher. This will take multiple days. The answers are printed in the binder.

3. Do all of the Central Self Quiz on your own. Check answers in the geometry textbook. This will be graded.

4. Do the Review on your own. Watch the video solution guide on the computer for any areas of difficulty. Check with the answers in the geometry textbook. This will be graded.

5. The Review Self Test is optional. The answers are in the geometry textbook.

6. Do at least half of the Algebra Review. Check the answers in the geometry textbook. This will be graded.

7. Choose several Projects to work. Check with the the answers in the binder. The Geogebra demos on the computer can be watched as needed.

As the year progressed, my ds became more independent and did very well with that. He is good at math though, so I think it depends somewhat on the student's math abilities, as well as the student's ability to work well independently. Likewise, it depends on the future - what is the goal for the student? Is a career in math/science in the future? I foresee my ds pursuing something possibly math-related (i.e. a business degree), so I was more involved at first to be sure he started off on the right foot. Carrie and I both enjoyed Geometry this year, as did our sons. There are other choices HOD recommends, however, should one of the other options appeal to you more. Here is a link to Carrie's explanation of each of them in her sneak peek about Geometry...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15212

There will be detailed helps for pacing and instruction in the Introduction of the WH guide, which will soon be available. HTH!
In Christ,
Julie

[wonderfilled]

Thanks, Julie!
My son doesn't know right now what he wants to pursue in the future so it's hard to know sometimes which direction to go.

[my3sons]

Thanks, Julie!
My son doesn't know right now what he wants to pursue in the future so it's hard to know sometimes which direction to go.

I know what you mean. I am not sure about what my second son will do, so my approach is going to be to have him do the hardest math path he can handle. Not sure of that helps, but that's my plan for my ds who may or may not go into a math field.

In Christ,
Julie

[wonderfilled]

Well, I ordered a used copy of the textbook. I really like the looks of it and the scheduling makes a lot more sense with the text book to look through.

I started working through the Shortest path problem with my son and he said that he would pick the spot on the river closest to the tent because then he wouldn't have to carry the full pail as long.

[Tabitha]

Thank you for asking this question. Julie, thank you for the Geometry plan you shared. I printed it out to put with my teaching materials. We will be starting this soon. Dd has been using CTC Online for math and we are quite pleased with it. We will keep on with it for Geometry but move over to having it as a back up for extra help (hopefully). It is nice that CTC gives you access to all levels of math, so if we need to get a refresher on a topic it is quite easy to do so. I bought the WH set early when it came out last year. At that time we were unsure of CTC since it was new for us, and Geometry: A Guided Inquiry seemed a good fit for dd. I am hoping she feels the same. We did use TT in the past for Pre-Algebra. Then used No-Nonsense for Algebra, as well at CTC. Math is one area dd struggles with, so I don't spare any expense on it. I think she does much better in math than she gives herself credit for. She just needs to be a bit more self confident.

[razorbackmama]

I know this is an old post, but my son is about to start Geometry: A Guided Inquiry, and I came here looking for scheduling suggestions. I'm terrified that I made a huge mistake purchasing this geometry program since it cannot be returned. There is no way I can sit and do math with my 11th grader every day! I have 5 other students in school and 2 other children still at home who are not school age yet. I had NO IDEA that I would have to do this program with him!

That being said...is there a way around this? I think the approach is very interesting and that my student will like it. Can he do it on his own??? He is NOT NOT NOT self-motivated though, so this will be a huge learning curve for him. He struggles to get his work done even when he is told "do this page and this page and read pp. x-z or do problems 1-20. He gets distracted very easily and is horrible at time management. With the plans Julie posted above, should I have him set a timer each day? How long would be an appropriate amount of time to work each day?

[Nealewill]

I have not done this program yet but wanted to mention that I do feel with any program, there is always some level of parental involvement expectation. Julie did mention that she was much more involved in the beginning than she was toward the middle.

From the way you have talked about your son, I don't know that I think program itself will be the thing holding your son back. My oldest dd is not always motivated to work hard and most especially when doing subjects she dislikes is she at her worst. But, if you print off Julie's schedule and at least hand that over to your son with certain expectations each day, I think he can do it mainly alone, especially if he excels in math. How does he do now getting his boxes done with HOD or is he even using HOD? If you have found a way to move him along with HOD, then I would try and implement that strategy here. If not, then I do think setting a time is wise. But if it were me, I would set a volume standard too. That is just my style. And I don't make it unreasonable either. I just tell my kids they must get this certain amount of work done. We set the timer and they work until it goes off. Once time is up, they set this subject aside and move on to something else. They must complete the remainder for homework later when everyone else is playing. As for how long, I would say a good 45 minutes to 1 hour per day.

[my3sons]

Hi! I just followed the course outline in the Introduction of the WH guide. Hopefully you have the WH guide, but if not, If you scroll down to the bottom of this link, you'll find specific helps for Geometry: A Guided Inquiry...
http://www.heartofdakota.com/pdf/World- ... uction.pdf

With these guidelines, we were off and running! Wyatt really enjoyed his year of Geometry and even took on extra projects on the side for fun - which shocked me, as he is a get it done, check it off, move on kind of young man. I have found that reading through the Introduction, Appendix, and first 1-4 weeks of plans is a super way to prepare myself for teaching a guide. I know a lot of curriculums have fluff in these facets of their guides, but not HOD! Carrie's Introductions are super helpful to me, as well as the Appendices, and the layout of the first month of plans. Even if I've done a guide before, I reread through these areas before doing it again. Super helps are ours for the taking there, so I wanted to be sure you saw the rest of what that has to offer as it makes the year a lovely one! HTH, and I hope you enjoy your Geometry as much as we did!

In Christ,
Julie