Today's #Made4Math project is new to me! I designed it to reassure my students in "CoLLeGe MaTH" (which sounds scarier than it actually is) that the class is actually so do-able! I'm calling it a Mini-Time Capsule Project in which students draft a welcome letter and leave an artifact for incoming classmates to open on the first day of school the following year. This year's students will use index cards to record first day thoughts, their anticipation prior to Test #1 and reassurance after receiving a graded Test #1 back and then, use the notes to pen the letter filled with advice and encouragement. Here is what I have put together:
memorabilia were buried long before then. For the World's Fair, the event planners proposed to bury artifacts and information that would not be opened for 5,000 years. Time Capsule I was
constructed by Westinghouse and filled with contents that captured American life as it was in 1939.
Your task is to create a mini time capsule of sorts for the advanced math student who will sit in your desk next year. Your time capsule which can be an envelope or small container of your choosing should be filled with a letter addressed to the student and at least one artifact that represents you. In your letter, you will use proper grammar, punctuation, and letter format to convey your "First Day" thoughts about the Dual Enrollment class, feelings
leading up to the first test, and study tips and strategies after you receive your first test grade (don't worry, you will do great on the test!). Your letter should be reassuring and encouraging. It is your opportunity to help put an underclassman at ease. You are actually leaving a bit of yourself behind through this project, so be thoughtful in your wording and in deciding which artifact(s) to place in the capsule.
You will write a letter welcoming an advanced math student to the class using a ‘friendly letter format’.
Your letter should contain:
1) Heading - you may use "Dear new DE Math student:"
2) Body - 3 paragraphs (each indented)
1st paragraph: Welcome the new student, share something about yourself and your "First Day" feelings. Be sure to identify 3 things you were thinking on the first day and why.
2nd paragraph: Answer a possible question the new student may have and describe your thoughts leading up to the first test and after taking the test.
3rd paragraph: Politely wish them a good year and possibly add a line of advice, study tips or strategies.
3) Closing - you may use any appropriate closing of your choice.
4) Signature
Cindy