Green Globs as a Great Tool for Teaching the Linear Equation, y = mx + b and more advanced functions in the Context of the Great Green Globs Contest

Mr. Charischak recommended Mr. Harner’s class from McAuliffe M.S. have a challenge match with Mr. Schwarzberg’s class and Mr. Ciggelakis’s class from Battin Middle School.
Since Mr. Harner’s class was using Green Globs for most of the 2005-06 school year, his students had far more experience using Green Globs than the eighth grade students at Battin. Mr. Harner graciously volunteered to send his students to teach Mr. Schwarzberg’s and Mr. Ciggelakis’s classes in April 2006. As a result, students teaching students proved to be very successful. Green Globs proved to be an exciting, engaging tool for students to understand the Linear Equation, y = mx + b. Moreover, students taught students beyond linear equations by showing other wave lines and elliptical lines. Therefore, students experimented with equations containing powers of 2 or more. Green Globs proved to be an exciting, engaging tool for students. y = mx + b is covered in both pre-algebra and algebra textbooks. Green Globs proved to be a very worthwhile supplement to textbook-oriented learning.
For more on the Contest at Battin and McAuliffe see http://www.ciese.org/math/elizabeth/globs/rocketnews.html