Structure of the Teaching Guide
Five Easy Steps to Use the XY Encounter With Your Students
Sections: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
NOTE: The XY Encounter is designed to help meet local, state and national math standards.
The XY Encounter Is Action!
The XY Encounter teaches your students mathematical concepts in a learning-by-doing environment. Stream the video and you're presented with a live-action adventure about two teen cyber sleuths - Max and Keisha - who come upon a top secret Web site that reveals an alien presence below their city. Their mission? To use their mathematical problem-solving skills to uncover a series of clues that put them hot on the trail of an alien.
The adventure begins with our dynamic duo using graphs to locate the entrance to the mysterious underground cavern in Central Park as they search for the alien being. Before long, they stumble upon eerie signs left by the alien and set to work deciphering them. As they mystery unfolds, our two sleuths solve clues involving geometry, number sequences and fractions in a determined effort to track down the extraterrestrial being. Ultimately, Max and Keisha discover that the alien is trying to communicate with them!
Because the video covers several content strands, full development and explanation of each topic is best explored within the curriculum taught by the teacher.
The XY Encounter Is Easy to Implement
The XY Encounter is designed to motivate your students and reinforce mathematical concepts. It is very easy to implement. Simply follow the cue suggestions in this guide to actively engage your students. This teaching guide is flexible. Choose the times that work best for your students.
The XY Encounter Is Flexible
Students will enjoy participating in this fast-paced story that's packed with twists and turns to challenge young minds! Teachers appreciate the numerous ways the XY Encounter can be used. To get you started, here are three ideas to consider:
- Show the entire video at the beginning of the year so students get a clear picture of the general content strands to be covered. Encourage them to discuss their observations.
- Show each episode one at a time through the year to enhance your curriculum - to introduce or summarize a particular mathematical topic. Replay it during development of topics to reinforce ideas.
- Turn the video into an introductory activity at the start of the year. As the year progresses, revisit each segment that corresponds with the topic being studied. Show it again at the end of the year as a summary.
Structure of the Teaching Guide
Organized according to each of the four video parts, each segment of the teacher's guide contains:
- Setting
Short description of the story, including the mathematics in the plot. (Introduction)
- Standards
Description of the national and state standards related to the content of the video. (Introduction)
- Objectives
Specific mathematical goals introduced in the video. (Introduction)
- Materials
Suggested materials for enhancing each topic and a copy of the activity sheets used in the video, which can be reproduced. (Introduction)
- Mathematically Speaking
Discussion of key content points. (Introduction and Conclusion)
- Background
Content or ideas with which students might need to be familiar. (Introduction)
- Vocabulary
List of mathematical terms relating to the video. (Introduction))
- Pause Points
Indicators flagging where the video might be stopped to allow for student activity.
- Related / Extension Activities
Additional ideas for the students. (Conclusion)
The following table, presented at the top of each page of the Teacher's Guide, provides easy navigation throughout the site.
Five Easy Steps to Use the XY Encounter With Your Students
- Begin by viewing the video and the teaching guide. As you do, think how the program can be adapted to your class.
- There are key phrases and pause points in the guide suggesting where you might stop the video. Practice pausing the tape, using discussion questions to amplify understanding, then continuing to the next pause point. You may wish to create your own pause points depending on your class.
- Prepare copies of the activity sheets. Distribute them at the appropriate time so students can work along with and sometimes ahead of Keisha and Max. You may wish to group students to encourage the constant stream of ideas.
- Transparencies of activity sheets help focus class attention, facilitate class discussion and clear up possible points of confusion.
- After each part, use student papers, oral responses, and any other methods you employ to assess understanding. Reflect on the experience by asking yourself questions like: What could be done differently to enhance learning? What went extremely well? What was the biggest surprise? Where did the students struggle? Adjust your instruction accordingly.
The use of pause points provides ample time for students to respond, inquire, suggest solutions, communicate, and justify results through meaningful dialogue.
