Brainstorm your math topic with a friend or classmate. Think out loud. Tell him what you already know about the math concept and how you plan to approach the topic. Ask for his input and feedback on your ideas.
Understand the teacher's expectations for the final paper. Obtain a copy of the rubric that she will use to evaluate your writing. Be sure to address each point. You will need to communicate your ideas well, use appropriate mathematical terminology and prove your reasoning.
Ask questions. Investigate the topic. Research and gather enough information to feel confident in your knowledge. Take notes as you discover new facts or think of fresh ideas. When writing a paper on central measures of tendency, for example, you should not only describe mean, median and mode but also compare and contrast them.
Organize your thoughts and the information you gathered with a graphic organizer. Graphic organizers are shapes created from boxes, lines and circles. As you collect ideas, the shapes will help you see where each detail should go. This process helps you creates an outline of what you will write. Pay attention to mathematical sequencing.
Write your first draft as if you were talking to a group of friends. Let your ideas flow. Do not worry about writing too much or too little; this is just a first look at your ideas. You can rethink and rewrite when you are ready. When you do prepare the final draft, follow the methods you have learned in English class.
Make real-life connections. Tell why this topic is important. Show how you or others use this math concept in your lives. Give several examples. If you are writing about central tendencies, discuss baseball players' batting averages or students' grade-point averages.
Draw diagrams to supplement your writing. If you are comparing or contrasting, use a Venn diagram. Decide which graphs, charts or other visual aids would enhance your paper. The writing should be your main focus, however, so do not add too many visuals.
Reflect on what you have learned. Tell what you noticed and what surprised you as you conducted your research. Explain why your ideas make sense. Discuss different approaches that you took and any glitches you encountered.