Here are two documents to help your students better understand Boolean Algebra.

• Sample problems (.pdf/91kb) from a lesson that culminates a chapter on Boolean Algebra in circuit design. The lesson develops three examples through all phases of the design project, from creating the truth table to drawing the minimal circuit. The lesson also contains exercises for student assignments.
• A list of projects (.pdf/188kb) that I assign individually to students to complete the Boolean Algebra chapter. Following the list are templates for truth tables and maps for 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-variables.

I have taught this chapter for a number of years and it supplements software programming development quite well. Students who go on to engineering courses are particularly helped by it. However, every student profits from the thinking process and from understanding somewhat how the electronic devices that both rule and clutter our world were designed.

If anyone would like a copy of the entire chapter on Boolean Algebra in circuit design, send e-mail to the address above and I will mail you the chapter along with the Solution Keys for all the exercises. Or any other questions or suggestions may be directed to the e-mail address listed above.

In 1966 Neal Golden became the first teacher in Louisiana to teach a high school computer course for credit.  Since 1969 he has been Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and then Chair of Computer Science at Brother Martin High School, New Orleans. In 1975 he was the author ofComputer Programming in the BASIC Language (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (2^nd edition 1981, 3^rd edition 1987). He also wrote Computer Literacy with an Introduction to BASIC Programming (1985, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich) and Computer Programming in the Pascal Language (1988, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich). He was Chair of the NCTM Technology Committee in 1986-7 and a charter member of the Mathematical Sciences Education Board of the National Research Council (1985-88).