Ms. Z : TGIF--Reframe the Question

TGIF--Reframe the Question

10 Comments

This is the Friday Pic from the Smartboard. My kids worked hard this Friday and I let them play!

Cuppla things. On Tuesday evening, I came back from my last class in a 5 part series on Common Core Math Instruction, facilitated by Josh Deis and Krista McAtee (how cool is that, she is a former student, who is now paving the way...she teaches 4th grade). I came home so refreshed! Full of energy! Excitement for the next day!

We got around to talking about homework. Most of the teachers are elementary and middle school teachers in this cohort, AND, still, I find nearly all of our discussion totally relevant.

Josh showed us a typical textbook page: "Simplify," and then literally 44 questions about adding or subtracting fractions. Yip! Not! He explained a new way of thinking about these directions, as we are all money strapped and no one is getting new CCCS textbooks this year. So this is what I did with the icky picky hand-out from my department: (Stay with me, don't fall asleep yet!)


Side 1

Side 2--Lest you think we forgot ANYTHING...and like the (!) will make doing all 28 any more fun.

Are you sleeping yet, please don't be, bare with me, because this is what was so freeing:

Shhhhh....I changed the directions.

1. Silently study all the problems but do not solve them: Put a CIRCLE around the number of the ones you will need to combine like terms for. Put a TRIANGLE around the numbers for the ones you will need to rationalize the demoninator for. Put a HEART around the number of the ones that will be perfect square factors themselves.

2. Now in pairs, come to consensus about problems you marked.

3. Now get out your highlighters or crayons...make all the circle problems Green, make all the triangle problems yellow and make all the heart problems purple. Go home and do two of each kind.

OH MY GOSH! WHAT GREAT CONVERSATIONS! MY STUDENTS WERE LOOKING FOR AND MAKING USE OF STRUCTURE, MY STUDENTS WERE CONSTRUCTING VIABLE ARGUMENTS AND CRITIQUING THE REASONING OF OTHERS! MY STUDENTS WERE LOOKING FOR AND EXPRESSING REGULARITY IN REPEATED REASONING!

I know just how geeky this sounds, but man, it was beautiful!

PS: I learned about "clock" partners. Anyone use this successful in Algebra 1 and beyond?

About Post Author

Amy zimmer

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10 comments :

SarahApril 7, 2013 at 10:22 AM
Ah I love this! Such an easy way to elevate the level of thinking. I'll be borrowing this one soon for sure, thanks for sharing!
Fawn NguyenApril 8, 2013 at 11:10 PM
Fantastic, Amy! Thank you!
AnonymousApril 16, 2013 at 7:28 PM
I used this idea yesterday with simplifying rational expressions - had the students put a heart by problems that would require x-box factoring, triangle for GCF, and circle for difference of squares. Then had them do two of each. It worked well, and it actually exposed a lot of misunderstandings about which factoring method to use. So what I"m trying to say is... thanks for this!
RenéAugust 10, 2013 at 9:33 AM
Just wanted to drop by and say: great idea!
AnonymousOctober 10, 2013 at 8:09 PM
I love this!
AnonymousNovember 30, 2015 at 7:04 AM
Thanks for sharing, Amy! This is a great idea.

I have used clock partners before. It's a great way to group kids. We filled out our clocks the first day of school and got to know each other by a group of questions...i.e. "What's your favorite color? A. Red, B. Purple, C Blue, D. None of these" I'd have them go to differenct corners and then match up with someone different. Then on different days, I'd have a clock at the front of the room and say go to your "___ O'clock" partner". They never knew who they'd be partnered with.

Once again, thanks for sharing.