Students found values and the relationships between the shapes using the whiteboards.
The discussion, the energy, and the excitement for the problem was encouraging.
I loved all the mathematical models I was seeing.
Drawings.
Numerical.
Written descriptions.
Tables.
And algebraic representations!!
It was the algebraic representations that moved this activity into the low floor/high ceiling problem.
Every student was able to get into the problem.
Every student was able to find values that worked for each shape.
Relationships between the shapes were found and easily recognized as we organized all the information into a table.
But those students needing to push their thinking went to the more abstract...algebraic representation.
The group's work in the last photo, wrote the equations so that we could use that as our springboard into solving systems by substitution!
y + x = 6
y = 2x
I couldn't have orchestrated a lesson better had I actually planned it.
When teaching with open-ended problems, one never knows what the product will be.
And as the teacher, I have to use what the students present...to meet them where they are at.
This activity was very encouraging as it also gave me a window to see the fruits of my labor this year.
Math practices were being used.
Perseverance was in place.
Discussion was the central hub of the entire activity.
Multiple methods were in force.
Relationships between methods was my job, but students eagerly jumped on board when they started to see them.
Thinking was definitely moved in this lesson.
The only thing that would have made it better would have been if it had been connected to a real life situation.
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