Wish you could spend less time finding good tasks to use for lessons?
Here's how you can turn one short maths problem into an entire lesson.
(It's a method I use for every problem I create.)
1. Choose a problem that matters
The problem you choose doesn’t need to be interesting, or even particularly difficult. In fact, the more mundane the better.
(Textbooks and worksheets are a great source.)
What’s important is that it’s a skill/concept you want your students to focus on.
2. Open it up
Opening up the problem gives you FAR more insight about what your students know.
All it takes is a small tweak.
For example, instead of asking ‘What's halfway between 1/2 and 3/4?', this question asks for ANY fraction between the other two-
3. Focus on the reasons
Maths is way more interesting when we focus on reasons – not just answers.
It also helps students make sense of ideas and understand different approaches.
Ask-
- How do you know?
- Can you explain it a different way?
- How are these solutions similar? different?
4. Follow up with similar problems
The power of a problem comes when you follow with a similar one.
It allows students to take existing and known strategies into a different context or to look at an idea in a new way.
A similar problem also feels safer – it gives students an entry point that’s familiar.
Here are 2 examples:
Example 1. After identifying any fraction, between two others, students are asked this question-
Example 2. This next follow up problem starts to draw out a general principle-
Summary
How to turn one short maths problem into an entire lesson:
- Choose a problem that matters
- Open it up
- Focus on the reasons
- Follow up with similar problems.
