3 Dot Oa Dot 8 More Ideas From Vdw

Ideas Inspired by Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics

Guess My Rule - K-3 p.304. Draw a simple in-out "machine" on the board. The machine "operator" knows the secret that is stored in the machine. For example, a rule might by double the input number and add 1. Students try to guess the rule by putting numbers into the machine and observing what comes out. A list of in-out pairs are kept on the board. Students who think they have guessed the rule, raise their hands. As more numbers are put into the machine, those students who think they know the rule tell what comes out. Continue until most have guessed the rule.

Real Functions - K-3 p.306. Discuss with your class a real situation in which the value of one measure or count will be related to another measure or count. Suppose the situation is the total sales of tickets to the class play. Tickets cost 25¢ each. If 20 tickets are sold, the income will be $5.00, for 21 tickets, $5.25, and so on. The task is to create a chart and a graph based on at lest five different values for the number of tickets. As a challenge for those who are ready, see if they can find an equation that relates income (I) to number of tickets (N). For young students, the equations will be the most difficult representation of the function. Once the graph is completed, they should use it to determine the income for values they did not have on their chart.