Goal:
Think like a mathematician! Connect visual representations to algebraic expressions by chunking, changing the form, and/or connecting to math you know.
Event Information:
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Mon07Oct2024Remote
Productive Struggle 4-Session Mini-Course
In this course, participants will dive deeply into engagement routines to support students throughout three major components of mathematics learning experiences: sense-making, sharing and developing concepts and ideas, and solidifying understandings. Click here for more info and to register.
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Typically we provide just one visual, but in this task set we played with providing three terms of a visual pattern. The annotation remains the same on each of the three terms so students can key in on the way the chunks grow, or do not grow.
I did this task today with my students and left out the representation for 3(n+1) +3. After the students matched the other two expressions with two pictures, I had them draw a representation for the lonely expression. It went really well! When I do it again next year though, I’ll have the W pattern already printed out for the students so it is easier for them to then just show the representation by grouping, circling, moving, etc. It was a hard pattern for them to draw. I watched Amy model a “Connecting Representations” task in Delaware 2 weeks ago, so I modeled after her. It went really well!!!
Sounds like it went well! I agree that drawing the representation is tedious, and annotating a copy of it is more effective. Grace and I typically recommend that you provide one copy per partnership so that students continue to work together rather than transitioning to individual work. Please keep us posted as you test-drive additional tasks. These reflections are so valuable for others as they implement. Thank you!