Classroom Blogging Activity

Creating Visual Math Problems

Introduction:

              I was inspired by Dan Meyer’s Three Act Tasks. These problems start with act one which is a video or photo that leads to a mathematical question. In act two, students ask questions to gain information that they need to answer the question. In act three, students solve the problem to find the answer to the question and another photo or the rest of the video is revealed to show the correct answer.

Course:

              This activity was designed for a middle school algebra class.

Learning Objectives:

1.      Students will create a visual math problem using either a photo or a video and post it on the classroom blog.

2.      Students will comment on each other’s problems by asking questions, sharing their strategy for solving the problem along with their solution, and giving feedback on other student’s strategies/solutions.

Standards:

1.      Common Core State Standard A-CED: Create equations that describe numbers or relationships.

2.      Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

Blog Type:

              I will have a classroom blog. Students will already have experience commenting on posts that I have created. For this activity, students will create their own post to submit to the classroom blog and then comment on each other’s post.

Prerequisites:

              Prior to this activity students need experience with both three act tasks and commenting on the classroom blog. To start, I would do many three act tasks in class to get students familiar with the structure of the problems. Then, I would begin posting three act tasks on my blog. I would either get permission from Dan Meyer to post some of his problems or I would create my own. Students then would comment on my post sharing how they solved the problem and what answer they got. They then would give feedback on other students’ strategies/solutions. They could let a student know they had an interesting strategy or help a student who had made an error.

Activity:

Day 1:

·       Start class with a three-act task to remind students of the format of this type of problem. Suggested problem: http://threeacts.mrmeyer.com/playingcatchup/

·       Discuss the three parts of the problem: Act 1 is a video or photo that leads to a question. Act 2: You ask questions and gather information to answer the question. Act 3: You solve the problem and then the answer is revealed through another photo or video

·       Discuss that three act tasks are real world problem, which means sometimes you can get an approximate answer that is close to the real answer but might not be exact. For instance, if we are predicting how far someone will run in a certain time we will likely assume they are running at a constant speed but most people can’t run at a perfectly constant speed.

·       Tell students that they will creating their own three act task. They will be in small groups. They need to come up with a problem that could be solved using equations. Some examples could involve distance, speed, cost, etc. They will have an iPad available to them tomorrow to take pictures or videos.

·       Split students into groups so they can begin brainstorming their task. If they are stuck they can look at other problems on: http://threeacts.mrmeyer.com/

·       Students should write out their question, what the video or picture will be of, what information students will need to answer their question, the solution, and how they will present the solution in a video or picture.

·       Students will bring their plan to the teacher by the end of class so that they can be approved.

Day 2-3:

·       Groups plans are returned to them. If they were not approved, the group will make any necessary revisions.

·       If the group's plan was approved, they may get an Ipad and any other materials they need to take their picture/video.

·       Once their picture/video is done they can begin their blog post. Students should log in to the classroom blog.

·       Their blog post needs to contain the following:

o   Names of the Group Members.

o   Video/Picture of act 1 of their task

o   Their math question

·       It may take 1 or 2 class periods for students to create their pictures/videos and post them to the classroom blog.

Day 3 or 4:

·       Have students sit with their groups.

·       Have half the groups open up their own blog post. They will be responding to their classmates’ comments. These groups just need one computer. The other half of groups will be solving their classmates’ problems. Each student in those groups needs their own computer.  

·       To solve the problems the students must start by watching the video/looking at the photo. Then in the comments, they must ask questions to gather the information needed to solve the problem. The creators will respond to the comments with the information or they will say, “we do not have that information.”

·       Once students have gathered the information they need, they will solve the problem individually. Each person in a group will leave a comment with the solution they got and the equation or other strategy they used to solve the problem. The creators can give feedback on people’s solutions or strategies.

·       When students have finished, they should switch roles. The students who were commenting will now open their own post and vice versa.

Day 4 or 5:

·       If students only got to solve one problem the day before, have them solve a different problem today. The information they need will already be in the comment section so they can solve it quicker and then leave their own comment. You could also require students to solve every problem that was created.

·       Once everyone is done it is time to reveal the solutions! Groups should make another post on the classroom blog with their video/picture that reveals the answer. Give students time to look through these and compare their answers to the real solution. If students got different answers, they can discuss this in the comments.

Assessment:

I will score this assignment in two parts using the rubric below. The first part will be a group score for the creation of their three act task and blog post. The second part will be an individual score for commenting.

	Above Standard 35 – 40 points	At Standard 28 – 34 points	Below Standard 0 – 27 points
Three Act Task	Blog post contains names, a picture/video and a question. The question is clear. The problem is complex and could be solved using equations. The task they created is creative.	Blog post contains names, a picture/video and a question. The question is clear and is a problem that could be solved using equations.	Blog is missing one or more of the following: names, a picture/video and a question. The question is confusing and/or can’t be solved using equations.
Commenting	Student shared their solution and a detailed explanation of the strategy they used to solve the problem. Student gave feedback to multiple students.	Student shared their solution and strategy they used to solve the problem. Student gave feedback to one other student.	Student shared their solution but did not include how they solved the problem. Student did not give feedback or gave inappropriate feedback.