Final Project
The purpose of this activity is to give you an opportunity to try out inquiry-oriented instruction as a teacher and to learn more about students’ reasoning. You will listen to a student as they think about non-routine mathematics problems and guide them, rather than instruct them, as they solve the task. The assignment consists of three parts:
1) select a task that aligns with your future goals and interests;
2) locate a student of appropriate age/grade level to solve the task, and observe/guide them/encourage them to “think aloud” via asking them open-ended questions as they solve the task; and
3) write a report on your experience guiding the student through the task.
Part 1: Select the Task
- Select a task based on your interests, OR, propose a different mathematics task not contained within this document for approval by the teaching team.
- As a reminder, the Math 414 Sample tasks are located in Perusall Reading 6.
- If you choose to propose an alternative task, be sure to include:
- Why your task is appropriately open-ended (e.g., there is not clearly “one way” or “one method” to use to solve it).
- What age group is appropriate for the task (e.g., 7th graders), with justification (e.g., this topic is in the 7th grade Common Core math standards).
What to Turn In:
- Which task you are selecting (or if you are seeking permission for a different task, follow steps 1. and 2. above.)
- 2-3 sentence rationale about why you chose that task.
- (Optional) Any questions that you have or help requests you’d like to make from the teaching team (e.g., you need help finding a student) before you begin Part 2 of the project.