Tag Archives: Accounting

Board-Work Model

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This is a Board Work model perfect for classes with lots of practice problems. Get students up to the board to complete problems and explain steps to everyone else as much as possible!

[embeddoc url=”https://tamusi.edublogs.org/files/2019/06/Math-Sessions-Board-Work_Chaffey-College-1.pdf” height=”750px” download=”all” viewer=”google” ]

Structured Problem Solving

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This activity can work great for (a) very long complex problems where students might need some help getting the steps down and (b) for previewing content. For instance, if you just finished an exam and you know the next chapter is going to build on the problems from the last test (by adding steps, extra variables, etc.), this activity can help them see what’s coming up next.

  1. Identify the steps in solving the particular problem, and separate the students into  groups.
  2. Because the steps for solving the problem are given, it is easier for the students to  handle large, complex problems since they have greater confidence.
  3. Assign them a sample problem and give them a specific period of time, at the end of  which the group must have reached a consensus for the answer.
  4. Ask the students to report their solution and explain the steps that led to their answer.  This strategy is most helpful for larger multi-step problems.

Super Tic-Tac-Toe

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  1. Draw a 3×3 grid on the board. Put a post-it note in each square with a problem written on it.
  2. The group is divided into two teams: Team A & Team B.
  3. Team A selects a teammate to be the first scribe* for their team. The scribe can only write what their team tells them to write. The team tells the scribe which square to choose.
  4. The scribe writes the problem on the board and the team directs them what to write to solve the problem. Meanwhile, Team B is watching and can challenge Team A if it sees an error or if the scribe has written something without their teammates telling them to.
  5. If the problem is completed correctly, Team A gets an X or O for the square. If the opposing team notices an error, it steals the square. Repeat the same process for the other team.
  6. Once a team gets 3 in a row, they win.

* A new scribe is chosen for each turn.

Given & Find: Problem Organizer

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This is a great way to cover multiple practice problems in a collaborative way, without having to make worksheet copies. It also allows you to introduce students to the Given & Find method, which they can use later if they’re stuck on a complex word problem. 

  1. Put students into groups (pairs or small groups of 3-4 work well)
  2. Give each group a different practice problem, and ask them to determine:
    1. What is given in the problem?
    2. What do we need to find in the problem?
    3. What are the steps needed to solve the problem?
    4. The Solution
  3. As students work through the problems, create a table template on the whiteboard that looks like this:
  4. Once groups finish, ask them to begin filling in the table template on the board. (Bring multiple markers!)
  5. Have a representative from each group come up to explain their given problem and how they arrived at the solution
  6. After the table is filled in, students can take a picture for study purposes. Allow time for questions.