|
|
|
The views expressed on this page are
solely
those of the author and do not
necessarily represent the views of County
News Online
|
|
Flickr; Gabriel Dauer
K-12 Dive
What do sports, pizza, Pokémon and math have in common?
Lauren Barack
Feb. 17, 2021
Dive Brief:
Math-based word problems, when crafted well, can help students find the
context to what they’re learning, elementary special education teacher
Braxton Hall writes for Edutopia. Following a few simple steps,
educators can build word problems with a connection to a student’s life
and make math more relevant, he said.
To start, educators should create math sets that have a connection to
something that holds students’ interests, such as Pokémon cards, and
potentially write the names of students into word problems, as well.
The problems must also be solvable, as anything too complicated may
thwart the goal of engaging students. Word problems that are
open-ended, however — rather than too simple and straightforward — can
also spark critical thinking skills in students, helping them consider
multiple pathways to solve a problem.
Dive Insight:
Tying mathematics to real-world scenarios can help boost student
engagement in the subject. Educators may want to tap into pupils’
interests as well, from popular subjects to personal passions.
Teachers could look to neighborhood groups and organizations like dance
troupes or local nature areas and other places where students might go
after school. They can even consider partnering with groups to craft
projects around math concepts. For example, students who are engaged in
sports programs could be assigned math word problems that build off
data sets from basketball, swimming, running or even curling games or
tournaments — including numbers that they’ve collected.
When it comes to children, pizza is always a favorite meal, so one
project could ask the class to calculate the total cost of a pizza,
even comparing the price of a local restaurant's pie to one from a
national chain. In addition, teachers could assign ratio and
proportional math problems based on the amount of sugar in a bottle of
soda vs. a healthier drink.
Read this and other stories at K-12 Dive
|
|
|
|
