WODB Projects and Plickers: Fall 2016 Edition

EOCs are over, and the Christmas/Holiday break will greet us in just four short days. However, the semester isn't over yet, but it's time to have some real fun and create our own WODBs! I first did this project last semester after integrating WODBs in my classroom. Toward the end of the last semester, I did WODB Wednesdays, and I integrated Plickers into my WODBs. This semester, I have kept the WODB Wednesdays, and students have become accustomed to them. 

Now it was time for this project to repeat themselves. After having nearly two weeks of testing between English, math, science, and history, my students needed something light, yet creative at the same time. So, I gave them Friday to create their WODBs. I have them pick something mathematical or something of their interest. Students then find four items and must be able to describe why each item does not belong. Then they submit the project to me. I then take their project and set it up as a question in Plickers so that students would have a chance to respond.  

Here is the link to the Google Doc. The link to last semester's blog post is in the first paragraph. 

How was this project similar as last semester? 

• I basically used the same assignment sheet and rubric. I took out a couple of the categories in the rubric, though. 
• I allowed students to use their own interests to create the project. 
• Students were allowed to work individually or with a partner. 

How did the project differ this semester? 

• Each student received a Chromebook in September, so the assignment and criteria were posted to Google Classroom 
• Students submitted their assignments to me via Google Classroom instead of email. 
• I gave feedback through their assignments in Google Classroom 
• I was able to assess and give feedback faster. 

How will I alter the project for next semester?

• I think I might require a mathematical WODB and a non-mathematical WODB. 
• I think I will require each person to do a non-mathematical WODB and have students do mathematical WODBs in partners. 
• I will tweak the rubric more to make it slightly more stringent as I didn't assess tough this semester. 

My Reflections/Thoughts 

• Overall, I was impressed with the products that my students created. 
• My biggest complaint was that some students didn't go far enough in explaining their reasoning and/or only gave one reason per category. 
• This is a fun project that my students seem to enjoy as it allows me to learn more about them, and it allows them to make the content relevant to their lives. 
• I was especially impressed with one of my classes, as many of the students were explaining their reasoning with each other and adding to each other's thoughts.

So, I will be quiet, and I will let my students' work start doing the talking. Let my students and me know what you think! 

Which One Doesn't Belong?

After returning from the NCTM Conference in Nashville, I decided to do this activity called "Which One Doesn't Belong? as part of my First Five (which is what I call my bell ringer). This activity gives students either four numbers, graphs, pictures, etc. and asks students to explain with reasoning which one doesn't belong. The nice part about this activity is that it allows for divergent paths of thinking as well as allow for students to justify and explain their reasoning.

Here is the first one I did with my first block geometry class. 

Students had several reasons why they chose their particular shape. 

• "I think it is the hexagon since all of the other figures are triangles." 
• "I think that it's the shaded in triangle because all of the others are not shaded in." 
• I think that it is the triangle in the upper left hand corner because it looks smaller." 

This allowed for my students to be able to justify and defend their answers. I told students beforehand that there was not one right or wrong answer as long as they could justify their answers. 

I then gave this problem to my Algebra II class. 

Here are some of the students' thoughts. 

• I think that it is 9 because it is the only single digit number. 
• I think that it is 43 because it is the only prime number. 
• I think that it is 16 because it is the only even number. 
• I think that it is 43 because 9, 16, and 25 are all perfect squares. 
• I think that it is 43 because you can take the square root of 9, 16, and 25 and get a whole number

I want to say that I had so much success with this activity that I will definitely plan on using it again I even did a tweet out to the Math Twitter Blogosphere about it :) 

So I encourage you to use this activity with your students. The website is Which One Doesn't Belong?

So, with that, I hope you have a great rest of your Thanksgiving Holiday and rest up strong for three more weeks until the Christmas/Winter Break!!!