Students in Action: Challenge #2 Chocolongo Bar

Problem Based Learning Task

Students have been assigned to an Investigation Group and math problem blog, where they will engage in online discussions (outside of the instructional day) prior to teaming up to complete a math investigation. They will participate within their group blog to provide support, suggestions and strategies on how to approach their assigned math investigation.

Once students have had the opportunity to participate within their blog to prepare for their meeting session, they will then be given class time to begin their collaborative task to problem solve the math investigation onto chart paper as a team.

Students who have completed and solved their math investigation will then choose a media presentation format (podcast, photostory) to share their findings and demonstrate their understanding, as well as connections to the relevance of their new learning. Their choice of presentation will then be posted within their group blog for further discussion and reflection.

Good luck to all of the groups :o)

Learning Environment

An Effective Mathematics Learning Environment encompasses all of the pieces for a complete picture (Early Math Strategy: The Report of the Expert Panel on Early Math in Ontario, 2003):

Grade 6: Mathematical Process Expectations

Investigational groups will use the mathematical process to integrate and guide their learning by connecting to all strands.
Problem Solving:
• develop, select, and apply problem-solving strategies as they pose and solve problems and
conduct investigations, to help deepen their mathematical understanding;

Reasoning and Proving:
• develop and apply reasoning skills (e.g., classification, recognition of relationships, use
of counter-examples) and defend an arguments

Reflecting:
• demonstrate that they are reflecting on and monitoring their thinking to help clarify their
understanding as they complete an investigation or solve a problem (e.g., by comparing
and adjusting strategies used, by explaining why they think their results are reasonable, by
recording their thinking in a math class blog)

Selecting Tools and Computational Strategies:
• select and use a variety of concrete, visual, and electronic learning tools and appropriate
computational strategies to investigate mathematical ideas and to solve problems

Connecting:
• make connections among mathematical concepts and procedures, and relate mathematical
ideas to situations or phenomena drawn from other contexts (e.g., other curriculum areas,
daily life, sports)

Representing:
• create a variety of representations of mathematical ideas (e.g., by using physical models,
pictures, numbers, variables, diagrams, graphs, onscreen dynamic representations), make
connections among them, and apply them to solve problems

Communicating:
• communicate mathematical thinking orally, visually, and in writing, using everyday language,
a basic mathematical vocabulary, and a variety of representations, and observing
basic mathematical conventions

Grade 6 Math Investigations

The purpose of this blog is to engage students in authentic math discussions prior to meeting together to solve a mathematical investigation as a team. Once the students have meet to complete their investigation they will present their findings / solution in a creative way to demonstrate their understanding and thinking.