Welcome Back Grade 9s!

Today in Grade 9 we started off with some collaborative problem solving with skyscraper games (available here). Some of our groups were brave and tried the 5×5 challenges.

On day 1 we practice what we value, teamwork, and productive struggle as we tackle a challenging problem. We worked on speaking in French, sharing our ideas, taking charge sometimes, but not taking over. This problem in particular is a good one for valuing different perspectives and viewpoints (literally).

When we had done enough of those challenges, we tried the Max-min dice challenge.
The way this works is a framework BEDMAS question is given, fill in the blank style.

Students, up at the boards in random groupings of 3 copy the framework provided. Next we decide as a class if we’re aiming for the maximum number or the minimum number. We then have volunteers roll a 10 sided dice and one by one the numbers are entered into the framework. Groups decide on where each number goes before the next is rolled.

Each group then uses their BEDMAS skills to evaluate their expression. An extension can be to ask if we actually made the max or min…or if there is a better way to arrange the numbers if you knew them at the start to make a bigger/smaller number.

That game was a win. We played 3 or 4 rounds, until the bell went!