The best mathematical questions often come from real life situations. One day, Mr. Truske posted on social media about a book he received from Amazon. The single book was sent in this box: When I saw the photo, I replied, "That looks like a math problem." And I was thrilled when he replied, "Yes - let's plan it!" Mr. Truske had actually received a total of 6 books from Amazon - all books arrived on the same day but were sent in 3 different boxes. We decided to use the idea to launch a notice/wonder at the beginning of the year. Our intent was to involve students in a conversation around mathematics that wasn't specific to content. We opened the discussion by defining a problem as something for which we did not have a clear solution path. Mr. Truske and I then introduced the first slide to students and asked them to describe what Calvin and Hobbes might be doing. Answers included "noticing", "wondering", and "thinking". Several students raised their hands to share that they had used notices and wonders the previous school year - they were eager to share about the packaging dilemma when they saw the next slide! As students described their notices, the teacher and I encouraged them to be precise in their language. Students used a great deal of mathematical vocabulary when describing their notices. Vocabulary terms included:
Students determined that the smaller boxes did fit inside of the large box. This discovery led to more questions about why Amazon would package the books in separate boxes. Mr. Truske shared that he received 6 books from Amazon - all 6 books arrived on the same day in a total of 3 boxes. This revelation led students to wonder in different directions. Some students wondered what might be the ideal size box for shipping books. Other students wondered whether the packaging could be reused - and began to imagine ways in which Amazon might get packaging back from customers so it could be reused. Students considered different ways to approach their specific wonder and the tools that might help them find a solution.
We did not have time during the class period to arrive at any definitive solutions - but students were eager to keep working! The packaging dilemma is something that students can revisit as they have time over the next few weeks - and the students might make some recommendations to Amazon to improve their services. The idea of reusing packaging is an intriguing one - I'm curious to see the plan students develop!
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AuthorSharing what I'm learning from others. Collaborative experiences and communication are essential in building a shared understanding of mathematics! Archives
September 2018
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