#WODB Warm-Up
If you haven’t used Which One Doesn’t Belong? with students, you might be missing out on some pretty awesome dialogue. The idea that there isn’t just one cut-and-dry answer makes justifying one’s choice a safe challenge.
Rookie Mistake…
Students have been solving multi-step equations and had this Nearpod for homework last night. They knew coming in to class today that some equations have no solution and others have infinitely many solutions. Since I already saw their Nearpod HW data and work (which included correct equations as well as typical distributive sign mistakes) we started class with a #WODB Nearpod warm-up to get things rolling. With scrap paper handy and iPads nearby, students worked in pairs to solve the four equations. Going into an activity like this, I think it’s important that students know that there isn’t just one right answer. Simply ask students to take a stand, and be ready to justify the choice.
My favorite part about any task that promotes communication and reasoning is just walking around the room to listen to my students. They take a stand. They change their minds. It’s so tough to choose just one equation! They make mistakes. They try again. And… they know they will be held accountable.
Once students solved the equations and made a choice, they entered their choices and justifications through an Open Ended Response question in Nearpod. I anonymously shared student choices and we talked about each one. A lot of great correct thinking… and quite a bit of great incorrect thinking to straighten out too. Fifteen minutes well spent!
Here’s the quick Nearpod so you can try it out. If you use this #WODB warm-up with your students, I’d love to know how it goes!
Here are just a few student responses from today:
Students need more opportunities to defend their reasonings. Which One Doesn’t Belong is a fantastic way for discussions on ‘why’.