Row Games

We saw this activity in 2010 when I first found @K8Nowak's blog f(t). I don't know if I would call a Row Game a particularly engaging activity but I am convinced that any way we can make doing boring homework questions more palatable for students is a good thing. The premiss is that you pair students up and they get a worksheet of questions. The questions are in two columns. Each person does one column and if they have done things correctly then their questions on the same row should have the same answer. If they don't then either one or both of them are incorrect and they have to work together to get the correct answer. So this is a self checking activity. We made a bunch of them at the time and I just stumbled upon them this week so we thought we would post them. These ones are for ratios, proportion, simplifying expressions and solving simple equations.

MFM1P, MPM1D

• illustrate equivalent ratios, using a variety of tools
• solve for the unknown value in a proportion, using a variety of methods 
• make comparisons using unit rates
• solve problems involving ratios, rates, and directly proportional relationships in various contexts, using a variety of methods
• solve problems requiring the expression of percents, fractions, and decimals in their equivalent forms
• add and subtract polynomials involving the same variable up to degree three, using a variety of tools
• multiply a polynomial by a monomial involving the same variable to give results up to degree three
• solve first-degree equations with non fractional (Applied only) coefficients, using a variety of tools and strategies

•  Just the handouts (see below)

1. Pair students up
2. Have students decide who will be Student A or Student B, and have them complete Problem Set A or B.
3. The answers in each row should match. If they do not match, work together to determine the correct answer.

• See the files in one folder here
• Proportions (Word, PDF)
• Proportions Review (Word, PDF)
• Simplifying Expressions (Word, PDF)
• Adding Polynomials (Word, PDF)
• Simplifying Expressions with Multiplication (Word, PDF)
• Solving Equations (Word, PDF)
• Solving Multistep Equations (Word, PDF)

Did you use this activity? Do you have a way to make it better? If so tell us in the comment section. Thanks

Grade 11 Exam Review Tower Challenge

This is a review activity on many of the topics found in grade 11 university where students answer questions and are rewarded with building materials for each correct answer. The building materials (spaghetti & marshmallows) are then used with the goal being the creation of tallest tower. This is based originally on a TIPS activity on quadratics for MBF3C (Unit 3, Day 6).  

MCR3U 

• demonstrate an understanding of functions, their representations, and their inverses, and make connections between the algebraic and graphical representations of functions using transformations;
• determine the zeros and the maximum or minimum of a quadratic function, and solve problems involving quadratic functions, including problems arising from real-world applications;
• demonstrate an understanding of equivalence as it relates to simplifying polynomial, radical, and rational expressions.
• evaluate powers with rational exponents, simplify expressions containing exponents, and describe properties of exponential functions represented in a variety of ways;
• identify and represent exponential functions, and solve problems involving exponential functions, including problems arising from real-world applications.
• demonstrate an understanding of the relationships involved in arithmetic and geometric sequences and series, and solve related problems;
• make connections between sequences, series, and financial applications, and solve problems involving compound interest and ordinary annuities.
• determine the values of the trigonometric ratios for angles less than 360º; prove simple trigonometric identities; and solve problems using the primary trigonometric ratios, the sine law, and the cosine law;
• demonstrate an understanding of periodic relationships and sinusoidal functions, and make connections between the numeric, graphical, and algebraic representations of sinusoidal functions;
• identify and represent sinusoidal functions, and solve problems involving sinusoidal functions, including problems arising from real-world applications.

• 1 bag of spaghetti and 1-2 bags of small marshmallows (or 1 box of straws and 1-inch pieces of tape)  
• a question sheet for each student
• a teacher answer sheet 
• Optional - a whiteboard for each student to work out their solutions
• Optional - prize for the group with the tallest tower

1. Place students in groups (ideally no bigger than 3 per group)
2. Hand out question sheets (and optional whiteboards) to each student.
3. Have students answer questions from their sheet in any order they want. For every correct answer they will get some building materials (eg: 2 spagetti & 3 marshmallows, the amount of each reward is indicated on the student question sheet ). The harder the question the more materials they will get. Eventually the building materials will be used to create a tower with the goal to create the tallest free standing tower.
4. Students work in groups to answer the questions and bring their solutions up to you to be checked. Only one member from each group can come up at a time. Each group can answer each question only once. To keep track of this, use the teacher answer sheet to check off which questions each group has answered as they come up.
5. Leave about 20 min at the end of the class for students to create their towers (students can no longer answer questions)
6. Take lots of pictures and celebrate the group with the tallest free standing tower.

• Gr11UTowerChallengeExamReview (with answer sheet) (pdf, doc)

Did you use this activity? Do you have a way to make it better? If so tell us in the comment section. Thanks