Process
1. What is the concept that you are teaching?
Let's say, you're teaching the concept - AREA.
Pick a closed question that you would give to your students.
​
eg: 6cm x 5cm = 30cm
​
You now FLIP the question. (Make a question that includes the answer)
​
How can we make 30cm rectangle?
​
Simple, huh?
​
2
2
2. Evaluate the question
Is 30 a good number for this type of question?
30 = 1 x 30, 2 x15, 3 x 10 and 5 x 6.
- Does this give your students enough challenge?
- What skills do students require?
- What could be similar questions?
- Can students bring knowledge and skills from other maths strands?
- Does the question give students opportunity to explain their thinking?
- What is a good question to follow this?
3. Too Easy? Too hard?
Modify the question for differentiation for the students finding the task too easy or too hard?
​
<Too Easy?>
- What is another area (number) that would give the same number of rectangles as 30?
- What about 48cm , 60cm , 81cm ?
​
<Too Hard?>
- What about 6cm ?
2
2
2
2
4. Questioning
Follow-up question is an effective tool for evaluation
- Can you explain how you find these solutions? Understanding
- How can you do the same task with 24 cm ? Applying
- Can you find the area that can make more than six different rectangles? Analysing
- How can you tell that you have all possible rectangles? Evaluating
- Are there any patterns or rules? Creating
2
Tips and examples
Money (closed question)
- I bought three items for 45c, 60c and 55c and paid $2.00. What was the change I received?
Money (Open-ended question)
- I bought some items for 45c, 60c and 55c and I received 40c change. Make a list of items I bought and how much I paid.
​
Number (closed)
- In a game, I scored: 20, 30, 50 and 60. What is my average?
Number (Open-ended)
- I played this game four times and my average was 40 points. What were my scores?
What is a GOOD question?
- A good question looks 'EASY'.​
- A good question makes students think (and struggle a bit)
- A good question may generate more questions
- A good question may require skills from other areas of maths
- A good question may produce patterns and rules
- A good question requires more than memory/fact check
- A good question may be used as an assessment task
- A good question requires students to justify their thinking
- A good question informs you about the student
Why too hard?
- Do your students have enough mathematical knowledge and skills to attempt the task? (Front loading)​
- Is the number that you picked, too big for your students?
- Do your students think that they are NOT good at maths?
- Is your question too 'wordy'?
Why too easy?
- Does the number you picked generate a variety of answers?
- Does the teaching content/concept suitable to the students' skill levels?
- Maybe you modelled the process too much.
Possible Evaluation Tools
Bloom's Taxonomy?
- Remembering,
- Understanding,
- Applying,
- Analysing,
- Evaluating and
- Creating
The proficiency strands?
- Understanding,
- Fluency,
- Problem-Solving and
- Reasoning
Company
CREATIVE MATHS