Review: What Can You Do So Far?

Today's class begins to open an appropriate space for review and synthesis of our work during the first ten weeks of class. By opening with the third Patterns Quiz of the year, we begin that work.  This quiz is of the same form as the two that have come earlier in the semester.  As always, quizzes are open-notebook affairs, which means that students are allowed to look at prior quizzes for help and ideas on how to complete this one.

Resource Note: If you make double-sided copies of Patterns Quiz 3.pdf, you'll end up with all five questions on a half-sheet of paper.

After the Patterns Quiz, the focus of today's class is on problem solving, review, and synthesis of the work we've done so far this year.  This problem set, What Can You Do So Far, is organized by student learning target, which gives students a preview of what their unit exam will look like.  Beneath each learning target is a reminder of the projects that have been related to a target. Each target includes a task for students to complete.  

This problem set serves a few purposes today.  In no particular order, they are as follows:

• I want to provide students with an opportunity for reassessment.  Many students have come a long way already this year, and their grades - most of which are based on the projects we've done so far - may not reflect what they currently know and are able to do.  I tell students that they can submit their work for any individual part of the problem set for a grade on the learning targets of their choice.
• As I've mentioned above, problem solving, review, and synthesis are key.  I want students to understand that all we've done so far is meant to weave together into some deep knowledge as the year continues.  This problem set provides students with an example of how, just because we worked on something a few weeks ago, that doesn't mean it ceases to exist.  From a reasoning and sense-making perspective, I think that this is an important shift that the CCSS asks us to make.
• In a practical sense, today, I know that some kids won't be ready to share Part 2 of the Linear Equation Project.  I want everyone to have something, because they're going to be critiquing each other's work.  As they work today, I circulate, and check in on their Part 2 status.  If they have nothing, I offer suggestions, and I reiterate that everyone needs this for tomorrow's class to work.

I don't commit to any formal structures to get class going today.  I just walk around encouraging students to work together, answering questions, and occasionally demonstrating a problem on the board.  There is a lot of work to do on this problem set, and I make that point to students that they can skip around.  If they're really unsure where to start, I ask them to consult their progress reports.  Which SLTs require their attention?  If they still don't know what to do, I tell them to take a look Mathematical Practice #7, and those snippets of Addition and Multiplication tables, because I love those problems.  Give them a try - these are fun.