Homework for Monday, December 8

 Cockroach Clues

Due: Tuesday, December 9

The steps:

*Match the descriptions (as summarized for each team) to the cockroach poster.

*List things in the descriptions that HELPED identify the cockroach.

*List things in the descriptions that did NOT help identify the cockroach

*Use your own original graph and original description to write a new description . Consider the things you know helps describe a run without just listing the data. 

This assignment needs to have the first part completed AT school. However, students were spending too much time guessing the cockroach to make good headway, so many will need to finish part one at school when they have a chance. The point is NOT to guess correctly (although it's a fun little challenge), the point is to notice WHY it's not easy to guess and learn from those observations.

So, how can you help?

They should not make their guesses from home. Leave the unfinished parts blank and take some moments tomorrow to finalize their guesses. There is no penalty for this, it's more important to feel they've given it their best shot. However, they should not belabor this step either. Select the ones they are most sure about and narrow down the last guesses to what's left. It's okay! And while they are fretting over the last guesses, what made them so difficult to guess?!?!?!

To write their new description, encourage them to think less about the specific guessing and more about the elements that would have helped them to identify and guess the graphs more easily. At the same time, it's not a list of data, it's a description that includes mathematical observations and interpretations. It's pretty big stuff, but it's a leap they need to take. Ask them questions! If you are really inspired, have them read you their new description and see if you can draw the graph they describe. It doesn't need to be perfect, it just needs to represent how the run unfolded.

This is an opportunity for rich discussion! How might you manipulate how you see/describe a graph to make a point? Be observant!