Someone showed me this lately. It made me think about how much a tiny little twist can make a task massively more engaging.
Task One
5x + 3 = 13
7x + 11 = 25
4x + 8 = 32Find x.
Task Two
5x + 3 = 13
7x + 11 = 25
4x + 8 = 32In which equations does x=2?
Task one is boring. I want to do task two.
This thinking has come from Don Steward. My last blog was about his work, and it’s wonderful to dive into. There’s loads of stuff with simple twists like this and the way the work is presented is outstanding (There’s a lot to be said for this). Every maths teacher should check out Don’s blog.
Science education has a habit of practically
Investigating something to which the answer is on the next page of a text. More stimulating to discover something than go through a process to confirm an answer. Buried in why task two tweaks your interest is a similar phenomena. Discovery vs process.
J