Day 120 Inequalities Introduction

6th Grade Math Standards: 6.EE.5 Understand solving an equation or inequality as a process of answering a question: which values from a specified set, if any, make the equation or inequality true? Use substitution to determine whether a given number in a specified set makes an equation or inequality true.

The Learning Objective: Identify a value or values that make an inequality true.

Quote of the Day: “After seven experiments with hundreds of children, we had some of the clearest findings I’ve ever seen: Praising children’s intelligence harms their motivation and it harms their performance.” - Carol Dweck

Agenda:

1. Self-Assessment
2. Review the Functions Test
3. March Madness
4. Inequality frayer model and notes
5. Inequality exit ticket
6. Inequality practice

The Assessment: The exit ticket and March Madness. The exit ticket results were solid overall. In March Madness I had two classes get less than 25% on the ratio question. I showed the students how to use a tape diagram. Tomorrow I will run a question like this again and hope that showing them a chart as well as algebra to solve it.

Homework: Students did a worksheet with 14 inequality questions. I eventually took problems off for students that were being productive in class and demonstrated the skill. There was no need for them to keep doing the work once they showed me they knew what they were doing.

My Glass Half-Full Take: While going over the test it was good to hear a variety of voices asking questions. I take pride in students being continually committed to mastery. So many students will just quit the moment after they see the number at the top of their quiz or test, and that isn't the true purpose of a test or quiz.

One Thing I Wish I Had Done Differently: I make students write the inequality, substitute a number for the variable, and solve the inequality. The process is multiplied by three when the students need to test for three different values of the variable as they did on the homework and exit ticket. I don't think this is asking too much of the students. It would take me about 8 minutes (if that). I'm not worried about whether it's too much, I'm worried about whether it helps students solve the problem or not. Most of them can recognize what values work and don't work immediately. Is that mental math good for them and should I encourage them not to show work in this instance? It's worth considering for next year.