Mathematical Conversations

I've noticed a change in the way my students are doing some things.  When I have them take some of the quizzes found on the  G7 Geometry and G8 Geometry apps, they are working together  to answer the questions.  They are not just giving the answers, they are explaining the answers and helping each other read the choices and see which answer is correct.  Once they were done, they'd proudly announce their grade!

 I have been working for quite a while to help them develop the tools to explain why, justify answers, eliminate answers.  In other words, they are beginning to communicate mathematical ideas to each other.  This is a big step, because they are classified as ELL, so their vocabulary is not as full as it could be.

For the past two years, I've had them defending their choices for the "Which one does not belong?" questions where there is at least two possible answers out of 4.   Answers have gone from " That one, because it has no a in it. " to "x^3 because its the only one with a whole exponent.".

I've also had them writing and answering their own word problems based on numbers and words or a mathematical equation.  Some days they struggle but I have a few who come up with answers.  Their phrasing is not always the best but the problems are getting much better.  Their word problems have a set up, followed by a question.  Sometimes the problem is not complex but its all one step at a time.

Today, the which one does not belong had peanut, cashew, pecan, almond.  The students have reached a point where they ask about a term they don't know.  They  were not sure about cashews, so I brought up images of all four and we had a bit of a lesson on peanuts not being a nut but a legume.  They had the chance to see what the almond shell looks like, what the cashew "nut" resembles in its plant form.  it was soooo neat having them ask me questions.  It is all one step at a time.