For the first math challenge of the school year, students were asked to create the longest chain they could in 50 minutes, using an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper, scissors, glue and a ruler. As I observed the students working in pairs, two different strategies emerged: some thought they'd get a longer chain if they cut very short strips so as to get more milage from the piece of paper, while others believed long, thin strips would get the best results. Our longest chain was 468 cm and the shortest was 176 cm. In the end it was decided that using long thin strips was the best way to create a long chain. After calculating, we discovered if we put all 15 of our chains together it measured ________ cm! Ask me how the class came to agree on this sum.
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AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
May 2017
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