inductive

The Surprises Within a Triangle’s Angles

Discovering what is interesting and unexpected about a triangle’s angles. What twists have I unintentionally spoiled for my students over the years?

Talking Less: Shocking Stats On What Students Can Hear

When you’re up speaking in front of a group, it’s so easy to assume that they’re hanging on your every word. The reality is we are incapable of hearing as fast as people speak. We can’t hear everything someone says, let alone remember, let alone understand.

Encourage Curiosity With Calculators

It’s easy to fall in love with chasing the newest technology to use in the classroom. But sometimes, the perfect tool is a plain old calculator. We’ll be using this tool to develop curiosity about math.

Creating A Class Motto

Using Hilda Taba’s model of inductive thinking, use your students’ prior knowledge to develop a statement about expected class behavior.

Inductive Thinking in Spelling and Vocabulary

Let’s look at a couple ways to bring inductive thinking into word studies. We’ll examine simple plural rules all the way up to etymology of foreign words in English.

Math Game: The Game of 100

The Game of 100 is a simple game requiring no supplies, yet it opens up a rich world of exploring strategy and a little mental math.

Differentiate Math with Inductive Learning

With inductive learning, we still define terms, explain rules, and practice, but the order is different. We’re harnessing gifted students’ natural abilities to enhance our lessons.

Empower Students to Think Inductively

When Sherlock Holmes infers Watson’s hometown from just a few details, he’s thinking inductively. We can set up lessons to capitalize on this same method of thinking.

Explore Geometry: Area and Perimeter

The problem is that we dive in with formulae before students have their bearings. Let your students get their hands dirty with geometry. They’ve got to play with the shapes and explore. Beginning adders and subtractors work with manipulatives before they delve into abstract arithmetic. Older students are still beginning geometers. Give them a chance to touch the math and have some fun.

An Inductive Exploration of Linear Graphs

Let’s play with linear graphing! First, don’t set this up as a direct instruction lesson. That wouldn’t be playing. Instead, capitalize on your students’ ability to think inductively and recognize patterns. Set up a situation where they can construct their own meaning.

Exploring Circumference With Famous Circles

Remembering the formulae for area and circumference of a circle is often a challenge for students due to their surface similarities as well as the additional confusion of radius and diameter. I like to tackle them one at a time and give students a chance to explore the origin of each formula. Let’s look at circumference today by utilizing some famous circles from around the world… and beyond!

Cooperative Exploration In Math With Clues

I’m beginning to teach the dreaded geometry unit featuring complementary, supplementary, adjacent, and vertical angles. Historically a confusing topic, this year is going to be different. I’m going to use a new tactic: cooperative reasoning with a set of “clues.”

Concept Attainment: A Model for Inductive Thinking

The first grammar lesson in our reading program is titled “types of sentences.” Nothing excites gifted 11 year olds less than watching me explain the difference between interrogative and declarative sentences. This year, rather than teach the lesson using direct instruction, I used another model of instruction: concept attainment.