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Differentiation TechniqueFuzzy Problems

Read The Overview: Fuzzy Problems

Fuzzy Problems are, quite simply, the types of problems we face in our regular lives. Issues that have no best answer and no single path to a solution. Problems that are missing information and require best guesses. They're the kinds of problems we want our students to grapple with.

Specific Examples of “Fuzzy Problems”

Olympic Medal Math Project

In the paper, I read about Norway's dominance of the Winter Olympics, despite being a tiny country. I love this juxtaposition of unexpected data! Let's turn it into a math project. Here are some questions I thought of…

The Marshmallow Challenge

A fantastic fuzzy problem to start the year. Students use pasta and tape to try to get a marshmallow up as high as possible.

Puzzle: Words Within Words

In need of some nice word puzzles that will keep your students busy? Ask them to find as many words as they can within another word. For example: can you find 10 words made from the letters in "soldier"? How about 20? 50?

What Could You Do With This Pancake Flipping Robot?

I love videos of robots messing up tasks. This one in particular struck a chord, because we get to see the robot learn from his mistakes. Let's have students write him some advice…

Math Project: Furnish A Hotel

Starting with an IKEA catalog, a hotel furnishing math project was born. Use this project as a tool to differentiate your math instruction and impart some practical knowledge on your students.

Big Gifts, Small Prices

What if you want to buy a big gift that's cheap for its size? By calculating the volume of the object, we can find how much each cubic inch costs. Measured by price per volume, Thomas is 250 times more expensive than a big outdoor slide!

The Tragedy of the Commons

Imagine that we all share a common resource, but no one is really in charge. How do we maintain order without an authority? This is a fantastically fuzzy situation for students to dig into.

Solving An Authentic Classroom Problem: The Desk Arrangement

How often do you give your gifted students the opportunity to solve authentic, relevant problems? What is more authentic to a student than solving classroom problems? And what excites students more than having ownership over the classroom seating? Here's an authentic problem solving idea that ties in public speaking skills, group work, and classroom ownership.

Review: Challenging Units for Gifted Learners

While at NAGC 2010, the most exciting session I attended was put on by Ken Smith and Susan Stonequist. They outlined a geometry unit in which their students built a working miniature golf course. I was thrilled to hear that this unit was just one part of an upcoming series of books. Last week, I received copies of the series, called Challenging Units for Gifted Learners.

Symbolism and Pixel Art

Symbolism, a mainstay of literature discussion, seems too abstract and ephemeral to teach to younger students. However, with a well-constructed lesson, students will quickly get the hang of symbolic representation. We'll finish this unit up with some great pixel-art and computer painting.
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