Have you ever thought, "4n + 3, What does that have to do with anything?". Well, here's your chance to find out. You can think of it solely as a really satisfying mental mathematics, reasoning, scientific method challenge, but also, as the best language human's have yet come up with for describing the non-human, non-emotive, physical world. If you can understand something, then perfectly describe it, you can predict what it's going to do, and with accurate understanding and prediction comes the ability to influence and control.

Why we like this activity....
You've got to think about what you're learning, why you're learning it. Why every country's adults across the whole
world, that has the money to provide a free education for their children, thinks it is essential knowledge to prepare
you for adult life and the modern world. Formulas are not abstract knowledge. They define the world around
you, its relationships and interactions and it is essential that you start to understand how they do that.

How this activity can be used....
You're teacher can give you a laminated set, in pairs, threes or fours etc., the "Experimental_Expressions" cards, and
then when he displays a "goal" on the board, you discuss with your partners for 2mins or so which of your
"Expressions" is most likely to reach the goal set. Alternatively, your teacher might give you the cards on computer
and ask them to cut and paste the relevant one onto a new page with the goal he/she sets, and ask you to write your
reason why you chose the expression you did (and maybe a reason why you decided not to choose one of the other
cards). Or he might get you to use the table in the first question in the word document and show you all the cards on
the board and then tell you a goal and each of you individually or in groups will have to write down on your sheets,
the expression, goal and a reason why you chose the expression you did. There are many options. The rest of the
sheet should help you get a hang of BIDMAS and how you MUST use it to help you rearrange formulae correctly in
case you want to find out one of the other factors in the formula.

What to expect when using this activity, from our experience...
There's no right or wrong. You think about it, give it your best shot, and back up any idea you have with what to you
makes sense and is a good reason. Then listen to everyone else's arguments. Whose reasons do you find most
convincing? Be prepared to take on someone else's idea and to be surprised by how much you can work out for
yourself, if you really take the time and engagement to think it through and listen to your classmates if you're stuck.
I use this activity after students have first completed the "Functions concept" activity".

Extra notes

 

Author/Date: Oliver Bowles 17/10/09

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