After spending two weeks writing about standards, I am switching over to blogging about active learning for the next two weeks. This was inspired by a few groups of educators I have visited in the last few weeks. They are looking for new ideas to use in their differentiated classrooms and they are particularly interested in learning about brain breaks, collaborative lessons, and active learning structures.
So, I am kicking off this series by featuring an idea from Middle School Math Rules. I fell in love with many of the active learning ideas posted and I I had a hard time picking just one. I finally settled on this inequities activity because it is playful and requires a change in the learning environment. I am always drawn to ideas that allow students in middle and high school to use materials that are typically seen as “for kids” and-as a student and as a teacher-I always appreciated a lesson conducted outside the classroom.
The lesson is ideal for the inclusive classroom as it has supports built in for diverse learners. Students work in groups and as students master less complex problems, they can move on to more complex ones. Brilliant!