Guide How To Plan A Math Fair

Patricia
Helmuth A How-To Guide
In the Spring of 2015, the Adult Program of Sullivan County BOCES, NY

hosted a full day Student Numeracy Adventures Day. This is the story of what
happened that day and how you can plan a math fair for your program.
AUTHOR
Patricia Helmuth, Adult Numeracy Consultant and Educator
Teacher Leader with NYSED/CUNY Mathematics Teacher Leader Training Institutes
Youth Counselor and HSE Instructor – Adult Program at Sullivan County BOCES, NY
Editor of The Math Practitioner – Adult Numeracy Network
SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS
Linda Blanton, Principal of the Adult Program at Sullivan County BOCES
Andrew Carnright, Director of Hudson Valley RAEN
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This project was made possible by grant funding from New York State Education Department,
Office of Adult Career and Continuing Education Services
Training and material resources were provided by the City University of New York.
Photos contributed by Eric Appleton, Linda Blanton, Christine Cimmino, and Donna Hemmer.
A digital copy of this How-To Guide, PowerPoint Presentation for Professional

Development, videos, and more available at: www.hudsonvalleyraen.org.
March 2016
Page 1
CONTENTS
Introduction Page 3
Review of Student Numeracy Adventures Day, by Andrew Carnright Page 4
Interview with Linda Blanton Page 6
Professional Development for Staff Page 8
Objectives & Planning Page 9
Promoting the Event Page 10
More Staff Development Page 11
The Buy In Page 12
The Number of the Day Page 13
Number Line Activity Page 14
The Product Game Page 15
Pattern Block Activities Page 16
Tile Activities Page 17
Snap Cube Activities Page 18
Internet Activities Page 19
Cards and Dice Page 20
Open-Ended and Non-Routine Problems Page 21
Incentives and Door Prizes Page 22
Final Thoughts Page 23
Appendix 1 – Teacher Resources and Professional Development Page 26
Appendix 2 – Math Fair Activities Page 27
Appendix 3 – Online links to additional resources Page 30
Page 2
INTRODUCTION
Let’s face it. Adult students don’t usually equate math with having fun. On occasion we may have
an adult student enter our class who actually likes math, because she was good at making
application of rules and procedures when last she was in a math class. When asked, that student
will tell you that she just needs to “brush up” on her math skills. Meaning, she’s forgotten those
rules and procedures that allowed her to get by in math class before.
For the student who breaks out into a cold sweat at the thought of math, which I’ve actually seen
happen, he thinks that his prior negative experiences in math class were his fault. He could never
remember the times tables or the rules for manipulating fractions, decimals, or percentages.
Algebra was a foreign language altogether, spoken only by math people.
Interestingly, what both of these students have in common is a need to develop number sense,
algebraic thinking, and flexibility with numbers. Instead of focusing on memorizing rules and
disconnected facts, they are better served when they learn connections within and between
mathematical concepts and content.
So, what if, instead of showing our students how to solve a math problem, we provide them with
opportunities to develop problem solving strategies? What if we give them problems that they can
solve even though they don’t know, or can’t remember, rules and procedures? What if they have
fun doing it, together, in a paired or group activity?
Jason exemplifies the results of implementing the “what ifs”. When I met him he had just entered a
recovery program for substance abuse. He dropped out of school in the eighth grade and when he
enrolled in my class, it was, according to him, “for the wrong reasons. I didn’t have high
expectations for myself.” However, his attitude changed. “After a few weeks in class,” he continues,
“I excelled in things I never thought I would and was focused on getting my High School
Equivalency Diploma.”
While he was attending my class we did not cover every topic that I thought he might see on the
TASC exam. Rather, we focused on problem solving in group settings. When he took the TASC
exam he passed! He exclaimed, “To my surprise I passed with a higher score than I imagined! I am
now excited about a future I never thought I would have. My diploma hangs on my wall and when I
look at it, it inspires me.” He has plans to enroll in a community college in September.
Jason was at the Student Numeracy Adventures Day last year, and in my final thoughts, I’ll talk
about his reflections of that day. One student story is worth a thousand words.
Page 3
STUDENT NUMERACY ADVENTURES DAY
MAY 14, 2015 – A REVIEW
SULLIVAN COUNTY BOCES HOSTS “STUDENT NUMERACY ADVENTURES DAY”
Andrew Carnright, Director
Hudson Valley RAEN
All of us are well aware that the increasing rigor on the math sections of the new High School
Equivalency Exam has caused lots of anxiety and stress for teachers, students, and administrators
alike. In order to address this "new" math, some programs have taken steps to acclimate their
teachers and students to new ways of thinking about math and how best to teach and learn it.
I was lucky enough to be invited to yesterday's Student Numeracy Adventures Day at Sullivan
County BOCES where this progressive approach to the content was on full display. Students from
all of the different adult education classes in Sullivan County were brought to the St. John's Street
School in Monticello to spend the day immersed in all things math. The gymnasium was setup as
a haven for students to come and try their skills at different math games, problem solving activities,
and interactive manipulative-based questions. Students came from ESOL, ABE, HSE, and even
continuing education classes to participate in the multi-session extravaganza which turned out to
be a hit for everyone.
All of the different math activities were created and setup by ABE/HSE teacher Patricia Helmuth
and under the direction of the Adult Education principal Linda Blanton. Patricia is well known in the
Hudson Valley for her work in Numeracy and was recently published in an issue of Adult Numeracy
Network's (ANN) newsletter, along with presenting on the topic at the annual COABE conference in
Denver, CO.
The setup and preparation for Student Numeracy Adventures Day took several weeks, many staff
meetings, and lots of buy-in from teachers and student alike. Patricia came up with the floor plan
and list of activities for the day. According to Patricia, "the idea for this Student Numeracy Day
grew out of workshops that I presented at SC BOCES. We tossed around several ideas for a
program wide event and this was suggested after the teachers had fun at our first 'problem solving'
workshop. In putting the day together, I decided to develop activities that every student at every
level would have access to, while at the same time provide opportunities and challenges for
students at more advanced levels. We wanted students to be engaged and see that math could be
a fun adventure."
Patricia went on to talk about the motivation for all of the different activities that were put together
for the students noting, "All but a few of the activities I've tried out in my classroom. Some came
from my Adult Numeracy Institute (ANI) PD, others came from CUNY (Teacher Leader Institutes in
Albany), there were those that I developed myself, and then others that I've collected from
colleagues. I wanted to use a variety of manipulatives that address numerous math topics at the
conceptual level."
Page 4
In discussing the layout and procession of the different math activities principal Linda Blanton
noted that "Beginning the Student Numeracy Adventures Day with the number of the day activity
(image 1), number line (image 2), and the product game (image 3) was key to boost student
confidence. Students were then willing to attempt the more difficult activities." As for the variety in
student activities Linda noted that the different activities, "allowed for all students to experience
success and attempt additional math activities. It was great seeing students working with each
other to complete tasks... Students truly enjoyed the day and their accomplishments!"
The day was a success, not only for the students, but for the teachers and support staff
alike. Anyone and everyone in the building could see how a student-centered approach to math
was driving what turned out to be an exciting and fun day. The questioning techniques Patricia had
taught and practiced with her colleagues at Sullivan County BOCES led to open-ended discussions
and collaboration amongst all participants. Even I, a self-admitted non-math person, got involved
in the math spirit by working on problems and playing math games with some of the students who
attended.
A true testament to the success of the day came when I spoke with a few young students who had
just participated in the day’s events. I asked them what they thought about the day. Both students
told me they really enjoyed all of the activities and one of the boys finished with, "I really don't
normally like math, but I do it because I am trying to get my high school diploma. But today was
fun, much more fun than I thought it would be. It was really good."
This review of the Student Numeracy Adventures Day was originally posted at
www.hudsonvalleyraen.org on May 15, 2015
Page 5
INTERVIEW WITH LINDA BLANTON, PRINCIPAL
ADULT PROGRAM AT SULLIVAN COUNTY BOCES
Why did you decide to sponsor the math fair?
Personally I have struggled with math throughout my educational career, as far back as the sixth
grade. My struggle and anxiety stemmed from a lack of confidence and the numbers not making
any sense. I observed Patricia teaching a lesson at the Recovery Center to 12 students with a
wide variety of abilities and confidence levels. Students were given a problem to solve but they
chose how to approach the problem. This allowed them to decide on a strategy that fit their
learning style, be it technology, manipulatives, and/or pictures. Patricia used a questioning
technique that accounted for all of these differences and encouraged students to work through
their doubts as well as justify the decisions they made in the process of solving the problem. The
overall premise of the class was: it did not matter which strategy or method a student chose as
long as the end result was correct.
I believe this approach to solving problems would have been advantageous to me during my
education as I am an auditory and tactile learner. If I would have been allowed to choose a
strategy or method that matched my learning style, I believe my math experiences would have
been more positive.
I have also worked in several different capacities at SC BOCES as a Special Education teacher
and Principal of Special Education and Alternative Education, where a majority of students shared
the same frustrations as I did in regards to math and the requirement to pass the Algebra Regents.
During my time at Adult Education, students from all corners of the globe with different experiences
are preparing to take the TASC exam. Many of our students have not been in school for several
years, experience language barriers, and struggle with the math required on the TASC exam.
What preparations do you think helped the math fair to be a success?
The preplanning was a contributing factor to the success of the event. A staff meeting was
devoted to staff participating in math activities, where Patricia modeled the questioning strategies
that enable participants to struggle through the process and solve the problem. I think it was
interesting when staff shared their approaches, strategies, and rationale; how different each was!
Before the event, the gym was set up with stations as a trial run and staff rotated to each station
participating in each activity. Staff were then assigned a station to facilitate during the actual event.
Page 6
What do you think worked out well during the math fair?
The event was held in the gymnasium which allowed plenty of room for the stations to be spread
out. At the first station, the teacher was positive, inviting, and outgoing and every student was
engaged and experienced success. This boosted their confidence levels and inspired them to
attempt more difficult tasks. I believe the arrangement of the stations (spread apart from each
other, which limited distractions) had a positive impact on student success and willingness to
attempt the subsequent activities at each station.
What would you say to another administrator who is thinking of sponsoring a math fair?
I would encourage other administrators to support this type of project/activity. Not only did it help
to break down barriers, it gave all students a positive experience in math, encouraged problem
solving, team work, and a sense of school community. Both breakfast, lunch, drinks and snacks
were provided during the course of the day which promoted communication and discussion among
all students.
Page 7
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR STAFF
Prior to our math fair, the staff at SC BOCES had their own math adventures. It started with: A
Shared Culture: Best Practices in Mathematics Learning and Instruction, a set of workshops that
featured Common Core instructional strategies that I learned at the NYSED/CUNY Mathematics
Teacher Leader Training Institutes. Specifically we focused on:
 Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice

 DOK Levels (Depth of Knowledge)
 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
 Open-ended and non-routine math problems
 Problem solving strategies
 TASC connections
 Facilitating productive struggle
 The art of questioning
 Examining student thinking
 Building meta-cognitive skills in our students
Learning how to change classroom practice so that math activities become student directed
instead of being teacher centric takes some practice. In my case, I really needed to learn how to
ask questions that effectively lead students to discover solutions to a problem rather than “show”
students how to solve the problem This approach focuses authority on students as a problem
solvers and helps students to develop meta-cognitive skills that will enable them to meet the
demands of high-stakes exams and real-life problems at home and in the workplace with
confidence.
I was excited about sharing these student directed activities with my colleagues and their response
exceeded my expectations! We worked through two activities at our first workshop, the Zip-Zap-
Zowie Problem and the Bicycle Shop Problem. Everyone enjoyed the activities so much that a
suggestion was made that we should have a similar workshop for our students. At our next
workshop we worked on the Painted Cube Problem and solidified our plan for a student math day.
It is essential for teachers to experience problem solving themselves, to have those satisfying aha
moments, to share diverse problem strategies in a workshop setting, and to equip themselves with
effective questioning resources if they are to be adequately prepared to help facilitate a math fair.
Drawing Out the 8 Common Core Math Practices with Questions and
additional teacher resources are in Appendix 1. The problems referred to are
in Appendix 2. A PDF of the presentations: A Shared Culture: Best Practices in
Mathematics Learning and Instruction can be accessed at: CollectEdNY
Page 8
OBJECTIVES & PLANNING
I met with our administrator, Linda Blanton, several times before the event. First, on the agenda
was to decide upon our objectives for the math fair. We determined that we wanted the math fair
to:
 Provide opportunity for teachers to practice asking effective questions when facilitating
student driven open-ended math activities
 Demystify mathematics for students; show them that math can be fun
 Make math accessible for students at all ability levels
 Create community within our program, including our satellite locations
We elected to go for a full-day event that included, snacks, lunch, prizes for activities, and door
prizes. Linda decided on granola bars and an assortment of additional snacks for mid-morning and
mid-afternoon snacks, and she really liked the idea of pizza for lunch. She set about making all of
that happen and I set about planning activities.
This proved to be the biggest challenge for me. I wanted to make sure that the activities had a low
entry point so that all students, regardless of their levels, could find a way into the problems. At the
same time, the activities would need to present a challenge for higher skilled students. I specifically
looked for problems that lent themselves to using visual models and manipulatives as these
activities help both lower and higher level students to develop conceptual understanding of math
topics. To help myself narrow down the choices, I created the organizer that is pictured, and I
found it extremely helpful.
Writing the activities that I was interested in

using on sticky notes helped me to develop
themed stations and to make decisions on
which activities would best meet the
objectives of the event. The six stations
that emerged are as follows:
1. Pattern Block Activities

2. Tile Activities
3. Snap Cube Activities
4. Cards & Dice Activities
5. Internet Station
6. Open-Ended Problems
Many of the activities that we used for the

Student Numeracy Adventures day are in
Appendix 2. Links to additional activities
are in Appendix 3.
Page 9
PROMOTING THE EVENT
In addition to having a flyer for the event, which Chris Cimmino made up for us, I decided to create
personal invitations to distribute to every student. I wanted to generate some positive anticipation
for the math fair. I figured that if all the students knew that there would be pizza and prizes, they
might be more inclined to want to attend, even though they might have a bit of math anxiety. All
teachers were given invitations to distribute to their students. We made sure that every student got
an invitation and we posted flyers everywhere!
The flyers, pictured on the left, were printed, in

color on regular printer paper. The invitations
below were printed out on card stock postcards.
All students were told that they would be attending the math fair during their regularly scheduled
class(es). Teachers in our sattellite locations made arrangements for their students to come to our
main building for the event. One teacher got a van and drove all her students to the math fair to
make sure they had a chance to join in the fun!
The publisher template used for the student invitations is available online at:
www.hudsonvalleyraen.org and CollectEdNY
Page 10
MORE STAFF DEVELOPMENT
To prepare the staff for the student math fair we had a Teacher Numeracy Adventures Day. The
gym was set up with the stations that we planned on using for the student math fair and teachers
were able to move from station to station and work through the various activities. Part of the
objective of this staff development session was to get teachers thinking about how they could
facilitate productive struggle by using effective questions to get students thinking during the actual
Student Numeracy Adventures Day. Teachers were given a copy of Drawing Out the 8 Common
Core Math Practices with Questions (Appendix 1) and asked to think about which stations they
would be willing to man during the student math fair and which questions they might use to
facilitate the activities at the station.
One added benefit that

came of this teacher math
day was that it made clear
to me that a few of the
activities I had chosen just
didn’t work well. The activity
you see the teachers
working on here involves
putting together
marshmallows with
toothpicks and I thought it
would be loads of fun for
students, but it was just a
bit too time consuming and
complex.
We came together again, the day before the Student Numeracy Adventures Day, for a dry run, as
you see pictured below. This was when teachers volunteered to man certain stations.
I would do this differently

next time. The day before
the event is not the best
time to be confirming
volunteers. I should have
had a sign-up sheet that
was passed around to
teachers at the Teacher
Numeracy Adventures Day
pictured above to get the
ball rolling. That way, I
could have recruited more
teachers as the day
approached, if needed.
Page 11
THE BUY IN
In order to make students feel welcome and get them involved right away in a few non-threatening
math activities, they were greeted at the door with a sticky note, a number card, a bag to collect
their prizes, and an index card. Then, they were guided to the first three activities listed on the left
side of the index card. There was a teacher stationed at each of these three activities to facilitate.
The card served a two-fold purpose. First, and probably most important to the students, they
received a prize for every activity they finished. All they had to do was complete the activity, have
the teacher facilitating the activity initial their card, and then they could collect their prize at the
prize table. It also served to help the students to keep track of their progress throughout the event.
A suggestion was made at our last staff meeting that it might be easier to have a hole puncher or a
stamper to mark off each activity that a student completed on the student activity card. That might
be easier if you have those items on hand.
The publisher template used for the student activity card available at:
www.hudsonvalleyraen.org and CollectEdNY
Page 12
THE NUMBER OF THE DAY
The Number of the Day Activity was the first activity we led students to as an ice breaker. The
objective of this activity is for the students to create an equation that has the number of the day on
one side of the equal sign, and their equation on the other side. By the end of the day, The Number
of the Day had 100 sticky notes on it! Below are two examples that exemplify how students can
create and “own” an equation, regardless of their skill level.
Page 13
NUMBER LINE ACTIVITY
The Number Line Activity can be challenging for many students so it is necessary for the teacher
who facilitates this activity to be ready with good questions that he or she can ask students to help
to guide them in the direction of where their number would be placed on the number line. I had
originally planned on setting up a clothesline to use for this activity but the volleyball net served the
activity well. If you have one available it’s fun to use, but a clothesline & clothespins, or a paper
drawn number line & tape, will work just as well.
I made some changes to the number line activity

due to some feedback from students and
teachers. First, most of the number line cards
had values between -1 and +1 (with lots of
variations on how those negative and positive
parts of a whole could be represented), so the
cards ended up in a sort of web design between
those two integers. Thus, I revised the number
line cards so there would be more of an even
spread of values between -3 and +3.
Also, in the original set of number line cards, the

marker cards were the same size as the number
cards we gave to students, but some students
had difficulty locating where the marker numbers
were, especially after the number line got really
crowded. The larger marker cards should help
out with this. You might even want to print out
the marker cards in a different color so the
marker numbers are clearly visible.
Note: There are a few cards that are open-

ended in that they could correctly be placed in
more than one place on the number line,
depending on what the student interprets the
picture to mean. Just make sure the student
can correctly defend the placement on the
number line!
The number line student cards and the marker

cards for the number line are in Appendix 2.
Page 14
THE PRODUCT GAME
“I don’t know my multiplication facts.” How often have you heard that from one of your students?
The Product Game is a fun way for students to practice multiplication, collaborate with peers, and
build up their problem solving skills as teams work together to get four in a row. Part of the strategy
involves blocking the other team from getting there first. We used a magnetic, double-sided
whiteboard for this activity, with a game board on both sides. That way, two games can be played
at the same time if you have a lot of students who converge on The Product Game simultaneously.
We made two game boards out of plain easel size paper and taped one to each side of the
magnetic whiteboard. Then, we used magnetic pattern blocks as game pieces on the board. This
way you can use the same board over and over again.
For information on how to download directions and handouts for the

Product Game, see Appendix 3.
Page 15
PATTERN BLOCK ACTIVITIES
Pattern blocks provide opportunity to introduce students to mathematical concepts or deepen their
existing understanding of them. Most students enter our programs with fraction angst. The ones that
aren’t filled with anxiety at the thought of tackling fractions are prone to misremember and misapply
procedures typically used to solve fractions. Pattern blocks are a valuable tool for both groups of
students, as in the first case it provides a visual model that the student can manipulate to gain
understanding of what a fraction actually is and in the latter, students find themselves challenged when
they are asked to demonstrate comprehension of fractional relationships when using a visual model. In
both cases, pattern blocks can lay the groundwork that leads to a conceptual understanding of
procedural knowledge of fractions. Aha! Now I understand why this procedure works!
Pattern blocks can also be used for algebraic thinking and an exploration of
angle measurements. Samples of a number of pattern block activities are in
Appendix 2. Links to additional pattern block activities, including angle
measurement activities, are noted in Appendix 3.
Page 16
TILE ACTIVITIES
There are so many wonderful activities that can be done with square tiles that I had some difficulty
figuring out which ones I thought would work the best for the math fair. When students are physically
able to manipulative visual models like the tiles, they guide their own learning through a process of trial,
error, and discovery. Furthermore, it can help them to gain conceptual understanding of patterns and
spatial structuring, a key bridge to understanding relationships within and between most mathematics.
According to Mulligan & Mitchelmore [1], “Virtually all mathematics is based on pattern and structure.”
A number of tile activities are included in Appendix 2.
Page 17
SNAP CUBE ACTIVITIES
As with the tile activities, snap cubes enhance student understanding of spatial structuring and
math terms that might otherwise forever remain mysterious numbers on a page. For example, what
does it mean to cube a number? What is volume? What is surface area? These concepts are
sometimes represented with pictures in math resources, but these pictures are attempting to
represent a three-dimensional object on a flat surface. With snap cubes, these mathematical
concepts jump off the page and into the hands of our students, giving them a tool to solve
problems and visualize math concepts.
A detailed lesson plan for The Painted Cube is available at The Hudson Valley
RAEN website; however, for the math fair you should use only the first student
page. The entire activity works well for a professional development workshop
or as an extended multi-day activity in your classroom.
Page 18
INTERNET ACTIVITIES
Students benefit from using both physical manipulatives and virtual manipulatives. According to a
2011 study [2], there are some advantages to using virtual manipulatives. They provide immediate
feedback, sometimes giving hints to the student if they get the answer wrong, and they help
students to grasp concepts more quickly because the student is able to connect a physical model
to abstract math symbols. Plus, it’s fun! See my review of The National Library of Virtual
Manipulatives at CollectEdNY and my posts at World Educations’s Tech Tips for Teachers Blog,
Functions: Bridging from Concrete Understanding to Abstract Representations and Balance
Mathematics Instruction by Balancing Shapes, for some tips on how to use virtual manipulatives.
Two activities that have been adapted from NCTM Illuminations and The
National Library of Virtual Manipulatives are included in Appendix 2.
Page 19
CARDS AND DICE
Cards and dice are inexpensive tools that give students some control over the outcome of a
math activity. In Cards in the Classroom: Mathematics and Methods, Robert N. Baker asserts,
“The use of cards as a focus of mathematical content enables techniques for the classroom
that are particularly helpful among the math-anxious, adults, and non-traditional students.”[3]
Students are challenged in solving an open-ended problem, yet grounded in something
familiar, a simple deck of cards or pair of dice.
One of the card activities that we used for the math fair came from, Acing Math
(One Deck at a Time), a collection of over 50 math games that can be played
with a deck of cards. See Appendix 2 for the cards and dice activities we used
at the math fair, as well as a link to access Acing Math.
Page 20
OPEN ENDED AND NON-ROUTINE PROBLEMS
At this station we had a few open ended and non-routine problems, meaning that there was more
than one way to solve the problem and/or there was more than one solution to the problem. I did
have some bingo chips at this table in case someone wanted to use them for a visual model but
most students chose not to use them as you see pictured below.
The ability to find a way into

and solve a type of problem
that a student has never seen
before is a skill that is being
assessed on the TASC exam,
so we serve our students well if
we provide them with plenty of
opportunities to experience
productive struggle and to
develop problem solving
strategies that they can call
their own.
In Appendix 1 you’ll find a great

resource, Depth of Knowledge
Level Sample Math
Descriptors, that describes the
earmarks of a good open-
ended DOK Level 3 problem.
As Mark Trushkowsky would
say, “It’s a problem that makes
you go hmmmmmm?”
Go to www.mathmemos.org to access a collection of rich math problems that

have been peer reviewed. The website includes samples of student work and
practical suggestions for using problem-solving activities in class. One of the
problems posted there, the Zip Zap Zowie problem, is in Appendix 2.
Page 21
INCENTIVES AND DOOR PRIZES
We wanted every student to walk away with rewards for participating in activities, so we offered a
prize for each activity that the student completed. We had a variety of items at a table for students
to choose from including: candy, water bottles, Frisbees, lanyards, rulers, flip-flops, piggy banks,
pot holders, digital thermometers, magnet clips, and insulated can holders. Some of the items we
already had on hand as giveaways for BOCES events and some we purchased specifically for the
math fair. The prize table is pictured on the left and the picture on the right is when we were
drawing names for door prizes.
At a recent staff meeting we discussed the

possibility of handling the prizes a bit
differently next time by assigning each
prize a specific cost. A ruler, for example,
might be had for participating in one
activity, while a water bottle might cost 3
activities.
Also, the prize table at times was over

busy with students converging to claim
prizes all at the same time. Perhaps next
time we will have small prizes that we
keep at the first 3 mandatory activities.
We had drawings for door prizes twice during the

day: once at the end of the morning session and
once at the end of the afternoon session. All
students placed their index cards in a container
and we drew names for prizes. We had a few
extra things we’d put aside for the drawings such
as calculators and boxes of cookies.
Tip: If you’re short on prizes, start collecting

donations a few months ahead of time from
students and teachers. Doing so will be sure to
create positive anticipation from the students!
Page 22
FINAL THOUGHTS
There are a few things that we plan to do differently at the next math fair that we have planned for
this spring. For example, I’m going to create a short student survey this year and ask students to fill
it out on their way out of the door. That will help to better inform decisions we make about future
events. We’re also preparing a special photo/video release form just for that day. While most
programs have their students fill out a generic photo release form that can be used for program
events, it’s probably a good idea to have a special form for the math fair. I’ve included samples of
both of those forms in Appendix 1.
While there were manipulatives at most of the stations that we set up, some students prefer to
draw pictures or use traditional procedures to solve the problems. The key is to provide students
with a variety of tools that they can try out if they want to. If you’d like to include manipulatives at
your math fair but don’t have them, templates for pattern blocks are readily available online. You
can print them out on cardstock and can even laminate them if you have a laminator.
Most students will need support as they work through these activities. At our math fair this
happened in several different ways. Some teachers manned one activity, while others floated
about the gym, listening and stopping to work through activities with students as needed. Our
ESOL students worked together in groups, for the most part, with their instructors staying close by
and working right alongside them, giving them the extra support that they needed to understand
the directions of the activities, which were all in English.
Most of the students who attended that math fair in the spring of 2015 have come and gone, but I
went about asking the few I still had contact with for some of their reflections on it. I got comments
such as, “Overall, it was great. I really liked the one table where I had to solve the problem about
the legs of the chickens and goats. There was a guy who sat there with us and helped us to figure
it out. That was good.” I’m pretty sure he was talking about Eric Appleton, because another student
of mine from the same class (who is now long gone), had commented on that same activity a year
ago and he talked about how Eric helped them. Now, I know Eric. When my students said that Eric
“helped” them, I’m sure he was busy asking them good questions so as to support their ability to
solve the problem. Thus, the math would come from the student instead of the instructor. This was
one of the goals of the math fair.
What I think is interesting about that comment from the former student, whose story you read about
in the introduction, is that after the passing of a year, what stood out in his mind was the pleasure
he felt at problem solving. He didn’t even mention the pizza and prizes; although, I know that was
part of the drawing power. A year later, though, it was the math adventures that had the staying
power.
Happy Math Adventures to All!
Patricia Helmuth
Page 23
Citations:
[1] Awareness of Pattern and Structure in Early Mathematical Development, Mulligan &
Mitchelmore 2009
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ883867.pdf
[2] Virtual vs. Concrete Manipulatives in Mathematics Teacher Education:

Is One Type More Effective Than the Other?,Hunt, Nash, & Nipper 2011.
http://www.napomle.org/cimle/fall2011/hunt.pdf
[3] Cards in the Classroom: Mathematics and Methods, Robert N, Baker 1999.
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED428786.pdf
SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Kate Hymes, who recommended and supported my participation in the NYSED/CUNY
Mathematics Teacher Leader Training Institutes.
Chereen McNellis who planted the idea that grew to be the Student Numeracy Adventures Day.
Mark Trushkowsky and Eric Appleton for their inspiration and guidance at, and beyond, the
NYSED/CUNY Mathematics Teacher Leader Training Institutes.
My colleagues at Sullivan County BOCES for their tireless contribution to make the Student
Numeracy Day successful.
All of the students who dug in their heels and persevered in problem solving at the Student
Numeracy Adventures Day.
Please share your math fair adventures with me at:
patricia.helmuth@scboces.org
mathpractitioner@gmail.com
Page 24
Student Created List
Page 25
APPENDIX 1
TEACHER RESOURCES
 Depth of Knowledge Level Sample Math Descriptors
 The 4 Roles of Questions in a Mathematical Discussion
 Creating & Categorizing - The 4 Roles of Questions in a Mathematical Discussion
 Drawing Out the 8 Common Core Math Practices with Questions
 Five Teaching Practices for Improving Discourse in Math Classes
 Some Practical Advice for Teaching Problem Solving
 Supporting & Extending Problems
Practicing with the Sum and Difference Problem
NYSED/CUNY Mathematics Teacher Leader Training Institutes
 Sample Photograph/Video Release Form

 Sample Student Satisfaction Survey
 The Number of the Day
Developed by Patricia Helmuth
Page 26
Example Math Descriptors for Depth of Knowledge Levels 1 to 4
D.O.K. Level 1: Recall & Reproduction D.O.K. Level 2: Basic Skills & Concepts
 There is usually a right answer  There is usually a right answer

 Recall or recognize a fact, definition, term or  Classify shapes and figures
property  Interpret information from a simple graph
 Apply/commute a well-known algorithm or formula  Solve a routine problem that require multiple steps/decision points or the
(i.e. sum, quotient, etc.) application of multiple concepts
 Perform a specified or routine procedure  Provide justification for steps in a solution process
 Solve a one-step word problem  Use models or diagrams to represent and explain mathematical concepts
 Retrieve information from a graph or table  Make and explain estimates
 Make conversions between and among  Make basic inferences or logical predictions from data/observations
representations or numbers (fractions, decimals,  Organize or order data
percent) or within and between customary metric  Choose an appropriate graph type and organize and display data
measures  Extend/continue a pattern
 Locate points on a coordinate grid  Retrieve information from a table, graph, or figure and use it to solve a
 Determine the area or perimeter of rectangles or problem requiring multiple steps
triangles given a drawing a labels.  Specify and explain relationships between facts, terms, properties, or
 Identify shapes and figures operations
 Identify a pattern  Teacher’s Roles: Shows, Evaluates, Questions, Observes, Organizes,
 Teacher’s Roles: Tells, Shows, Demonstrates, Directs Facilitates
 Student’s Roles: Memorizes, Restates, Absorbs,  Student’s Roles: Solves Problems, Calculates, Illustrates, Compiles,
Remembers, Repeats Demonstrates Use of knowledge
CUNY Common Core Initiative NYS Common Core/TASC Teacher Leadership Training Institute
D.O.K. Level 3: Strategic Thinking/Reasoning D.O.K. Level 4: Extended Thinking
 May be more than one right answer and/or more than one way to get there  Relate math concepts to other content areas
 Use concepts to solve non-routine problems  Relate math concepts to real-world applications in
 Explain your reasoning when more than one response is possible new situations
 Having to plan a strategy and decide how to approach a math task when  Conduct a project that specifies a problem,
more than one approach is possible identifies solution paths, solves the problem and
 Generalize a pattern reports results
 Write your own problem, given a situation  Conduct an investigation to solve a real-world
 Find all the possible answers problem with unpredictable outcomes
 Describe, compare, contrast different solution methods  Design a mathematical model to inform and solve
 Use evidence to develop logical arguments for a concept a practical or abstract situation
 Draw conclusions from observations/data, citing evidence  Apply understanding in a novel way, providing an
 Interpreting information from a complex graph argument/justification for the application
 Make and/or justify conjectures  Teacher’s Roles: Facilitates, Evaluates, Extends,
 Perform procedure with multiple steps and multiple decision points Analyses
 Solve a multi-step problem and provide support with a mathematical  Student’s Roles: Designs, Proposes, Formulates,
explanation that justifies the answer Modifies, Creates, Plans
 Interpret data from a complex graph
 Verify the reasonableness of results
 Teacher’s Roles: Probes, Observes, Organizes, Guides, Evaluates, Frames,
Questions
 Student’s Roles: Discusses, Questions, Debates, Examines, Judges, Justifies,
Reasons, Decides, Tests, Compares
CUNY Common Core Initiative NYS Common Core/TASC Teacher Leadership Training Institute
The 4 Roles of Questions in a Mathematical Discussion
Discuss the following questions with your partner(s) and decide which role (if any) the question could play
in a math classroom. Also, put a star next to any question you’d like to try in your classroom and be
prepared to talk about what you like about the question.
1. Can you draw a picture or diagram of the situation in this problem?
2. Raise your hand if you think the two ratios are equivalent. Raise your hand if you think they are
not equivalent. Raise your hand if you are not sure. Ok. Now, turn to a partner who agrees with
you and come up with some arguments to try to convince the students who are not sure.
3. Compare your method to her method. How are they similar? How are they different?
4. Can you show us how you did that?
5. What do you think about what she just said?
6. Did anyone solve it a different way?
7. Do you see a pattern?
8. Who tried something that didn’t work? How did you figure out it
9. Do you agree or disagree?
10. What mathematical ideas did you have to use to solve this one?
11. Which of these methods makes the most sense to you?
12. This is a really interesting mistake. Does anyone see why I really like this mistake?
13. That is interesting. How could we prove that?
14. Have we ever worked on a problem like this before?
15. What did people do when they got stuck?
16. Everyone write down what you would do next.
17. What questions do you have?
18. It sounds like you have an idea and you have an idea, but you’re not putting your ideas together to
come up with a solution. What’s your plan?
19. How do we know this answer is correct?
20. What kind of future problems could we solve using this method?
21. What do you want to remember about the way you solved this problem?
22. Will your method always work? How do you know it will always work?
23. That worked when we solved that other problem. Why isn’t it working now? What’s different?
24. Can you say what she just said in her own words?
NYSED Common Core/TASC Math Teacher Learning & Leadership Institute
The Art of Questioning: The 4 roles of questions in a math classroom

In each category, write a few examples of questions you could ask students.

Help students work together to Help students rely on Help students learn to Help students connect
make sense of mathematics themselves to determine if conjecture, invent, and solve mathematics, its ideas and its
something is mathematically problems applications
correct

The Art of Questioning
The 4 roles of questions in a math classroom

Help students work together to Help students rely on Help students learn to Help students connect
make sense of mathematics themselves to determine if conjecture, invent, and solve mathematics, its ideas and its
something is mathematically problems applications
correct

MP1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
Mathematically proficient students start by explaining the meaning of a problem and looking
for entry points to its solution.
They analyze givens, constraints, relationships, and goals.
They make conjectures about the form and meaning of the solution
They plan a solution pathway rather than simply jumping into a solution attempt.
They consider similar problems, and try special cases and simpler forms of the original
problem in order to gain insight into its solution.
They monitor and evaluate their progress. And change course if necessary.
They check their answers to problems using a different method than the one they used to
solve the problem.
They continually ask, “Does this make sense?”
They understand the approaches of others to solving complex problems
They identify similarities and differences between different approaches.

Questions that can help Questions that focus student thinking on process, to be
students persevere and asked during class discussions of different student
develop deeper self‐awareness solution methods
of their process, to be asked
while they are working How did people get started on this problem?
How is <student’s name> method similar to <student’s
Can you explain the name> method?
situation in your own How is <student’s name> method different from
words? <student’s name> method?
How did people get started How do you think <student’s name> would use their
on this problem? method to solve this problem?
Have we ever seen a What did you do when you got stuck?
problem like this before? How do you know that your answer is correct?
How was the problem Is there another way to solve this problem?
similar to this problem? Did anyone start with/try a strategy that didn't work?
Talk me through what you Which one of these strategies helped you see this
have done so far, step by problem more clearly?
step. What do you appreciate about <student's name>'s
What is the relationship strategy?
between the quantities? Look over your classmates' work up on the board. What
How will you know if your did each student do to make sense of and solve this
strategy is working? problem? Can we pull out any general problem‐solving
strategies that might help us in the future?

NYS Common Core/TASC Math Teacher Learning & Leadership Institute

MP2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively
Mathematically proficient students make sense of the numbers (quantities) and
relationships in problem situations
They represent abstract situations symbolically ‐ decontextualize
The manipulate the representing symbols as if they have a life of their own, without
attending to their referents
They contextualize symbols, pausing to connect them to the situation in the problem
They create a coherent representation of the problem
They use the properties of the four operations flexibly

Questions What do the numbers in this situation represent?
What does this number represent? (referring to a number
Teachers Can Ask
appearing a students’ work)
to Draw Out and Can you make a drawing of the situation?
Develop this What does it mean to multiply/divide/add/subtract?
Mathematical Can you represent the problem with symbols/ equations/
Practice pictures/ sentences/ numbers?


MP3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning
of others.
Mathematically proficient students understand and use stated assumptions, definitions,
and established results in constructing arguments.
They make conjectures & build a logical progression of statements to explore the truth
of their conjectures.
They can analyze situations by breaking them into cases, and can recognize and use
counterexamples.
They justify their conclusions, communicate them to others, and respond to the
arguments of others.
They can compare the effectiveness of two arguments, and determine correct or
flawed logic
Listen or read the arguments of others, decide whether they make sense, and ask
useful questions to clarify or improve the arguments.

Questions Summarize what <student’s name> just said in your own words.
Teachers Can How is <student’s name>’s answer different from <student’s
Ask to Draw name>’s answer? How are they similar?
What questions do you have for <student’s name> about their
Out and method? (As a follow‐up: After a student has presented their
Develop this work, use the work they put up to ask the rest of the class specific
Mathematical questions…”I see <student’s name> did this. What were they
Practice thinking here?)
What do you appreciate about <student’s name>’s method?
How can you prove that your answer is correct?
*It is important Will that always be true?
that students are Raise your hand if you agree with Jane. (Count) Now, raise your
working on hand if you agree with Daphne. (Count) Raise your hand if you’re
problems that not sure. (Count). Ok, so everyone who is unsure is an undecided
lend themselves voter. Everyone else, your job is to convince them to agree with
to discussion, you.
arguments or Can you come up with some examples that will prove your
critique argument? Or disprove someone else’s?
Which explanation makes the most sense to you? What did
<student’s name> do well to make their ideas clear to you?


MP4. Model with mathematics.
Mathematically proficient students can apply the mathematics they know to solve
problems from everyday life, society, and the workplace.
They can simplify a complicated situation, realizing that they may need to revise later.
They can identify important quantities in a practical situation and show their
relationships.
They can analyze those relationships mathematically to draw conclusions.
They routinely interpret their mathematical results in the context of the situation
They reflect on whether the result makes sense, possibly improving the model if it
does not.

*It is important that students are working on

problems that involve real‐world situations

Write a number sentence(s) to describe this
Questions Teachers Can situation
Ask to Draw Out and How could we draw a picture/make a
Develop this Mathematical diagram/visually represent this situation?
What do you already know about solving this
Practice problem?
What information would we need to answer this
problem? Where could we get that information?
How can you tell if the results make sense?
What factors of the situation did you choose to
focus on? Explain your thinking.
What are the practical implications of your
findings? Who might be able to use your
findings? How might your findings be used by
other people?

Example of a Problem Targeting this Mathematical Practice
Wikipedia reports that each day, 8% of all Americans eat at McDonald’s. In 2012, there
were about 310 million Americans and 12,800 McDonald’s restaurants in the United
States.
Do you believe the Wikipedia report to be true? Create a mathematical argument to
justify your position.


A Word on Mathematical Modelling
Modeling links classroom mathematics and statistics to everyday life,
work, and decision‐making. Modeling is the process of choosing and
using appropriate mathematics and statistics to analyze empirical
situations, to understand them better, and to improve decisions.
Quantities and their relationships in physical, economic, public policy,
social, and everyday situations can be modeled using mathematical and
statistical methods. When making mathematical models, technology is
valuable for varying assumptions, exploring consequences, and
comparing predictions with data.
A model can be very simple, such as writing total cost as a product of
unit price and number bought, or using a geometric shape to describe a
physical object like a coin. Even such simple models involve making
choices. It is up to us whether to model a coin as a three‐dimensional
cylinder, or whether a two‐dimensional disk works well enough for our
purposes. Other situations—modeling a delivery route, a production
schedule, or a comparison of loan amortizations—need more elaborate
models that use other tools from the mathematical sciences. Real‐world
situations are not organized and labeled for analysis; formulating
tractable models, representing such models, and analyzing them is
appropriately a creative process. Like every such process, this depends
on acquired expertise as well as creativity.

(from The Math Assessment Project)
When we hear the word "modelling" in a classroom context, we often think about the
teaching strategy where a teacher demonstrates a skill or an approach to a problem for
students. When we talk about mathematical modelling, we are talking about something a
little different.

To begin to think about mathematical modelling, let's look at two quotes by Henry Pollak

“Mathematical modeling begins in
the unedited real world, requires
problem formulation before problem
solving and once the problem is
“When you use mathematics to solved, moves back into the real
understand a situation in the real world where the results are
world, and then perhaps use it to take considered in their original context.
action or even to predict the future, Are the results practical, the answers
both the real‐world situation and the reasonable, the consequences
ensuing mathematics are taken acceptable? If so, great! If not, take
seriously.” another look at the choices made at
the beginning, and try again.
This entire process is what’s called
mathematical modeling.”
(quotes above are from EngageNY PowerPoint on Mathematical Modelling.)
Now, consider the following problem, also from Henry Pollak:
Your grandmother will be arriving at the airport at 6:00 pm. You live 20 miles
from the airport. The speed limit is 40 miles per hour. When should you leave to
get her?
In a traditional math classroom the answer to this problem would be 5:30, since driving
20 miles at a speed of 40 MPH, will get you to the airport in a half hour.
But if you left your house at 5:30, you would most certainly be late to pick‐up your
grandmother. What are some other things you might factor in to your calculations?
What about traffic, stop lights, parking, time to meet your grandmother at the baggage
claim to help her with her luggage, etc? This is a very simple example, but it begins to get
at what we mean by mathematical modelling.

MP5. Use appropriate tools strategically
Mathematically proficient students consider the available tools when solving a
mathematical problem.
They make good decisions about the use of specific tools (calculator, concrete models,
digital technology, paper/pencil, ruler, compass, protractor, etc.)
They detect possible errors by strategically using estimation and other mathematical
knowledge
They use tools to visualize the results of assumptions, explore consequences and
compare predictions with data
They use technological tools to explore and deepen understanding of concepts
They identify relevant external math resources and use them to pose or solve
problems

Can you draw a picture to show your
thinking?
What would be the best tools for
Questions Teachers Can Ask to
working on this problem? (Or offering
Draw Out and Develop this students a selection of tools and asking
Mathematical Practice them to choose one and then later to
explain and reflect on their choice)
What mathematical tool(s) could you
use to visualize/represent this
situation?
How did it help us to use a _______?


MP6. Attend to precision.
Mathematically proficient students try to communicate precisely to others.
They try to use clear definitions when discussing their reasoning with others
They express the meaning of the symbols they choose, including using the equal
sign consistently and appropriately.
They are careful about specifying units of measure, and labeling quantities in a
problem.
They calculate accurately and efficiently.
They express numerical answers with a degree of precision appropriate for the
problem context.

What does the word ____ mean?
Explain what you did to solve this problem.

How could you label your work to make it
clearer?
Is there a more efficient strategy?
Questions Teachers Can How could you organize your work to make it
Ask to Draw Out and clearer?
Develop this How do you know your answer is reasonable?
How exact does your answer need to be?
Mathematical Practice
Explain your thinking.

What symbols or mathematical notations are
important in this problem?
<Student’s name> just explained their strategy
to us. What was clear about their strategy?
What questions do you have for <Student’s
name>?


MP7. Look for and make use of structure
Mathematically proficient students look closely for patterns or structure.
They recognize quantities can be represented in different ways
They can shift back, look at the big picture and shift perspective
They can see complicated quantities both as single objects or compositions of
several objects and use operations to make sense of problems
*Moving from general to specific

How is ____ related to _____?

Is there another way to look at this
problem?
What do you know about ____ that
would be helpful in this situation?
Questions Teachers Can Ask to What patterns do you notice? How can
Draw Out and Develop this we use that pattern?
How do you know if something is a
Mathematical Practice
pattern?

What problems have we done that are
similar to this one? How are they
similar?
What mathematical concepts/strategies
have we learned that helped you work
on this problem?


MP8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning
Mathematically proficient students notice repeated calculations and look for general
methods and shortcuts
While working on a problem, mathematically proficient students maintain oversight
of the process, while attending to the details.
They continually evaluate the reasonableness of intermediate results
They make generalizations based on findings

(Making generalizations) Can you come
up with a rule that will help us solve the

problem whatever the numbers are?
Will the same strategy work in other
situations?
Questions Teachers Can Ask to Now that you have the answer, go back
Draw Out and Develop this and see if there are any patterns you
Mathematical Practice notice.
How can working on this problem help
us solve another problem?
Is there another way to solve this
problem using less calculation?


Five Teaching Practices for Improving
the Quality of Discourse in Mathematics Classrooms

1. Talk moves that engage students in discourse

 Revoicing: “So let me say that back to you to make sure I understand what you are
saying…”
 Asking students to restate someone else’s reasoning: “Can you repeat what she just
said in your own words?”
 Ask students to apply their reasoning to someone else’s: “Do you agree or disagree
with what _____ just said?”
 Prompt students for further participation: “Would someone like to add to that?”
 Wait time: Don’t fear the crickets

2. The art of questioning

The 4 roles of questions in a math classroom1:
 to help students work together to make sense of mathematics
 to help students rely on themselves to determine if something is mathematically correct
 to help students learn to conjecture, invent, and solve problems
 to help students connect mathematics, its ideas and its applications

3. Using student thinking to propel discussions

 Be an active listener
 Be strategic and choose ideas, methods, representations, misconceptions in a purposeful
way that enhances the quality of the discussion

4. Setting up a supportive environment

 Be conscious of the physical and emotional environment
 Respond neutrally to errors, but seek out novel or common misconceptions and bring
them into discussion

5. Orchestrating the discourse

The teacher’s role in orchestrating the discourse2 is to:
 Anticipate student responses to challenging mathematical tasks,
 Monitor students’ work and engagement with the tasks;
 Select particular students to present their mathematical work;
 Sequence the student responses that will be displayed in specific order; and
 Connect different student’ responses and connect the responses to key mathematical
ideas.

Adapted from How to Get Students Talking! Generating Math Talk That Supports Math Learning by Lisa Ann de Garcia

1
Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics)
2
Smith, M.S., E.K. Hughes, R.A. Engle & M.K. Stein Orchestrating Discussions, (Mathematical Teaching in
Middle School)

Some Practical Advice for Teaching Problem‐Solving

Encourage Persistence  When students ask a question about one of the
conditions that make the problem “problematic”,
Allow students time to understand encourage them and reflect question back to them
and engage with the problem  Answer most questions with “Good question. What do
you think?”
Discourage students from rushing in  When students start to shut down, get them talking
too quickly or from asking you to  When students are stuck, suggest a strategy – for
help example, “Can you draw a picture?” or “What could
the answer be? Is there a way you can check that?”
 What have you tried from our list of problem‐solving
strategies?

Focus Authority with Students  Don’t exert authority by saying what is right or wrong
 Never take the pen/pencil out of a student’s hand
Offer strategic rather than technical  Sit in student’s chair when student goes up to
hints demonstrate their thinking
 Respond to most student explanations with “What do
Avoid simplifying problems for the rest of you think?”
students by breaking it down into  Ask, “How do we know this answer is correct?
steps  Model thinking and powerful methods. When
students have done all they can, the teacher can
demonstrate another powerful, elegant approach. If
this is done at the beginning, however, students will
simply imitate the method and not appreciate why it
was needed. Whenever possible, teachers should draw
from presented student work.

Help Student Reveal Their  Constantly ask “Can you show us how you did that?”
Thinking  When a student presents their thinking and part of
their reasoning is unclear, ask them to tell the class
Encourage explanation more about what they did there
 When students present their thinking, give other
Make students do the reasoning, students an opportunity to ask questions – if they
and encourage them to explain to don’t have any, ask at least one question Respond to
one another most student explanations with “What do the rest of
you think?”
 After a student explains their thinking, ask the rest of
Help Students Understand the class to explain a potentially confusing aspect of the
Ideas of Their Classmates student’s thinking
 Ask, “How are these methods similar/different?”
Encourage students to consider  Name one thing you like/appreciate about other
alternative methods and approaches students’ methods.
Encourage students to compare
their own methods

Have Students Reflect on Their  How did you get started?
Own Process  What were the hardest parts of this problem?
 What do you want to remember about the way we
solved this problem?
 Have we ever seen a problem like this before? How
was this problem similar? Different?
 Which method makes the most sense to you?
 What did ______ do to help make her thinking and
strategy clear to us?
 What general problem‐solving strategies can we add
to our class list?
 What did you learn from working on this problem?

Supporting & Extending Problems
Practicing with the Sum and Difference Problem

The left column is divided into some potential categories, to help guide you as you create
support and extension questions for your students. In the right column there are examples
of these questions, written for the sums and difference problem.

Questions We Can Ask to Help Support “Stuck” Students

Kinds of Questions Examples of Questions

Ask students to break down the  What are we looking for?
problem / explain the situation  What do we know about those two numbers?

Ask students about  What does “sum” mean?
important/relevant  What does “difference” mean?
concepts/vocabulary

Ask students questions that  When you have felt stuck on a problem, what
model how to reach into their problem‐solving strategies have helped you get
problem‐solving toolbox started?
 Can you draw a picture/visual representation of
the situation?
 What could those two numbers be? How could
you test if those two numbers work?
 Can you draw a number line that shows the two
numbers, the sum and the difference?

Ask students reflect on their  <If the numbers did not work> How do you know
solution and feel confident that those numbers are not the answer? What could
their answer is correct you try next?
 <Once they have found the correct numbers>
How do you know those two numbers are
correct?

Simplify the problem / Model  Can you find two numbers with a sum of 5 and a
simplifying the problem as a difference of 1? Can you find two numbers with a
problem‐solving strategy sum of 12 and a difference of 4? How did you
figure it out?


Questions We Can Ask to Extend the Problem

Kinds of Extensions Examples of Questions

 Can you write a similar problem with different
Ask students to create their
numbers?
own, similar problem

 Can you describe a procedure that would work to
Ask students to generalize
find any two numbers if you are given the sum and
their method
difference of those two numbers? Test your
procedure with different numbers?
 Do you see any patterns in the relationship between
the sums and the differences and the two numbers?
 What other patterns do you notice?
 Can you express your procedure as an equation?

 Can you create a similar problem with two numbers
Add (or change) one condition
who have a difference that is larger than their sum?

 Can you create your own example where the
difference is larger than the sum, and the sum is not
zero?
 Find the two consecutive numbers that have a sum
of 487.

 Is the sum of two numbers always larger than the
Ask students to make and
difference of those same two numbers?
explore a hypothesis
 Is it possible to have two different pairs of

numbers that have the same sum and
difference? Prove it.

 Now that you have an answer, can you organize (or
Ask students to reflect on their
re‐write) your work in a way that would be clear to
process/solution method
someone else?
 Now that you have an answer, can you find another
solution method?
 Will your procedure always work? How do you know
it will always work? Why does your procedure work?

Other Strategies for Extending Problems

 For open‐ended problems with many possible solutions: Ask students to find other solutions.
Ask students to find all possible solutions (and then ask them how they know they have
found all possible solutions)

STUDENT NUMERACY ADVENTURES DAY
Photograph and Video Release Form
Student Name:______________________________________________
Program:__________________________________________________
I understand that at the math fair today pictures and/or video recordings
may be taken for the purpose of documenting and promoting the event.
The photographs or video recordings may be made available to other
educational programs or adult education teachers as a training resource,
either online, at workshops, or in printed form. By signing this form, I
agree to allow photographs or video recordings of myself to be used for
the reasons listed in this statement.
My program may use my name _____
My program may not use my name _____
Signature____________________________________ Date_________
Student Numeracy Adventures Day Survey
1. Was the math fair better than you expected, not what you expected, or about what you
expected?
o Better than I expected

o Not what I expected
o About what I expected
2. Which activity that you completed did you like the most? Explain why it was your favorite.
3. Which activity did you like the least? Explain why you didn’t like it.
4. What was the best part of the day for you?
5. Any additional comments or suggestions you’d like to make?

The Number of the Day
I use the Number of the Day almost every day in my classes. Most times I choose the
number of the day but sometimes I’ll ask the students to choose the number. For the math
fair, a simple whole number serves the event well; however, in your classroom you can get
a little more complicated as shown in the picture below.
It's the Number of the Day with a
twist. I wanted my students to
develop a conceptual
understanding of benchmark
fractions so I had been asking
them to make an equation that
equals a particular fraction OR
draw a picture that represents
that fraction.
This serves several purposes.
One, it allows students at all
ability levels to participate in scary
fractions. It also works well as a
formative assessment. I can see
what students know, what
misconceptions they may have,
and then take it from there. You'll
notice, for example, in the photo
that a student made a very
common error by writing:
8/10 - 7/8 = 1/2
When I asked her to draw a
picture to represent the equation,
which you can see underneath it
and to the left, she realized that
the equation she wrote couldn't
be true. Aha!
For more ideas on how to use the Number of the Day, access the 2015 summer issue of
The Math Practitioner and read how Barbara Leonard uses it in her classroom.
http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/opi/Math/ANN_Newsletter_10-1-15.pdf
APPENDIX 2
Math Fair Activities
Number Line Cards & Marker Cards
Developed by Connie Rivera and Patricia Helmuth
Pattern Block Activities
 Triangle Pattern
 Pattern Block Fractions
 Pattern Block Percents
Pattern Block Fractions & Percents adapted from EMPower
Sample Pattern Block Activities
 Pattern Blocks – Another Tool

 Adding and Subtracting with Pattern Blocks
 Pattern Block Division
Reprinted with permission from the Adult Numeracy Center at TERC
Card Activity
 Hit
Reprinted with permission from The Positive Engagement Project
Card Activity
 The Dinner Party

Developed by Larry Gotham
Dice Activities
 One-Step Rule Function Activity

 Creating a Two-Step Rule
Page 27
Internet Activities
 Internet Activity 1 – Balancing Shapes

 Internet Activity 2 – Circle 0
Adapted from NCTM Illuminations & The Virtual Library of Virtual Manipulatives
Support for Internet Activity 1
 Keeping Your Balance

From Math Matters: Understanding the Math You Teach
Tile Activities
 Exploring Area and Perimeter

 How Many Squares?
 The Pinwheel Pattern
Tile Activity
 The Arch Problem

CUNY HSE Curriculum Framework
Tile Activity
 Reasoning with Division

Adapted from The Math Practitioner
Open-Ended Problem Solving
 Zip Zap Zowie

 The Handshake Problem
 The Bicycle Shop
 Sums and Differences
 Chicken & Goats Problem
Snap Cube Activity
 The Painted Cube
Adapted from NYSED/CUNY Mathematics Teacher Leader Training Institutes
Page 28
Snap Cube Activity
 Condo Challenge
Snap Cube Activity
 The Rising Smokestack

Adapted from Visual Patterns.org and CollectEdNY
Snap Cube Activity
 The Aquarium Problem

Contributed by Tyler Holzer
Adapted from From Kabiri, M. S., and N. L. Smith “Turning Traditional Textbook Problems into Open-Ended
Problems,” Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, Vol. 9, No. 3, 2003, 186-92.
Page 29
Number Line Marker Cards
-3 -2
-1 0
Number Line Marker Cards
1 2
3
account balance: $4.25 account balance: $1.75 account balance: $0.50
spend: $6.75 spend: $3.50 deposit: $1.75
New Account Balance: New Account Balance: New Account Balance:
account balance: $1.25

spend: $3.25
New Account Balance:
-2.9 -2¾
account balance: $4.25 account balance: $1.75 account balance: $0.22
spend: $7.05 spend: $3.70 deposit: $1.75
New Account Balance: New Account Balance: New Account Balance:
account balance: $1.25

spend: $3.90
New Account Balance:

-1.199 1¾
-1 ⅓ ⅖
⅞ -2 ⅞
-1.09
1 ⅔ 1 ⅚ -0.09
-.492 -⅞
-1⅙
-0.9 0.33
0.7
-
2.909
-1.6 ⅛
2¾ 2¼
1⅜ 2.05
1 3 1
- 22 - 14 - 12
⅓
-1.5 1.1 -1.1
2.2 -2.2 1.4

27
10
-.50 -.10
1⅙
2⅔
-
10
- ¾ -¼
4
3 1
- 24 - 24
1.89 -1.437
1.765 -.79 2.1998

0.25
1.05 .333
.4 40%
0.40
57% 0.57
42.8%
.428
2.31 1.5 -2.1
Triangles Pattern
[
T
y
p
e
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3
1. What would the 5th figure look like? Sketch it below or use the triangles to make a
model of the 5th figure.
2. What patterns do you see?
Hudson Valley Staff Developers Regional Network

Triangles Pattern
3. In a few sentences, describe what the 10th figure would look like.
4. In a few sentences, describe how to figure out how many triangles there would be in
any figure in this pattern.
5. Write the equation.
Adapted from:
www.collectedny.org

Pattern Block Fractions
+ +
+
+
+
=?

1. If the yellow hexagon = 1 whole, which combinations of shapes shows
2/3 + 1/2?
a.
b.
c.
d.
2. If the yellow hexagon = 1 whole, which combinations of shapes shows

1 ⅔?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Pattern Block Percent
Name_________________________ Date___________

The printer ran out of ink when it was printing this page and only 20% of the boxes were
printed. Please draw the boxes that are missing.

Explain how you figured out how many boxes to draw:
Acing Math (One Deck At A Time!): A Collection of Math Games
Hit (Grades 5 - 8)
Players: Groups of two or more
Materials: Deck of cards with face cards removed
Skill: Number recognition, addition, subtraction, multiplication, positive

integers, negative integers, and mathematical reasoning
How to Play: Black cards are positive numbers; red cards are negative
numbers. For each player, turn one card face down and one card face up.
Everyone can see the face-up card, but only the player gets to look at
his/her face-down card (until the end of the game, when all cards are
revealed). The goal of the game is to get as close to zero as possible.
Player 1 Player 2
Each player adds his/her cards together in their head. Then he/she
may ask for up to 5 “hits,” or extra cards, that are dealt face up, for a
maximum of 7 cards total.
Player 1: asked for 3 hits, total is 0

-7 + -2 = -9 + 8 = -1 + -3 = -4 + 4 = 0
Player 2: asked for 1 hit, total is 2

10 + -1 = 9 + -7 = 2
Player 1 is closest to zero, so they win that round.
When everyone is done asking for hits, all cards are turned face up.
Whatever each player’s cards add up to is his/her score, and
whoever scores closest to zero when all of the cards are revealed
wins that round and becomes the dealer for the next round.
55
The Dinner Party
The King and Queen are hosting a

dinner party for 10 of their
subjects. The Jack is out of town
on a diplomatic mission. Your
mission is to design a rectangular
table to seat the King, Queen,
and their guests. Your Queen
would like to review your models
and make her choice from all of
the possible options.
Given a standard deck of playing cards, have each member of your

design team choose one suit, remove the Jack, and with their cards
construct a model given a scale of 1 inch=1 foot. (Round the
measurement of the cards to the nearest ½ inch.)
Calculate and compare all possible areas, perimeters, and the available
area of each guests’ place setting.
Be prepared to demonstrate your results and give your Queen a

professional recommendation as to which table would provide the best
seating arrangement.
Contributed by Larry Gotham

Create Your Own In-Out Table – With One Dice
For this activity, you will create your own function table with a one-step rule.
In (x) Out (y)

EXAMPLE OF A ONE-STEP RULE:
1
The rule of this table is
In (x) Out(y)
x+3=y 1 4
2 2
Fill in the missing numbers on 3 6
this table. 4 7
5
10 3
ROLL THE DICE! 4
5
6
Now, create a rule with the dice that you rolled but don’t tell anyone what it is. You can write
it on the back of this worksheet or on a scrap piece of paper.
Fill in your table using your rule and then exchange papers with someone and see if you can guess their rule and if they can guess your rule!

Create Your Own In-Out Table – With Two Dice
For this activity, you will create your own function table with a two—step rule.
An example of a 2-step rule:

In (x) Out (y)
In (x) Out(y)
1 9
5x + 4 = y 2 14 1
3
Fill in the numbers that are
4 24
missing on this table. 5
6 34 2
Roll the dice! 4
Now, you create a rule with the dice that you rolled but don’t tell anyone what it is.
6
You can write it on the back of this worksheet or on a scrap piece of paper.
Fill in your table using your rule and then exchange papers with someone and see if you can guess their rule and if they can guess your rule!

Internet Activity 1– Balancing Shapes
1. Open up Google Chrome Browser. Search for: Pan Balance Shapes Illuminations. It
should come up as your first search option. Click on this link.
2. Click on “Set 3” on the top menu of the Pan Balance Activity.
3. Start by dragging one yellow shape down and dropping it on the right side of the pan
balance. Then, drag one red shape down on the left side of the pan balance. Continue to
build only yellow on one side and red on the other side until both sides are equal. What
do you notice?
Record your observations here:

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
4. Click on “Reset Balance”
5. This time put only blue shapes on one side and only yellow shapes on the other side
until the scale is balanced equally. Click on “Reset Balance.”
6. Look at the table on the right side of the pan balance. What can you infer about the
relationship between the red and the blue? Which one do you think weighs more?
____________________
7. Test out your theory. Put only blue on one side and red on the other side until the scale
is balanced. What did you
discover?______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
8. Click on “Reset Balance”
9. Now put only pink on one side and yellow on the other side until the scale is balanced.
10. Click on “Guess Weights”, enter your guesses for the weights, and check your
answers.
11. Now try out one of the other sets on the menu on the top of the pan balance and work
through it the same way you worked through Set 2.
12. What was different about this set? Record your observations here:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Adapted from NCTM Illuminatios Hudson Valley Staﬀ Developers Regional Network
Keeping Your Balance

Solve the four balance problems below. In each problem, use the
information from the balanced scales A and B to figure out what is
needed to balance scale C.

From

From Math Matters: Understanding the Math You Teach

Exploring Area and Perimeter
Count out 42 tiles and organize them into as many rectangles as possible. You
should be able to make 4 different size rectangles with 42 squares. Record the
length, width, area, and perimeter of each rectangle.
Area is the amount of square units within each rectangle.

Perimeter is the distance around the outside of each rectangle.
LENGTH WIDTH AREA PERIMETER
What do you notice about the area and perimeters of your four rectangles?
What do the length and width of each rectangle have in common with the
number 42?
Adapted from The CUNY HSE Curriculum Framework

Hudson Valley Regional Staff Developers Network
How many squares can you find in the above 4 x 4 square? You can use tiles to help you find the answer.

The Pinwheel Pattern
[
T
y
p
e
a
q
u
o
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 t
e
f
th
1. What would the 5 figure look like? Sketch it below or use the tiles to make a model r
of the 5th figure. o
m
t
h
e
d
o
c
u
m
e
n
t
o
r
t
2. What patterns do you see? h
e
s
u
m
m
a
r
y
o
f
a
n
Hudson Valley Staff Developers Regional Network 1 i
n
t
e
The Pinwheel Pattern
4. In a few sentences, describe how to figure out how many squares there would be in
Adapted from:
www.collectedny.org
www.visualpatterns.org - Visual Pattern #4
Hudson Valley Staff Developers Regional Network 2

un i t • 8 l e s s o n I / ac t i v i t y 3 / h a n d o u t
The Arch Problem, part 1

Look at the figures below. What do you notice?
Complete the following sentence:
As the figure number changes, ________________________________________

also changes.
THE CUNY HSE CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK • MATH UNIT 8: ALGEBRAIC REASONING THROUGH VISUAL PATTERNS 179
un i t • 8 l e s s o n I / ac t i v i t y 3 / h a n d o u t p g. 1

1 Sketch the next two figures.
Figure 4:
Figure 5:
180 UNIT 8: ALGEBRAIC REASONING THROUGH VISUAL PATTERNS THE CUNY HSE CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK • MATH
un i t • 8 l e s s o n I / ac t i v i t y 3 / h a n d o u t p g. 2
2 Complete the table to the right.

Number
Figure
of
Number
Squares
3 In a few sentences, describe what the tenth figure would look like.
1
4
5
4 Explain how you would figure out the number of squares in the
99th figure.
5 BONUS QUESTION: In a few sentences, describe how you would

determine how many squares there are in any figure in the pattern.
THE CUNY HSE CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK • MATH UNIT 8: ALGEBRAIC REASONING THROUGH VISUAL PATTERNS 181
un i t • 8 l e s s o n I / ac t i v i t y 3 / h a n d o u t

Which figure will have 175 squares in it?
BONUS QUESTION:
Which figure will have 44 squares in it?
182 UNIT 8: ALGEBRAIC REASONING THROUGH VISUAL PATTERNS THE CUNY HSE CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK • MATH
Reasoning with Division of Fractions
Directions: First, think about what is being asked. Then think about what might
be a reasonable answer. Finally, figure out the answer. You can draw a picture,
use a number line, or use tiles to solve. Then, check your answer with a calculator.
Problem Question Being Estimate Strategy to Solve

Asked
Example:
At least 3 since 2/3 is
How many 2/3
less than 1; probably 4
are there in 3?
3 ÷ 2/3 but less than 6 since
2/3 is more than 1/2 I have 4 sets of 2/3
and 1/2 of another
2/3. 3 ÷ 2/3 = 4
1/2
4 ÷ 1/2
2 ÷ 1/5
Adapted from The Math Practitioner Volume 15 Issue 3 Spring 2010 Page 1
Problem Question Being Estimate Strategy to Solve
Asked
6 ÷ 1/3
4 ÷ 3/5
4 ÷ 3/4
Adapted from The Math Practitioner Volume 15 Issue 3 Spring 2010 Page 2
One zip weighs as much as 3 zaps.
2 zaps weigh as much as 5 zowies.
3 zowies weigh as much as 2 swooshes.
If one swoosh weighs 60 pounds, how many pounds does a zip
weigh?
The Handshake Problem:
The Supreme Court of the United States
There are nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court. Every year, the Supreme Court
session begins with each judge shaking hands with every other judge.
Chief Justice Melville W. Fuller (1888-1910) started this custom, saying it shows "that
the harmony of aims, if not views, is the court's guiding principle."
If each justice shakes hands exactly once with each of the other justices, how many
handshakes will there be? Show how you got your answer.
The Bicycle Shop Problem
A bicycle shop has a total inventory of 36, some bicycles and some tricycles. Altogether, the bicycles
and tricycles have a total of 80 wheels. How many of each type of bike are in the bicycle shop?

 The sum of two numbers is 65 and the difference of the same two numbers is 19.
Can you figure out what the two numbers are?




Farmer Montague raises chickens and goats. She is not sure how many she has
of each animal, but she does know she has 22 animals all together. She also
knows that all together, her animals have 56 legs. How many of each type of
animal does Farmer Montague have?

The Painted Cube
Activity 1 – How many faces are painted yellow?
Using 1-centimeter white cubes, Sally builds a 3 x 3 x 3 cube. Sally paints

all of the faces of the big cube with yellow paint. Then she breaks it back
down into 1-centimeter cubes.
How many of the 1-centimeter cubes have no yellow faces at all?
Exactly one face painted yellow?
Exactly two faces painted yellow?
Exactly three faces painted yellow?
More than three faces painted yellow?
How do you know your conclusions are correct? Explain.
1 Hudson Valley Staff Developers Regional Network

The Painted Cube
Activity 2 – What if the cube was bigger or smaller?
Fill in the table below with your findings from Activity 1 for a cube that is
3 x 3 x 3, then explore cubes with different side lengths and complete the
rest of the table.
Length of Number of Number of Number of Number of Number of Total

the Sides cubes with cubes with cubes with cubes with cubes with number of
0 faces 1 face 2 faces 3 faces more than 3 1-cm
(x) painted painted painted painted faces cubes in
painted larger cube
2
3
4
5
What patterns do you notice after all the information is filled in?

The Painted Cube
Activity 3 – A closer look at 2 faces painted
1. How many cubes would have 2 faces painted if the cube was
10 x 10 x 10?
2. Can you create a rule that would predict how many 1 cm cubes
would have 2 faces painted if the side length of the cube was any
number (n)?
3. Use graph paper to graph the information you gathered for cubes
that have 2 faces painted. Put the length of sides on the x-axis and
the number of cubes with 2 faces painted on the y-axis.

The Painted Cube
Activity 4 – A closer look at 1 face painted
1. How may cubes would have 1 face painted if the cube was
10 x 10 x 10?
2. Can you create a rule that would predict how many 1 cm cubes would
have 1 face painted if the side length of the cube was any
number (n)?
3. Use graph paper to graph the information you gathered for cubes that
have 1 face painted. Put the length of sides on the x-axis and the
number of cubes with 1 face painted on the y-axis.

The Painted Cube
Activity 5 – Comparing Your Graphs
Compare the graphs that you made in Activity 3 and Activity 4.
1. How are they the same?
2. How are they different?
3. Which graph do you think represents a linear relationship? Explain

your reasoning.
4. Which graph do you think represents a quadratic relationship?

Explain your reasoning.

The Painted Cube – Teacher’s Notes
About This Set of Activities
This version of The Painted Cube is segmented into several activities that
increase in difficulty with the idea of making The Painted Cube accessible
to all of our students, while providing extension activities for students that
finish the activity quickly and are working at a more advanced level.
If you plan to do the entire set of activities with all your students, you might
want to scaffold the activities over several days, doing one each day, and
providing students with follow up activities to build on each new level of
understanding. Each activity should be accompanied by lots of discussion,
with students explaining how they came to their conclusions. It is important
that students come to a concrete understanding of each of the conditions of
Activity 1 before moving to the next activity and so on.
Allow plenty of time for productive struggle. Students may not understand
what they are looking for at first, so students should be encouraged to
deconstruct the problem and explain it in their own words before they jump
into problem solving.
Building Background Knowledge
Before doing this set of activities with your students, you may want to try
doing a similar one-dimensional pattern activity that leads to graphing, such
as The Patio Project in EMPower Seeking Patterns, Building Rules. Then,
students will be able to transition to The Painted Cube with some
experience in looking for patterns in square and rectangle designs, thinking
about rules that describe those patterns, and graphing linear equations.
Encourage Use of Visual Models
 Interlocking cube manipulatives

 Centimeter dot paper
 Graph paper
 Animated version of Painted Cube at: http://nrich.maths.org/2322

Questions to ask to facilitate productive struggle
 Can you draw a picture of the situation?

 Can you make a model of the cube with the blocks?
 Can you use the centimeter dot paper to draw/make a cube?
 What do you already know about the cube?
 What do you see (when you look at the drawing or the cube)?
 What do you notice about the cubes that have 3 faces painted?
 What do you notice about the cubes that have 2 faces painted?
 Where would the cubes with no faces painted be?
 What questions do you have?
 How do you know this answer is correct?
 Can you show us how you arrived at your conclusion?
Questions to ask to extend the activity

Vocabulary
 How many edges does any size cube have?

 How many faces does any size cube have?
 How many vertices does any size cube have?
Comparing cubes with different side lengths:
 What stays the same when the cube side lengths increase?
 What changes when the cube side lengths increase?
Refer to your table from Activity 2 for the following:
 What would a graph that represents 0-faces painted look like?

 What would a graph that represents 3-faces painted look like?
 What would a graph that represents total number of cubes look like?
 How do you know?

Activity 1 – How many faces are painted yellow?
Using 1-centimeter white cubes, Sally builds a 3 x 3 x 3 cube. Sally paints

all of the faces of the big cube with yellow paint. Then she breaks it back
down into 1-centimeter cubes.
How many of the 1-centimeter cubes have no yellow faces at all? = 1
Exactly one face painted yellow? = 6
Exactly two faces painted yellow? = 12
Exactly three faces painted yellow? = 8
More than three faces painted yellow? = 0
How do you know your conclusions are correct? Explain.
Explanations will vary.
Many students will have difficulty putting their thinking into words on
paper. Ask them to show the class how they came up with their
conclusions.

Activity 2 – What if the cube was bigger or smaller?
Fill in the table below with your findings from Activity 1 for a cube that is
3 x 3 x 3, then explore cubes with different side lengths and complete the
rest of the table.
Length of Number of Number of Number of Number of Number of Total

the Sides cubes with cubes with cubes with cubes with cubes with number of
0 faces 1 face 2 faces 3 faces more than 3 1-cm
(x) painted painted painted painted faces cubes in
painted larger cube
2 0 0 0 8 0 8
3 1 6 12 8 0 27
4 8 24 24 8 0 64
5 27 54 36 8 0 125
What patterns do you notice after all the information is filled in?
Possible responses:
The number of cubes with 2 faces painted increases by 12 every time

the side length is increased by 1.
The number of cubes with 3 faces painted is always 8.
I don’t see any patterns. (Respond to this with questions such as: How do
you know if something is a pattern? What do you see happening in the
column with 3 faces painted? How is that different from the column with 2
faces painted?)

Extension Activity 1 – A closer look at 2 faces painted
1. How many cubes would have 2 faces painted if the cube was
10 x 10 x 10?
96
2. Can you create a rule that would predict how many 1 cm cubes
would have 2 faces painted if the side length of the cube was any
number (n)?
Students should be encouraged here to write an explanation of

the pattern or rule. Some students may be able to represent the
rule as a linear equation or function.
12(n-2) or 12n – 24 or f(n) = 12n – 24
3. Use graph paper to graph the information you gathered for cubes
that have 2 faces painted. Put the length of side on the x-axis and
the number of cubes with 2 faces painted on the y-axis.

Extension Activity 1 - A closer look at 1 face painted
1. How may cubes would have 1 face painted if the cube was
10 x 10 x 10?
384
2. Can you create a rule that would predict how many 1 cm cubes would
have 1 face painted if the side length of the cube was any
number (n)?
Students should be encouraged here to write an explanation of

the pattern or rule. Some students may be able to represent the
rule as a quadratic equation or function.
6(n-2)² or 6(n-2)(n-2) or f(n) = 6n² – 24n + 24
3. Use graph paper to graph the information you gathered for cubes that
have 1 face painted. Put the length of side on the x-axis and the
number of cubes with 1 face painted on the y-axis.

Extension Activity 1 – Comparing Your Graphs
Compare the graphs that you made in Activity 3 and Activity 4.
1. How are they the same?
Possible responses:
They both have the same edge length on the x-axis
2. How are they different?
Possible responses:
The graph with one-face painted is a curved line and the graph with
two-faces painted is a straight line.
The numbers go higher up on the y-axis on the graph with one-face

painted.
3. Which graph do you think represents a linear relationship? Explain

your reasoning.
Cubes with 2 faces painted. Explanations will vary.
4. Which graph do you think represents a quadratic relationship?

Explain your reasoning.
Cubes with 1 face painted. Explanations will vary.

Extension Activity 2 – Group Work – Graphing
As an alternative to Extension Activity 1 you may want to do the following

extension activity after students have completed the table in Activity 2.
Break students up into four groups and assign each group a graph to
represent one column of the table in Activity 2.
 Group 1 – Graph cubes with 1 face

o Area – a quadratic relationship
o 6(n-2)² or 6(n-2)(n-2) or f(n) = 6n² - 24n + 24
 Group 2 – Graph cubes with 2 faces
o The edges grow consistently – linear relationship.
o 12(n-2) or 12n-24 or f(n) = 12n-24
 Group 3 – Graph cubes with 3 faces
o This is a type of linear relationship that is constant
o n = 8 or (f) n = 8
 Group 4 – Graph total number of cubes
o This grows in volume – a cubic relationship
o n³ or f(n) = n³
After all four groups have completed their graphs, lead a discussion to
compare the graphs and explore the following questions:
 Can we create a rule that would describe what is happening in each

graph? (Rule may be described by student as explicit or recursive.)
 Which graph represents a linear relationship?
 Which graph represents a quadratic relationship?
 Which graph represents a cubic relationship?
 Which graph represents a constant relationship?
 Can we represent the rules as an equation or function?
Resources: NYSED Common Core/TASC Math Teacher Learning & Leadership Institute,
Frogs, Fleas, and Painted Cubes, education.ti.com, http://nrich.maths.org/2322

Condo Challenge
Building planners are designing a new
condo building. They develop the
model to the right, with each small
cube representing a condominium.
1. How many cubes are needed to

build the six-condo high model of
Quadratic Condominiums shown to
the right?
2. How many cubes would be needed

to build a twelve-cube high model?
3. Explain how you got your answers for the first and second questions. Can you
think of any other ways of solving this problem?

4. How many cubes would be needed to build a model of any height? Explain your
thinking and make a rule.
5. How could your findings help the builders of Quadratic Condominiums?

The Rising Smokestack
[
T
y
p
e
a
q
u
o
t
1. What would the 6th figure look like? Sketch it below or use the snap cubes to make a e
model of the 6th figure. f
r
o
m
t
h
e
d
o
c
u
m
e
n
t
o
r
2. What patterns do you see?
t
h
e
s
u
m
m
a
r
y
o
f
a
P a g e 1 | Hudson Valley Staff Developers Regional Network n
i
n
t
e
The Rising Smokestack
4. In a few sentences, describe how to figure out how many cubes there would be in
Adapted from:
www.collectedny.org
www.visualpatterns.org - Visual Pattern #2
P a g e 2 | Hudson Valley Staff Developers Regional Network

The Aquarium Problem
You have been asked to design an aquarium in the shape of a

rectangular prism for the school visitor’s lounge. Because of the
type of fish being purchased, the pet store recommends that the
aquarium should hold 36 cubic feet of water. Find as many
different dimensions for the aquarium as possible. Then decide
which aquarium you would recommend for the lounge and explain
why you made that choice.
You can use the snap cubes to build models of the aquariums.
Each snap cube represents 1 cubic feet of water.
Adapted from From Kabiri, M. S., and N. L. Smith “Turning Traditional Textbook Problems into Open-Ended
Problems,” Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, Vol. 9, No. 3, 2003, 186-92.
Page 30
APPENDIX 3
ANN – The Adult Numeracy Network
http://www.adultnumeracynetwork.org/
Balance Mathematics Instruction by Balancing Shapes

http://techtipsforteachers.weebly.com/blog/balance-mathematics-instruction-by-balancing-shapes
CollectEdNY
http://www.collectedny.org/category/subjects/math/
Deepen Conceptual Understanding in Math with Virtual Manipulatives (and it’s fun!)
http://www.collectedny.org/2015/02/deepen-conceptual-understanding-in-math-with-virtual-
manipulatives/
Functions: Bridging from Concrete Understanding to Abstract Representations

http://techtipsforteachers.weebly.com/blog/functions-bridging-from-concrete-understanding-to-
abstract-representations
Mathematics Assessment Project

http://map.mathshell.org/
Math Memos
http://www.collectedny.org/mathmemos/
Pattern Block Lessons – The Math Learning Center

http://catalog.mathlearningcenter.org/files/pdfs/PBLCCSS35-0412w.pdf
The CUNY HSE Curriculum Framework – Problem Solving in Functions and Algebra
http://www.cuny.edu/academics/programs/notable/CATA/lit/hseframework/Section4CUNYHSEFra
meworkMath.pdf
The Positive Engagement Project

http://www.pepnonprofit.org/mathematics.html
The Product Game – NCTM Illuminations

http://illuminations.nctm.org/Lesson.aspx?id=5729
Using Benchmark Fractions Plus – EMPower Sampler

http://empower.terc.edu/pdf/UB%20Sampler_March2014.pdf
Visual Patterns
http://www.visualpatterns.org/
Page 30

Guide How To Plan A Math Fair

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Patricia

Helmuth A How-To Guide

In the Spring of 2015, the Adult Program of Sullivan County BOCES, NY

A digital copy of this How-To Guide, PowerPoint Presentation for Professional

Review of Student Numeracy Adventures Day, by Andrew Carnright Page 4

Interview with Linda Blanton Page 6

Professional Development for Staff Page 8

Objectives & Planning Page 9

Promoting the Event Page 10

More Staff Development Page 11

The Buy In Page 12

The Number of the Day Page 13

Number Line Activity Page 14

The Product Game Page 15

Pattern Block Activities Page 16

Tile Activities Page 17

Snap Cube Activities Page 18

Internet Activities Page 19

Cards and Dice Page 20

Open-Ended and Non-Routine Problems Page 21

Incentives and Door Prizes Page 22

Final Thoughts Page 23

Appendix 1 – Teacher Resources and Professional Development Page 26

Appendix 2 – Math Fair Activities Page 27

Appendix 3 – Online links to additional resources Page 30

What preparations do you think helped the math fair to be a success?

 Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice

 Make math accessible for students at all ability levels

 Create community within our program, including our satellite locations

Writing the activities that I was interested in

1. Pattern Block Activities

Many of the activities that we used for the

The flyers, pictured on the left, were printed, in

One added benefit that

I would do this differently

I made some changes to the number line activity

Also, in the original set of number line cards, the

Note: There are a few cards that are open-

The number line student cards and the marker

For information on how to download directions and handouts for the

A number of tile activities are included in Appendix 2.

The ability to find a way into

In Appendix 1 you’ll find a great

Go to www.mathmemos.org to access a collection of rich math problems that

At a recent staff meeting we discussed the

Also, the prize table at times was over

We had drawings for door prizes twice during the

Tip: If you’re short on prizes, start collecting

Happy Math Adventures to All!

[2] Virtual vs. Concrete Manipulatives in Mathematics Teacher Education:

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Please share your math fair adventures with me at:

NYSED/CUNY Mathematics Teacher Leader Training Institutes

 Sample Photograph/Video Release Form

 There is usually a right answer  There is usually a right answer

NYS Common Core/TASC Math Teacher Learning & Leadership Institute

NYS Common Core/TASC Math Teacher Learning & Leadership Institute

NYS Common Core/TASC Math Teacher Learning & Leadership Institute

NYS Common Core/TASC Math Teacher Learning & Leadership Institute