Category: Uncategorized

Finding a Midpoint

  1. Preston has three homework grades:   50, 75, 80.  What is his average?

2. There are 5 bowls of cereal left at the breakfast bar.  If two guys want to equally share the leftover cereal, show how you would calculate how much each would get:

3. There are six green Skittles and four blue Skittles left in the bowl at the daycare where Saundra works after school. There are still two toddlers left waiting for someone to pick them up.  If Saundra wants to share them equally with the toddlers (and knowing how important color is), how many would each toddler get?

4. There are five leftover donut holes in one box left in the locker room and 8 left in the other box. If two players want to share them equally, show how you would calculate the mean (average):

5. There are two mini muffins leftover in one box left in the locker room and 6 left in the other box. How many of those would each player get if they each get the “average.”

Suppose x represents donut holes and y represents muffins as (x, y). Find the average of (5, 2) and (8,6)

The “average” is  (      ,       )

SUMMARY STATEMENT:

 Finding a “midpoint” between two points is the same thing as:

Getting Started

Problem-based learning can be a huge leap from customary direct mathematics instruction.  Students don’t know what to do, and teachers don’t know how much to let students struggle.  Discovery activities can gently introduce students and teachers to coaching situations with similar characteristics as PBL.  Here are some simple activities that easily slip in as replacements for direct instruction and whet our students’ appetites for problem-based learning without deviating from our curriculum.  Choose a category on the right. Try some activities then create some and submit for all to enjoy. New categories will be added as contributions arrive.