Hi {{custom.firstName}},

Welcome to Unit 4! Before we get going, please help us out with some feedback on Unit 3.

Now let’s think more about teacher moves that invite student thinking, that put students at ease and free them to bring their early and contextual knowledge, and use it to make everyone smarter.

Start with a wrong answer.

On Screen 2, we ask students to calculate the length of a bar that is 20% longer.

Some students may not yet feel ready for this question. Their knowledge of percentages is still developing. Something you might do beforehand to put them at ease is ask for a wrong answer.

Draw a bar that you know is the wrong answer. Draw a bar you know is too short. Okay, now draw a bar you know is too long. Now, how did you come up with those wrong answers?

By asking for a wrong answer, you’re saying, “I know you have something valuable in your head about percentages, even if it isn’t the right answer yet, and I’m eager to know what you know.”

Kids love that, and it’ll help them get momentum toward understanding the mathematics of percent increase later.

Have a fantastic lesson!

Dan & the Desmos Classroom Team

PS. Please give us feedback on the last lesson.

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