Math class is generally very concerned with finding right answers, which makes sense. Right answers are often very useful, but try to . . .
. . . start with a wrong answer.
Wrong answers have lots of value as well. There are more of them than right answers, for one, so they’re often easier to find. And if we know an answer is wrong, we can often ask ourselves, “How do I know this is wrong? What does that tell me about an answer that is right?”
So if your students are struggling to understand what a tape diagram is trying to communicate, feel free to start with a wrong answer first. “What’s wrong with this?”
Or make the x bars too short and ask, “What’s wrong with this bar?”
Intentionally asking for wrong answers and helping students see their value invites more students to participate in your math classes and learn more math as a result.
Dan & the Desmos Classroom Team
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