Quarter the Cross

If y'all haven't tried "Quarter the Cross" yet alongside your students, what are y'all waiting for??? Not certain what "Quarter the Cross" is? You must destination straightaway together with read David Butler's spider web log post nigh it! David has created a hundred solutions to this puzzle together with made them into a beautiful graphic. Seriously, destination reading this post service together with start out reading his!

Want to know a fun fact? David industrial plant at Adelaide University, the same academy inwards Commonwealth of Australia that my husband graduated from. It's crazy how twitter makes the basis seem SO much smaller!

This year, I am instruction a shape called "Math Concepts." It is a shape for ninth graders who are non yet create for Algebra 1. During the starting fourth dimension semester, nosotros worked on basic equation solving, integers, fractions, together with decimals. Fractions were a huge scrap for the entire class, together with I bring to acknowledge that I did non realize simply how many misconceptions they had. We definitely improved inwards our agreement of fractions, but I nevertheless experience similar these students bring sooooooo many gaps.

Initially, I was scared to orbit my students this assignment because I was afraid they wouldn't endure able to figure out how to shade 1/4 of the cross. At first, they wanted to color inwards i of the squares. We had a lovely conversation nigh how that wouldn't run because that would hateful nosotros had colored exclusively 1/5 of the shape. Soon, a pupil suggested that nosotros could simply describe lines to split the cross into 4 shapes. Then, nosotros could color i of these sections. Once my students saw what 1/4 of the shape looked like, they started coming upwards alongside all kinds of their ain solutions. I shouldn't bring doubted what these students were capable of!

One pupil was super pleased alongside i of the designs she came upwards with, together with therefore she kept showing it to other students. So, a few of the designs are a flake to a greater extent than similar than I had hoped for. I can't acquire also mad, though, because it's super exciting to come across my students excited nigh math!

Here are their solutions:

I dear that fifty-fifty the imperfect solutions orbit me insights into how my students visualize fractions. I recollect the bottom left solution inwards the to a higher house motion-picture demonstrate would endure a skillful conversation starter alongside students!

Want this awesome canvass to purpose alongside your students? I downloaded it from David Butler's spider web log post. He also has a canvass that has i large cross for students to decorate. I printed these out, but nosotros ran out of time. I recollect nosotros may become dorsum together with revisit this activity afterward Christmas Break is over because i of my students mentioned during the final calendar week of final semester that nosotros should practise "those cross things again." I justice that way this activity is a truthful keeper!