Title:

Adaptation: Developing Open Problems from Closed Curricula

Presenter: Geoff Krall

Discusses the difficult job that is writing a textbook successfully and that they can be
used as a great resource
o To write a textbook requires between 1350 to 4800 problems, just for
practice. Even if 1% of those problems can be successfully adapted, we have a
bank of 13.5 to 48 problems to start from.
A typical lesson involves instruction and then students practice this new skill
through problems. Geoff is presenting on flipping this, by presenting problems and
then using instruction to save the day, where students generate the questions and
the need for instruction.
Will discuss the why, how and what of adapting current curricula

Why?: Why use pre-defined textbook problems to modify?
Ideas: If 1% of a textbooks problems are quality, that is a somewhat large bank of
problems to start from and not have to do the grunt-work for.
Ensures the attempted standard is met
Time
Good formative assessment and assessment practice

How?: How do we use pre-defined textbook problems to modify?
Analyzed some pros and cons of various problems
Problem
Pros
Cons
Alternate Interior Angles on
Authentic
Gives necessary info, should
a Work Bench
flip the ? to say how can we
ensure the table is flat
Give counterexample for
Uses key vocabulary and
States it is false from the get-
addresses a common
go, only allows for one way
+ ! = ! + !
misconception
to prove it is false
Question regarding a leaky
Shows how things can be
students will struggle to
propane tank
viewed linearly, is a good
relate, it jumps to the
springboard
equation first instead of
doing a concrete example to
build up to the abstract

What? What will adapted curricula entail and look like?
Can include multiple entry points with a single solution
Can include single entry and single solution, but open middle (method)
Can include single entry and multiple solutions (open-ended)




Opening up the

Prep Period
Time
15

1-2 hours

1 day

Beginning
Start with the answer: Ex:
Instead of find the area of
a 4x6 rectangle, say, find
the dimensions of a
rectangles with 24 ft2

Middle

WYR-ize the
problem (would you
rather): Ex: Would
you rather run for
12 minutes at 10
MPH or 20 minutes
at 6 MPH? Would
you rather receive
tip A or tip B as a
waitress?
Blurs and Bleeps (take out Remove the steps
some of the necessary
(just show a picture
information: similar cans
of the Titanic
of Coke, what is calories of survivors for each
the smaller can?)
class and ask which
class has the best
chance of surviving)
to be saved for later.
Repurpose the
beginning questions
that gear a student
up for the abstract
as hint cards.
Ask: Why is this
Do the research:
important? Ex: Fuel
Find the data, look
efficiency for light bulbs or up efficiency of light
cars in systems of
bulbs, cars, actual
equations/inequalities
population
numbers. BE
AWARE, if students
do the research the
numbers they get
might not fit the
standard that we
are aiming for

End
Choose your own problem. Ex:
Students choose which problems
from a problem set they want to do
and which ones they dont. Then they
have to write why they chose the
ones they did and the ones they
didnt.

Do the Dang Thing: Follow-up

questions by actually physically
doing the problem with your own
hands and tangible items.

NO, actually do the dang thing. Ex:

Optimal sprinkler position
(musingmathematically.blogspot.com
by Nat Banting) or modeling the
decline of the desert bighorn sheep
by having a rep from the parks and
wildlife service send in a letter to the
students.

Want the time it takes to plan to be correlated to the time it takes the class to complete the
activity

Resources can be found at: emergentmath.com/nctm_adaptation