Math Group Work While Social Distancing in the Classroom
2020 has forced teachers to adapt in ways we never would have predicted. I love group work, but how can students work in groups if they are not supposed to interact closely? One way to incorporate collaborative activities is through group math challenges!
In these activities, four students work independently but in a “group.” Once all four have completed their own page of math problems, their pages join together to form a picture! During a regular year, students might help each other along the way. If social distancing is required, these can still encourage a team effort.
Read on to see how they work!
First, students solve their own set of math problems.
Four different sheets are included, so each member of the group must complete the work themselves!
Students color each space according to its solution.
When all the group members are finished, together the 4 sheets join to create a picture. (Making it easy to spot mistakes!)
Students enjoy working on these challenges, and they are not easy! The problems are standards-based and designed for a wide range of abilities. Will all of the the pictures turn out perfectly? Probably not! But misconceptions will be easy to see based on the work.
Give these group math challenges a try in your classroom. Below are links to various topics.
Thank you for reading! Hope your school year is off to a great start.
-Rachael
