Which One Doesn't Belong?

We have been experiencing lots of opportunities to practice our critical thinking skills.  I can see you all growing in your thought process.  Do you remember when we did our first "Which One Doesn't Belong?"  Many of you thought that there could only be one right answer with one explanation.  Now when we do these puzzles you are able to explain multiple reasons why one doesn't belong. 

Today's Challenge: I want you to take a look at these four spinners.  Which one doesn't belong?  Why?  See if you can come up with at least one reason why each of the four spinners doesn't belong.  As usual, first names only in the comments.

Bonus Puzzle

You all have been doing a fabulous job with our Challenge Puzzle Warm Ups.  I'm so glad that you are enjoying them.  These puzzles helps us improve our critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Because you all have so much fun with these puzzles I wanted to give you a bonus puzzle today.  You have the weekend to work on this puzzle.  Answers including explanations must be submitted in the comment section before class on Monday.  I will randomly select one entry with the correct answer to scan a QR code for a prize.

Reminder: First names only in comments.

How Do You Show a Growth Mindset?

Growth Mindset is something we have spent a lot of time talking about.  Persevering even when things get hard and telling yourself you can do whatever you set out to do.  Will you fail?  Only if you don't learn from your mistakes.  Henry Ford said, "I would rather build a big plane and learn something, even if it didn't fly, than to build a smaller one that worked perfectly and not learn anything."  We learn from our mistakes.  Our brains grow more when we make a mistake and learn from it than when we accomplish something with little effort and no mistakes.

Today's Challenge: Share in the comments about a time when you practiced a growth mindset.  What did you learn?  How did the situation or experience turn out in the end?  Remember to only share your first name.  No last names.

Math is Everywhere

"When will I ever used this in real life?"

Have you asked that question in regards to what you were learning in Math class?  Maybe you've never asked that question, but you've heard a classmate ask that question.  Possibly you've never voiced that question but you have thought about it.

Did you know math is all around us?  Everywhere you look math is being used.  It may not look exactly like the problems you've seen in math class over the years, but it is there.

Are you a sports fanatic?  Do you have a favorite player or team?  If you do I bet you know the stats for that player or team.  How many touchdowns did they score last year?  What is their batting average?  Those stats are a great example of math being used outside of the classroom.

Okay so maybe you aren't a big sports fan, but you do enjoy baking a delicious batch of chocolate chip cookies.  I bet you follow a recipe when you make those cookies so you don't use too much flour and ruin the batch.  That recipe you're following is full of measurements and fractions.  If you want to make more or less than the recipe says it will make, you have to multiply or divide.  Baking your favorite treat cannot be done without doing a little math.

These are just two examples of math being used outside of the classroom.  There are countless more examples out there.  Your challenge today is to look around and take notice of the math being used all around you.  Leave a comment sharing where and how you see math being used in every day life.  Remember to use your first name only in your  comment.