Practical Pedagogies Köln 2024
A carousel of tried and tested engaging investigations for participants to do that combine both inquiry, investigation, cognitive load and ‘regular checks for learning’ approaches aimed at (I)GCSE and IB(SL&HL) levels. Hands-on, teamwork and computer-based activities with plenty of opportunities for sharing our professional experiences.
"Feel" the function of nature's curves!
Make the graphs that match the functions on the presentation!
Presentation slides
Detalied activities and resources
These two wire curves are different representations by students of the same function: Could they both be right? You can use your body to represent a function, now its time to sculpt some wire and "feel" the function: its highs, lows and turning points.
Just as a musician can hear a symphony when she/he sees a score of music, so a mathematician can see in algebraic functions the symphony of natures curves and lines, the blueprints of the universe!
Make a curve, then discuss the similarities and differences in each others wire curves, is there more than one way of representing the same function? Give reasons: try and use the graphs specific vocabularly you have learnt to describe your curves: x-intercept, amplitude, period, maximum etc.
Vernier data loggersCan you match your movement to the graph!
Audacity: Modelling Sound
Download Audacity software from here.
Download a sound you want to model from here.
Detailed activities and resources (thinkigcse.net)
Modelling Data
Can you match a suitable function (using your knowledge of the key points and trends of different 'families' of functions to a context/real-world situation to the correct data table?
Detailed activities and resources
T-test: Girls and Boys - who are the most coordinated?
Detailed activity and resources
Divide yourself into two groups: boys and girls (by sex or by gender etc) - or any other two groups (the t-test we will use is for two groups only) your class suspects, or is unsure, demonstrates differences in coordination.
Throw the ball (your teacher may give you a whole variety of different balls to try!) against a wall.
One-handed throws.
Whatever hand you throw it with you must catch it in the opposite hand.
Technically, the T-test is for continuous data (e.g. the time, in seconds, it takes you to fully complete 30 clean catches), but provided samples are large, it could be used for discrete data as the t-test is a test on the sample means i.e. you can count number of catches in a set period of time e.g. 1 minute.
Penalties for not catching the ball can be included e.g. +5 seconds for each catch missed! but the ball will bounce around the room/space and cost you time anyway!
See below for details & ways you can organise this activity. See the slides and practice question here for more details on the calculating the T-test values and its assumptions.
Matching Distributions
Match these cards! Experience for students of what some key elements of a statistics and International Baccalauréat Internal Assessment might look like, with a focus on "interpretation".
Functions carnival is a great way to introduce differentiation to students. The 'Marble slides' activity is a very addictive way to get students practising, and thinking in-depth, about their linear and quadratics knowledge etc .
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