I’ve been exhausted with this pregnancy, so I’ve been having my students work on tons of activities to keep them busy. Recently, my Geometry Honors students needed to review for their upcoming Area and Perimeter unit test and my Algebra 2 Honors students needed to review for their upcoming Exponentials and Logarithms unit test. I decided to use task cards and have them play “Speed Dating”. To make it mildly more interesting, I usually call it “Speed Math-ing”.
First, I gather all the task cards that I want to use. This time, I used a crazy combination of task cards in my TPT store and some textbook problems that I had handwritten on scratch paper. I wrote the answer to each card very lightly in pencil on the back of each card.
Here, I used my Exponential and Logarithmic Equations Task Cards, my Expanding and Condensing Logarithmic Expressions Task Cards, and a variety of word problems from my student’s textbook.
For my Geometry students, I used my Area and Perimeter Task Cards, my Area of Regular Polygons Task Cards, and some additional handwritten problems gathered from other places.
Before school, I lined up all the desks in two rows facing each other. I let my students pick their seats as they came in. I wrote on the board, “Make a good decision choosing your seat. I reserve the right to move you.”
Then, I gave each student a task card and told them to work the problem on their card. I was a little strategic about this. I gave kids that have been struggling easier problems to solve. They could check their answer on the back of the card. I told them to ask me or the person sitting next to them (not across) if they needed help, but that it was important that they understand their problem.
When they were all finished, I explained how speed dating works. When they get their partner, I will start a timer and they will switch cards with their partner. They will work the problem on their partner’s task card. If they have questions, their partner is the “expert” on that problem. They can check their answer on the back of the card.
When the timer goes off, they switch back to get their original card. Then, one side of the partners “rotates”. For instance, I had them move one chair to the left. Then, we started the whole process again.
This was the first time I had done Speed Math-ing this year and it was AMAZING. My students were relatively quiet and working the entire class period. Also, they all got their questions answered by their peers. I sat in my desk chair most of the period with my feet up (#pregnantladyproblems) working individually with my lowest level students. This activity gave me the opportunity to relax a little and work one on one with my students that needed me most. Win!
My Geometry Honors students even requested that we do this again and that I teach their teacher for next year how to play. Ahhh… My new favorite task card activity!
