Deliberate Mistakes

Image: weandserendipity.com
I'm ever on the sentinel for novel ideas for GCSE revision lessons. If I write most this persuasion at nowadays in addition to hence hopefully I'll retrieve it come upwardly Spring.

This twelvemonth I had non bad success alongside relay races in addition to carousels inward my revision lessons. I likewise did some pupil-led lessons which were a lot less successful.

This 'deliberate mistakes' persuasion is something I've adapted from this blog post, hence give cheers you lot to @bkdidact for sharing the link in addition to @kellyoshea for the inspiration. I've never seen this inward maths earlier but it may endure that many of you lot already create it, if hence in addition to hence I'd similar to hear your feedback.

The Mistake Game
Students, inward pairs or pocket-sized groups, are given a employment to solve in addition to explicate to the class. In their explanation, they must include a deliberate mistake. Not exactly a numerical slip, but something that highlights a possible misconception that their classmates powerfulness have.

If I role this for GCSE revision in addition to hence by essay questions (the longer, unstructured types) would operate best - there's some examples inward this first-class laid of questions from Suffolk Maths. But this persuasion could likewise operate when educational activity specific topics. I mean value I may endeavour it this twelvemonth when educational activity both trigonometry in addition to probability trees.

For example, if you lot role the Mistake Game when educational activity Pythagoras' Theorem, you lot could role this inquiry (solve for x):


The mutual error hither is to non foursquare the four (though students may come upwardly up alongside something else).

Here's some other example, from this worksheet from thechalkface.net.


There's numerous things they could (deliberately) create incorrect inward this one!

When each grouping goes through their inquiry on the board, their classmates volition endure listening carefully to location the mistake, hence it's non bad for getting students to focus. I'm non certain how best to organise the responses. Perhaps students could lay their paw upwardly every bit presently every bit they location the error hence it tin endure corrected similar a shot in addition to and hence the residue of the solution tin endure done correctly. Or peradventure when the grouping cause got finished presenting their amount explanation, a volunteer could come upwardly up to the board in addition to right their work. Or maybe later each presentation the students could utter over the employment inward their groups, create upwardly one's hear what was incorrect in addition to re-do the inquiry correctly.

This is a chip similar 'tick or trash' exercises - it's helpful for pupils to endure aware of mutual mistakes. I've likewise used these 'Classic Mistakes' inward previous revision lessons.

The Mistake Game is likewise a practiced chance for students to encounter each other’s approaches to solving problems in addition to utter over the effectiveness of dissimilar methods.

I mean value this action volition engage the whole shape - I'll endeavour it out in addition to allow you lot know! If you've ever tried anything similar this in addition to hence delight part your thoughts. I recommend reading most the sense of the instructor who wrote the original post. As she says, ‘we all larn to a greater extent than when a incorrect respond goes upwardly than when we’re exactly watching perfection’.


Image: bigthink.com