This blog entry is intended to share an amazing resource I have been using in my math classroom this year- 3 Act Math. This is not an idea of my own but one that I have found useful, and I wanted to share it here with you. The format was created by Dan Meyer.

Many math classrooms struggle to find the opportunity to implement real life applications and require authentic reasoning. 3-Act Math scenarios do just that. Each scenario is set up with three different “acts” or steps in the reasoning process.

• Act 1- Students are introduced to a scenario through a short video. The question being answered is given and students are given time to determine what information they want to know to help them solve the question.
• Act 2- Students are provided with the specific information that they request to help solve the question.
• Act 3- After students have been given time to solve the question, the answer is given (usually in a video form again). This then allows for great discussion of the different strategies used by students allowing you as the teacher to grasp the reasoning and approach being used.

I have found that these activities in my pre-algebra class take about 35-40 minutes. Some questions are more challenging than others. My students were a bit slow to grab on to the idea and go with it. I think this was mostly due to the fact that the idea was not anything they had every experienced in math class before. Over time, they have become more confident and are able to work more quickly through the challenges. In my classroom, students are divided into “3-Act Math partner teams”. I rotate these teams each quarter to allow students to work with various students throughout the year. I encourage a lot of verbal discussion to give students the opportunity to hear how other students think.

There are quite a few 3-Act Math Challenges available online in a variety of grade levels.

These are some of my favorites:

• Central Park-  Students determine the percentage of Manhatten that Central Park covers. This is a great supplement for my unit on proportions, unit conversions and ratios.
• 98 Pizzas– Students determine if all 98 pizzas will fit in the car of the driver. This is helpful in my geometry unit focusing on surface areas and volume.
• Bucky the Badger- This is the funniest one my students have completed so far. The mascot Bucky the Badger has a ridiculous number of push ups to complete as his team has a run-away football game. Students calculate Bucky’s total that must be completed throughout the entire game.

For many more fun 3-Act Math Activities, check out these sites. We would love to hear in the comments below if you find one that your students particularly love. Share it with us!

• Dan Meyer 3-Act Math
• When Math Happens
• G Fletchy
• Andrew Stadel