Math Arguments

Problems, Questions, and Puzzles to spark discussion and argument in the maths classroom.

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What if?

Consider these expressions:
\(7+8\), \(8+7\), \(7-8\), \(8-7\), \(7*8\), \(8*7\), \(7÷8\), \(8÷7\)

If you were to replace the 8's with \(3+5\), in which expressions would you need brackets around the \(3+5\)?

What if you replace 8 with \(2*4\), or with \(2^3\)?

What other mathematical aspects of this caught your attention? What do you wonder about the situation?

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I think this might be an interesting activity.

Consider these expressions:
7+8, 8+7, 7-8, 8-7, 7*8, 8*7, 7÷8, 8÷7.
If you were to replace the 8's with 3+5, in which expressions would you need brackets around the 3+5?
What if you replace 8 with 2*4, or with 2^3?
— David Butler (@DavidKButlerUoA) September 17, 2020

More Information:
Noticing and wondering is a tool to help students:
- Understand the story, the quantities, and the relationships in the problem.
- Understand what the problem is asking and what the answer will look like. Have some ideas to begin to solve the problem.
More Here at NCTM