2 of 2 Items .... Source: Emma Bell

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

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A slightly different question about tangential circles and the spaces in between.




Compare this question to the following, from the 2004 SAT Practice Test:





  • Which question seems harder? What are the difficult aspects of each?

  • Do we have to specify the angle APB?

  • How are these two questions different in terms of the knowledge they require for solving?

  • Is this question made harder by the "how many times" part? Does that phrasing make the question unnatural?


.: [GEOM], [Emma Bell], [Comparisons].

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This is a straightforward question. I'd like to make all of you students into teachers for a minute ... Let's create a test question!


  • Do we have to specify angle AOB?

  • Is there a better way to say something without actually saying it?

  • What other instructions and given information could we provide that would lead to the same answer?

  • What is the best question here?



.: [GEOM], [Emma Bell], [What Questions].
that's it.