3-Act Math lessons are an effective way to engage students in authentic problem solving. This page contains my short (but growing!) list of 3-Act Math lessons as well as some more background information about 3-Act Maths.
Background
My lesson write-ups page also contains detailed lesson pathways and analysis of 3-Act Math lessons I’ve done as a part of lesson inquiries with teachers.
If you’d like to learn more about the structure of 3-Act Math lessons in the classroom, this webinar by Graham Fletcher is a great place to start.
Dan Meyer is the Grand Pooh-Bah of 3-Act Math lessons and has 30+ lessons appropriate for 6th-12th graders here. His Tedx Talk is also well worth the 12 minutes.
Graham Fletcher offers excellent lessons for K-7th graders here. At the bottom of his page, you will find links to Dan Meyer’s lessons and lessons written by other excellent teachers. Give them a look!
My 3-Act Math Lessons
Good for: Exploring decimal operations and reasoning. Getting students making a guess and arguing for it. Using strategies and structures that are simpler than the “standard algorithm”. 5.NBT.7, 6.NS.3, SMP7.
Good for: Exploring place value and decimal values. Using structures and strategies to make adding decimals easier. Comparing different method and sharing reasoning. 5.NBT.3, 5.NBT.7, SMP7.
Good for: Carrying out a sequence of calculations using decimals. Thinking about the meaning of units. Contextualizing numbers and rates in the real world. Thinking about order of operations. 5.NBT.7, 6.NS.3, SMP2.
Good for: Making reasoning about expressions and equations become dynamic. Fostering discourse in the classroom. Thinking about how equations model relationships in the real world. 6.EE.6, 6.EE.7, 6.EE.9, SMP2.
