Look for and make use of structure.
Supporting students in engaging in this mathematical practice is the major
objective of this week’s Friday Fave.
In Match My Picture, we work first to create a need. When you’re writing equations for two lines, it’s just fine to think about the slopes and y-intercepts independently of each other.
When you’re writing equations for nine lines, it may start to get a bit tedious. Plus, you may start to notice that these lines have something in common. Not only that, but what is changing is changing in a predictable way. It’s y=-2x plus something.
Hopeful that you’ve noticed the structure, we invite you to capture that structure in symbols.
Finally, we show you how to capture it with our tools. We tell you about lists. We invite you to use your newfound structure-capturing powers to match more pictures, and to design your own structured decorative masterpiece.
Taking students from needing a structure, to representing it formally, to using it creatively—this is what makes Match My Picture a Friday Fave.
While you’re thinking about matching, have a look at these activities too:
FEATURED ACTIVITIES