Ice Cream

Lots of maths this week. I chose a problem from youcubed, the ice cream problem, where children were to figure out how many ice cream options they could choose from, with a 2 scoop ice cream and 10 flavours. Easy enough to extend, something that everyone is capable of solving, definitely low floor, high ceiling...
It was an eye opener!
It is true that they worked on it, and were completely focused, for a very long time. 2 sessions later...
3 groups found the solution. Two groups realised they had made "terrific mistakes" during the discussion/presentation of ideas and strategies used at the conclusion, and the other 2 groups could not see their error until we looked at Tekyllah's strategy. Hers was to use blocks to represent the different flavours. She set them out on the floor in order, mixing each two flavours and creating a very cool pattern. When she was satisfied that all combinations were represented, she counted them. This was interesting, because she counted 1 to 1, and got 56. When I asked her how she knew her answer was correct, she recounted, again 1 to 1, and got 55. So then she had to check, and started all over again! I had to ask if she could think of a quicker way to count them. We got it down to 10 in the first row, then counting in 2s.
But it made me think, the pattern is there, I'll put it to the rest of the class and see if they can provide some different strategies. The opportunity to write their ideas on sticky notes made this a success! I had so many children submit ideas, that we couldn't fit them all on the sheet of paper.
So the original lesson ended up extending to 3 sessions, along with an add on question

that I found online, and really liked because there is no right or wrong, but justifying choices was the point of the exercise, and the children came up with some very excellent reasons for their choices.
And the ice cream theme carried over into literacy, we read Bleezer's Ice Cream, a poem by Jack Prelutsky, which the class used as inspiration to write their own poetry. I was so happy, every single child in Room 7 finished their writing, and Will finished before some of the others! I set the criteria so that alliteration was used for each new ice cream flavour, and
Must do - 5
Should do - 6
Could do - more
I had several children try to do the whole 26 letters of the alphabet, and some attempted to make theirs rhyme as well! I was very impressed. When I told Will his brain must be growing because he'd challenged himself, he was so happy, he was bouncing up and down on his feet and had the biggest smile on his face! Then he went away to practise writing capital G, (I didn't even realise he didn't know how to do them!) and delighted in showing me he'd learnt to form this particular letter.

Tekyllah counting her "ice cream" flavours

The pattern that created a new "problem"