Pairs Check

Yesterday we gave the students a Pairs Check.  In a pairs check, we organize the worksheet in two columns and have the students take turns solving the problems in their column.  The problem solver’s role is to narrate everything they do as they do it.  The observers role is that of a skeptic, asking questions and challenging anything the problem solver does that isn’t 100% clear.  After the problem solver finishes the problem and the skeptic agrees that it is correct, they trade roles and start the process over.  I love this task as it engages the students in solving problems, talking about the problem, and convincing others about their work.  Even if the skeptic isn’t paying attention, the act of narrating what you do as you solve a problem is immensely helpful in making what you’re doing make sense.  When the students are done with the problems we can cut the paper in half and return each student’s work.

What made this Pairs Check so valuable to me was that I recorded one group’s conversation as they solved the problems.  But that is a post for another day.