Mindset Creativity Extension Packet Uncommon Schools | Change History.
5-8 Math
Name:
Date:
8th Grade Math:
Team:
Acceleration Block: Growth Mindset Day 1 (Creativity)
★ Extension Practice Packet ★
"You have to spend some energy and effort to see the beauty of math... It is like being lost in a jungle and trying to use all the knowledge that you can gather to come up with some new tricks."
~ Maryam Mirzakhani, Fields Medalist Mathematician
Directions:
Mathematicians use their creativity to solve tough problems in more than one way! Stretch your brain by completing the challenges below using two different mathematical methods (e.g., tape diagrams, equations, working backward, or numeric tables).
Marcus is saving up tickets at the local arcade to get a grand prize. He already has 45 tickets saved. He can win exactly 15 tickets during each round of the Skeeball game. If the grand prize he wants costs 120 tickets , how many rounds of Skeeball does he need to play?
Answer Statement: Marcus needs to play rounds of Skeeball.
Method #1
Method #2
Page 1
Independent Practice (Medium Extension)
5-8 Math
A farm stand sells a special autumn harvest basket containing 4 decorative pumpkins and 6 ears of sweet corn . An ear of sweet corn costs $0.85 . If the entire harvest basket costs $11.50 altogether, how much does a single decorative pumpkin cost?
Answer Statement: A single decorative pumpkin costs $ .
Method #1
Method #2
Elena is renting a paddleboard at the lake. The rental shop charges a flat preparation fee of $12 , plus $18 per hour of use. If Elena's total rental bill before tax was exactly $66 , how many hours did she rent the paddleboard?
Answer Statement: Elena rented the paddleboard for hours.
Method #1
Method #2
Page 2
Uncommon Schools | Change History.
5-8 Math
Name:
Date:
Check for Understanding (Extension)
Coach Miller is purchasing new sports equipment for the middle school gym. He buys 2 identical soccer balls and a high-quality basketball that costs $28.50 . If his total bill before tax is $73.50 , how much did each individual soccer ball cost?
Answer Statement: Each soccer ball cost $ .
Method #1
Method #2
Creative Mindset Reflection
2. How did pushing yourself to discover a second mathematical method help you feel more confident as a creative problem solver today? Detail your experience.
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Mindset Grit Extension Packet Uncommon Schools | Change History.
5-8 Math
Name:
Date:
8th Grade Math:
Team:
Acceleration Block: Growth Mindset Day 2 (Grit/Perseverance)
★ Grit & Productive Struggle Challenge ★
"Perhaps I could best describe my experience of doing mathematics in terms of entering a dark mansion. One goes into the first room, and it's dark... then you find the light switch, and suddenly everything is clear."
~ Andrew Wiles, Mathematician who proved Fermat's Last Theorem
Directions:
Grit means sticking with a challenge even when you feel completely stuck. Today's challenges are designed to stretch your brain muscle! For each problem, use your first column to draft your initial ideas, and the second column to persist and finalize your breakthrough path.
The Staircase Growth Pattern: A builder is stacking blocks. Stage 1 has 1 block . Stage 2 has 3 blocks . Stage 3 has 6 blocks . Stage 4 has 10 blocks . How many blocks will be needed to build Stage 8 ? (Hint: Notice how much the number of blocks increases each time!)
Answer Statement: Stage 8 will require exactly blocks.
My Initial Ideas & Drawings
My Grit Strategy & Breakthrough
Page 1
Independent Practice (Grit Extension)
5-8 Math
The Order-of-Operations Trap: Solve the symbol equation puzzle below. Be careful! Look closely at the final line and make sure you do not fall into the classic arithmetic trap.
🍎 + 🍎 + 🍎 = 24
🍎 + 🍌 + 🍌 = 18
🍌 + 🍒 + 🍒 = 13
🍎 + 🍌 × 🍒 = ?
Answer Statement: The final value of the expression is .
Finding Symbol Values
Solving the Final Expression & Avoiding Traps
The Broken Calculator Challenge: A standard calculator is damaged and has only three working buttons: + 5, - 3, and =. If you start on 0 , how can you press the buttons to display exactly 14 ? Show your systematic steps.
Answer Statement: The buttons must be pressed a total of times to reach 14.
My Trial & Error Attempts
My Final Sequence of Steps
Page 2
Uncommon Schools | Change History.
5-8 Math
Name:
MOLE Known Unknown Keys Extension Packet Uncommon Schools | Change History.
5-8 Math
Name:
Date:
8th Grade Math:
Team:
Acceleration Block: MOLE – Known & Unknown Keys!
★ Extension & Mastery Packet ★
The MOLE Protocol Checklist:
M ark Up: Annotate using CUBS & Interactive Math Notes (IMN) to find relationships.O rganize: Create distinct Known (K) and Unknown (UK) Keys.L ayout: Outline your workspace rows/steps based directly on your Unknowns.E xecute: Solve to find the final answers (if time permits)!
A wholesale sporting goods store sells three basketball value packs. Package A: 6 basketballs for $114. Package B: 8 basketballs for $148. Package C: 12 basketballs for $216. How much more does a single basketball from Package B cost when compared to a single basketball from Package A?
Known (K) Key
Unknown (UK) Key
Workspace / Step-by-Step Setup
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Independent Practice (MOLE Extension)
5-8 Math
A construction company is purchasing heavy-duty steel beams. Brand X beams cost $450 retail but are offered at 15% off . Brand Y beams cost $420 retail but are offered at 1/5 off . Which brand is more affordable, Brand X or Brand Y? How much more affordable is it?
K Key
UK Key
Workspace Layout
A high-speed maglev train in Japan travels at a continuous rate of 360 kilometers per hour . What is the approximate speed of this train in miles per minute ? Round your final answer to the nearest tenth.
K Key
UK Key
Workspace Layout
Page 2
Uncommon Schools | Change History.
5-8 Math
Name:
Date:
Check for Understanding (Extension)
A math teacher has a mystery cash prize. She leaves one-half of the total prize to the 1st place contest winner, one-half of what is then left to the 2nd place winner, and
