Building Thinking Classrooms: VNPS in ACTION!

Early stages of implementing Peter Liljedahl's Building Thinking Classrooms into my 4th grade math class. Students are working on two tasks simultaneously: 1. Make as many combinations of coins (quarters, dimes and nickels) that add to 1 dollar. 2. The Tax Collector Problem: There are 18 envelopes numbered 1 through 18. Each envelope contains the amount of money that is written on the envelope. (i.e. one dollar in the first envelope, two in the second, etc.) The group selects one envelope. The Tax Collector then gets all envelopes that are factors of the envelope the group selected (if they select the 15, the tax collector gets the 1, 3, and 5 envelopes.) The continue selecting remaining envelopes until they select an envelope that leaves the Tax Collector with no envelopes that are factors of the selected envelope. At that point, the Tax Collector gets all remaining envelopes. The goal is to collect the most money possible, leaving the tax collector with the least amount possible. What is NOT shown in the video that happened in the lesson? The problems were presented to the students as they gathered standing near one of the vnps (vertical, non-permanent surfaces a.k.a. white boards.) The students were put in random groups of 3 using Class Dojo and assigned a board in the room. The teacher consolidated the learning at the end of the lesson discussing strategies and correct answers. Tim Bedley is in his 35th year of teaching but new to the BTC approach to teaching math.