Grade the Problems

LESSON 2.6
Grade the Problems

Grades 1 – 3

Task 2.6.1 – Small Groups

Grade the remaining ideas.  Do not argue.

A = Adults are not likely to think of the idea right away AND are likely to say, “Wow!”

B = Adults are not likely to think of the idea right away.

C = Adults are likely to think of the idea right away. 

On my way home from school I met a talking dog. It became a troublemaker because…

  • it told my mom my secrets. B
  • it would not stop talking. C
  • it made prank phone calls. B
  • it spoke Athabascan, and I’m the only person in the village who does. B
  • it made prank phone calls in Athabascan. A
  • it kept embarrassing me. C
  • it kept winning oratory contests. B
  • it told batters my village-baseball pitching secrets. A
  • my other dogs were jealous. B

No A Ideas?

If you can’t come up with three or more “A” ideas, then do one or more of these:

  • Brainstorm more
  • Funnel
  • Piggyback

Funneling

Funneling means “to make an idea more precise.”

Task 2.6.2 – Small Group

Funnel one of your B or C ideas.  You can even funnel a crossed-out idea if you wish.

For example, maybe you funneled “because it bit the mailman.”  Here are your ideas:

  1. because dogs shouldn’t bite people.
  2. because the mailman was mean.
  3. because the mailman teased the dog.
  4. because the mailman teased the dog about talking.
  5. because the mailman doesn’t like me.
  6. because the mailman wouldn’t speak Athabascan.
  7. because the mailman said bad words to him.

Cross out ideas that do not fit the troublemaker:

  1. because the mailman teased the dog about talking.
  2. because the mailman wouldn’t speak Athabascan.
  3. because the mailman said bad words to him.

Grade the funneled ideas.

  1. because the mailman teased the dog about talking. B
  2. because the mailman wouldn’t speak Athabascan.A
  3. because the mailman said bad words to him.A

Piggybacking

Piggybacking means “to come up with similar ideas.”

Let’s say you piggybacked on “because it told my mom my secrets.”  You might end up with —

  1. because it told my mom that I was sneaking out at night.
  2. because it told my mom that I like Julia Smythburg.
  3. because it told my mom what I got her for Christmas.
  4. because it told my mom the secrets of the universe.

Grade the piggybacked ideas:

  1. because it told my mom that I was sneaking out at night.  C
  2. because it told my mom that I like Julia Smythburg. C
  3. because it told my mom what I got her for Christmas. B
  4. because it told my mom the secrets of the universe. A

Task 2.6.3 – Small Groups

Piggyback one of your B or C ideas.  You can even piggyback a cross-out idea if you wish. Continue doing more brainstorming, funneling, and piggybacking until you have at least three A ideas.