TITLE: IMPROVING DEDUCTIVE REASONING SKILLS
AUTHOR: Paul Allan, Palmer High School, Palmer, Alaska
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: 7-12, Math or Science (but may be extended)
OVERVIEW: Throughout the year in all of my math and science
classes I stress problem solving. Students develop a strategy list
for problem solving by working with different types of problems.
One unit that I have developed is based upon developing and
enhancing deductive reasoning skills. I introduce deductive
reasoning, through the use of Mind Bender puzzles, at the beginning
of the year because it requires little traditional math knowledge and
because it is the perfect situation to teach and practice cooperative
grouping techniques.
For most of the activities in this unit students are in
heterogeneous groups of 4, usually selected by me. The unit is
generally spread out over 2-3 weeks and student produced puzzles
can be generated and used for extra credit throughout the year.
PURPOSE: To enhance student problem solving strategies and
increase student ability to solve deductive reasoning problems. To
bring a sense of fun and accomplishment to math and science class
problem solving.
OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to:
1. Recognize problems that may be solved using deductive reasoning.
2. Develop aids to help them in solving deductive reasoning problems.
3. Successfully solve deductive reasoning types of problems.
4. Produce their own deductive reasoning puzzles for other students to solve.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS: At the beginning of the unit I use materials
from Mind Benders (Midwest Publications Co.) copied onto overheads
and "help charts" copied on paper for each group.
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
1. Students are reminded of the deductive reasoning skills used by
Sherlock Holmes to solve his mysteries. The teacher should read
some exerts from Sherlock Holmes stories.
2. Students are divided into small groups and asked to solve a
deductive reasoning type of puzzle. They are given no help as to how
to solve the puzzle. After the groups have worked for a while, the
class should be brought back together to discuss the strategies
employed to solve the puzzle.
3. Once the better strategies have been determined, give the
students another puzzle in their groups and allow them to work.
4. Over a time period of one or two weeks, give the students puzzles
of varying degrees of difficulty. Allow them to use help charts (as
provided in the Mind Benders materials) sometimes but have them
develop the ability to produce their own charts to facilitate their
problem solving.
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:
The real fun in this unit starts when the students produce
their own puzzles. They have by now experienced 8 - 12 deductive
reasoning puzzles and have seen how the charts can be used as an
aid. Ask each student to produce a simple puzzle of his or her own
making. The results are really remarkable. Some students start
very simply, but then they discover that it is not too hard to make
the puzzle special by adding things that are important to them.
Have the students share their puzzles with other students,
copying them on overheads for class work or onto paper for
individual work. An example of a puzzle produce by a student that is
autobiographical follows: (The student fits the characteristics of
Frank, before he moved to Alaska.)
Frank's Puzzle
Don, Frank, Jenny, and Ken each come from one state, either
Alaska, Maine, Montana, or Oklahoma. They each speak one primary
language, either English, French, Russian, or Spanish. And they each
have one of four pets, a chinchilla, a dog, a hamster, or a turtle.
1. Frank needed a language book to write to the Alaskan.
2. The kid from Oklahoma has a mammal for her pet.
3. The Alaskan found his pet outside his door in a snow bank.
4. The French speaking boy lives east of Oklahoma.
5. The Russian speaking boy wants to write to the kid from
Montana, but he doesn't speak his language.
6. Don bought his pet in Peru.
7. Ken does not own a hamster.
8. The dog's owner wrote a letter in Russian to the kid in
Oklahoma, but she couldn't understand it.
9. Don had to travel west to meet Jenny.
10. Frank is learning Spanish at school.
Click here to return to OFCN's Academy Curricular Exchange
Click here to return to OFCN's Academy
Click here to return to OFCN's Main Menu
John Kurilecjmk@ofcn.org