Bloom's Taxonomy Toothpick Activity

Activity Directions:

1. Use toothpicks to make the pattern.

2. Select a strategy to find how many tooth picks are in the pattern without counting each toothpick?
3. Write an equation to illustrate a strategy to determine the number of tooth picks. You may change your strategy.
4. Exchange an equation with a partner. Prove to yourself the strategy you were given will determine the number of toothpicks.
5. Return the equation to the partner and explain strategies to each other.
6. Form groups of four and repeat steps 5 and 6.
7. Everyone puts their equation on the board.
8. Each person tries to understand how each equation on the board is a strategy to find a solution.
9. Take turns listening and explaining the equations on the board until everyone understands the strategy for each.
10. Organize the equations into categories.
11. Each person, pair, or group of four creates a new problem using what was learned today.
12. Each person or group shares a new problem with the others.
13. Which equation was the most unique? Why?
14. Each person or group shares what equation they think is most unique and why it's most unique with the others.

Each level of Bloom's taxonomy is represented in one or more of the requests in the above sequence. Can you identify them?