telling stories, teaching math

8/14/2019 Telling Stories, Teaching Math

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Telling Stories,

Teaching Math

Telling Stories,

Teaching Math

Breedeen MurrayTeaches at: The Bay School of San Francisco

Blogs at: The Space Between The Numbers

Tweets at: @btwnthenumbers

Breedeen MurrayTeaches at: The Bay School of San Francisco

Blogs at: The Space Between The Numbers



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I wa nt a b e tte r na rra tive . I wa nt som e th ing tha t

g oe s em e ffing POW a t the e nd . I wa nt som e th ing

tha t m a ke s it a b out sto ry a rc inste a d o f: Ok , we ll

y ou g uys d id a g re a t jo b inve stig a ting to rq ue ,

le t s d o m om entum now .

The y a c q uie sc e ea sily , b ut is tha t wha t I wa nt?

I wa nt a b e tte r na rra tive . I wa nt som e th ing tha t

g oe s em e ffing POW a t the e nd . I wa nt som e th ing

tha t m a ke s it a b out sto ry a rc inste a d o f: Ok , we ll

y ou g uys d id a g re a t jo b inve stig a ting to rq ue ,

le t s d o m om entum now .

The y a c q uie sc e ea sily , b ut is tha t wha t I wa nt?

Sha w n C o rna lly, Th inkTha nkThunk

Sha w n C o rna lly, Th inkTha nkThunk


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Why Tell Stories?Why Tell Stories?

History

Science

Memory & Processing

History

Science

Memory & Processing


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HistoryHistory

People Think in Stories

The human brain is hard-wired for stories. We know

our ancestors told each other stories 32,000 years agoby the cave paintingsthey used to illustrate them.Long before humans developed writing they passeddown their history, culture, and traditions orallythrough stories that eventually got written down

People Think in Stories

The human brain is hard-wired for stories. We know

our ancestors told each other stories 32,000 years agoby the cave paintingsthey used to illustrate them.Long before humans developed writing they passeddown their history, culture, and traditions orallythrough stories that eventually got written down

http://futuremediachange.com/2010/04/storytelling-your-skeleton-key-to-the-brain/


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Personal stories andgossip make up 65%of our conversations.

Personal stories andgossip make up 65%of our conversations.

J eremy Hsu, Sc ie nt if ic Am e ric a nJ eremy Hsu, Sc ie nt if ic Am e ric a n

A story, if broken down intothe simplest form is a

connection of cause andeffect.

We think in narratives all daylong, no matter if it is aboutbuying groceries, whether we

think about work or our spouseat home. We make up (short)stories in our heads for everyaction and conversation.

Leo Widrichhttp://blog.bufferapp.com/science-of-storytelling-why-telling-a-story-is-the-most-powerful-way-to-activate-our-brains

A story, if broken down intothe simplest form is a

connection of cause andeffect.

We think in narratives all daylong, no matter if it is aboutbuying groceries, whether we

think about work or our spouseat home. We make up (short)stories in our heads for everyaction and conversation.

Leo Widrichhttp://blog.bufferapp.com/science-of-storytelling-why-telling-a-story-is-the-most-powerful-way-to-activate-our-brains


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ScienceScience

Our brains respond differently to stories than to lists offacts.

Eve ry eng a g ing sto ry m ustig nite the b ra in sha rd w ire d d e sire to le a rn w ha t ha p p e ns ne xt . Whenw rite rs ta p into the e vo lut io na ry p urp o se o f sto ry a nde le c trify our c urio sity, it trig g e rs a d e lic io us d o p a m ine

rush tha t te lls us to p a y a tte nt io n. Witho ut it , e ve n them o st p e rfe c t p ro se w o n t ho ld a nyo ne s in te re st

Our brains respond differently to stories than to lists offacts.

Eve ry eng a g ing sto ry m ustig nite the b ra in sha rd w ire d d e sire to le a rn w ha t ha p p e ns ne xt . Whenw rite rs ta p into the e vo lut io na ry p urp o se o f sto ry a nde le c trify our c urio sity, it trig g e rs a d e lic io us d o p a m ine

rush tha t te lls us to p a y a tte nt io n. Witho ut it , e ve n them o st p e rfe c t p ro se w o n t ho ld a nyo ne s in te re st

Lisa Cron, Wire d Fo r Sto ry


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When we listen to a standard presentation, ourlanguage processing regions in the brain, Brocasareaand Wernickes area are active.

When we are being told a story though, not only are thelanguage processing parts in our brain activated, but

other areas in our brain, the ones we would use whenexperiencing the events of the story are stimulated aswell.

When we listen to a standard presentation, ourlanguage processing regions in the brain, Brocasareaand Wernickes area are active.

When we are being told a story though, not only are thelanguage processing parts in our brain activated, but

other areas in our brain, the ones we would use whenexperiencing the events of the story are stimulated aswell.

Leo Widrich

http://blog.bufferapp.com/science-of-storytelling-why-telling-a-story-is-the-most-powerful-way-to-activate-our-brains

Leo Widrich

http://blog.bufferapp.com/science-of-storytelling-why-telling-a-story-is-the-most-powerful-way-to-activate-our-brains


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MemoryMemory

We remember information better when told in

narrative form.

We are able to process information more easilywhen it is presented to us in a story.

We remember information better when told in

narrative form.

We are able to process information more easilywhen it is presented to us in a story.


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Stories Help Us RememberStories Help Us Remember

Because our brains are built for stories, they absorb stories more readilythan other kinds of information. Psychological studiessuggest thatpeople are more open to ideas when theyre listening to stories than

when theyre listening to factual information.

Stories enable us to transcend our brains usual memory limitations,serving, in the words of Mike Speiser, as one of mankinds most efficientcompression algorithms. Thus, he explains, memory champions are

able to quickly remember the order of a deck of cards by inventing astory about them as they view them.


Because our brains are built for stories, they absorb stories more readilythan other kinds of information. Psychological studiessuggest thatpeople are more open to ideas when theyre listening to stories than

when theyre listening to factual information.

Stories enable us to transcend our brains usual memory limitations,serving, in the words of Mike Speiser, as one of mankinds most efficientcompression algorithms. Thus, he explains, memory champions are

able to quickly remember the order of a deck of cards by inventing astory about them as they view them.



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Stories Help Us Solve ProblemsStories Help Us Solve Problems

The human mind is a story processor, not a logic processor, saysJ onathan Haidt. Certainly we use logic inside stories better than we

do outside. Leda Cosmides and J ohn Tooby have shown that theWason Selection Test can be solved by fewer than 10% as a logicpuzzle, but by 70-90% when presented as a story involving detectionof social-rule cheating.

J ag Bhalla, http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2013/05/08/it-is-in-our-nature-to-need-stories/

The human mind is a story processor, not a logic processor, saysJ onathan Haidt. Certainly we use logic inside stories better than we

do outside. Leda Cosmides and J ohn Tooby have shown that theWason Selection Test can be solved by fewer than 10% as a logicpuzzle, but by 70-90% when presented as a story involving detectionof social-rule cheating.

J ag Bhalla, http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2013/05/08/it-is-in-our-nature-to-need-stories/


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What Is A Story?What Is A Story?

Stuff Ha p p e ns

C ha ra c te rs C ha ng e


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What a Story Is NOT.What a Story Is NOT.

Story is not a context overlaid onto a problem. A

word problem, generally speaking, is not a storyproblem.

A better term for this is pseudo-context. (Boaler)

Story is not a context overlaid onto a problem. A

word problem, generally speaking, is not a storyproblem.

A better term for this is pseudo-context. (Boaler)


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The Dramatic ArcThe Dramatic Arc

Gustav Freytag


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Story MapStory Map

Characters

SettingPlot

Climax

Resolution

Characters

SettingPlot

Climax

Resolution


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Story RopeStory Rope

The school uses story ropes to encourage andgauge reading comprehension. The gingerbreadman, she explained, reminds kids to identify thecharacters in the story. The house is a marker for

setting. The cowboy boot signifies the problemthat will inevitably kick in. The three starsencourage kids to look for components of theproblem and how the plot unfolds in thebeginning, middle and end. The sun representsthe solution to the problem.

Andrea Pitzer,http://www.niemanstoryboard.org/2011/11/04/your-brain-on-narrative-evolution-and-the-story-rope/

The school uses story ropes to encourage andgauge reading comprehension. The gingerbreadman, she explained, reminds kids to identify thecharacters in the story. The house is a marker for

setting. The cowboy boot signifies the problemthat will inevitably kick in. The three starsencourage kids to look for components of theproblem and how the plot unfolds in thebeginning, middle and end. The sun representsthe solution to the problem.

Andrea Pitzer,http://www.niemanstoryboard.org/2011/11/04/your-brain-on-narrative-evolution-and-the-story-rope/


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What Kinds of Stories Are There?What Kinds of Stories Are There?


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How Do I Write One?How Do I Write One?

What is the majoridea?

What changes occurover the course of thestudents experiencewith the topic?

What information doesthe student NEEDinorder to get started?

What is the majoridea?

What changes occurover the course of thestudents experiencewith the topic?

What information doesthe student NEEDinorder to get started?


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The Key ElementThe Key Element

Conflict

Confusion

Perplexity

Productive Struggle

Conflict

Confusion

Perplexity

Productive Struggle


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How Does This Work For Math?How Does This Work For Math?


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Planning a Lesson (Short Story)Planning a Lesson (Short Story)

Example: Trains

What is the epiphany?

Example: Trains

What is the epiphany?


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Planning a Unit (Novel)Planning a Unit (Novel)

Example: Bay Quadratics Unit

What are the events that move the story along?What is the plot?

What is the climax?

Example: Bay Quadratics Unit

What are the events that move the story along?What is the plot?

What is the climax?


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Planning a Course (Series)Planning a Course (Series)

Example: Rational Expressions, Algebra 2

What is the guiding theme that connectseverything together?

Example: Rational Expressions, Algebra 2

What is the guiding theme that connectseverything together?


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Time to Play!Time to Play!

Find a partner, small group, or work solo.

Choose a topic.

Find the epiphany/climax.

Plot out the beginning, middle and end.

Make room for productive struggle!

Find a partner, small group, or work solo.

Choose a topic.

Find the epiphany/climax.

Plot out the beginning, middle and end.

Make room for productive struggle!


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Makeover MondaysMakeover Mondayshttp://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=17162

Or, choose your own problem to make-over.


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Dan Meyers Three Acts CollectionDan Meyers Three Acts Collection

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjIqyKM9d7ZYdEhtR3BJ MmdBWnM2YWxWYVM1UWowTEE#gid=0

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjIqyKM9d7ZYdEhtR3BJ MmdBWnM2YWxWYVM1UWowTEE#gid=0


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Andrew StadelsThree Acts CollectionAndrew StadelsThree Acts Collection

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkLk45wwjYBudG9LeXRad0lHM0E0VFRyOEtRckVvM1E#gid=0

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkLk45wwjYBudG9LeXRad0lHM0E0VFRyOEtRckVvM1E#gid=0


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Should All Lessons, Units, Courses InvolveStories?Should All Lessons, Units, Courses InvolveStories?

Maybe

But probably not.

Time Factors

Effort Expended

Creative Well

Maybe

But probably not.

Time Factors

Effort Expended

Creative Well


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Telling Stories, Teaching Math 355Telling Stories, Teaching Math 355

Breedeen Murray

Teaches at: The Bay School of San FranciscoBlogs at: The Space Between The Numbers


Breedeen Murray

Teaches at: The Bay School of San FranciscoBlogs at: The Space Between The Numbers


telling stories, teaching math

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