A group of eighth-graders was presented with a two-day lab exploring graph theory as an enrichment experience. With the school's winter break looming, students were weary of solving linear equations, and this topic was intended to inject some new life into the classroom. In addition to learning about a completely new topic, they would be exposed…

The authors developed an instructional nudges as part of a larger research project. These instructional nudges are designed to be small but powerful changes to teachers' existing practices. Some instructional nudges focus on modifying tasks used in classrooms. In this article, the authors share Rate and Review. The goal of Rate and Review is to…

Every student has mathematical strengths beyond knowing basic facts, solving problems quickly, or showing work clearly. In this article, the author presents Smiles as an "on-ramp" task that supports students working together by unveiling and leveraging mathematical strengths. Nielsen describes on-ramp mathematics tasks as scaffolds that…

"When you hear hoofbeats, look for horses, not zebras." This common saying in medicine (often attributed to Theodore Woodward, MD, of the University of Maryland School of Medicine) advises doctors to stick to the expected or likely diagnosis, rather than anticipating an unusual or atypical one. As a result, uncommon medical diagnoses are…