Inquiry Cube

Designed by: Lisa A. McClain, Area 1 Specialist    
School/Office: Area 1 Superintendent's Office

Grade Level: Fifth    Subject: Math

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Core Curriculum Objective: 
Analyze and predict functional relationships and make generalizations based on observed patterns. (5-PF-1-2)

Restatement: Students will use clues and group thinking to determine a given pattern.

Overview: The Inquiry Cube, a strategy developed by Dr. Jeff Wilhelm, is a way to assist students in developing the skills needed for identifying patterns in non-traditional examples (i.e.: not geometric shapes). The inquiry cube also has implications for improving inferential reading. This activity allows for divergent thinking and group interaction.

Focus/Essential Question(s): 

• What is a pattern?
  
• How do you determine a pattern?
  
• What are the attributes of this pattern?
  

Time Frame: This activity will take approximately a 45-minute period to complete.

Resources: An inquiry cube for each group of students, rubric

Assessment: Students will be assessed on their ability to work well as a group and on the correctness of the pattern.

Instructional Activities:

• Divide students into groups of 4-5 students. Each group should be sitting at a table or with their desks grouped.
  
• Prior to distributing the inquiry cubes, inform the students that the only rules are that they may not pick up the cube or look at the bottom of the cube.
  
• Have each group select one person to serve as the observer. It is this person's responsibility to communicate any and all observed information to the group. This information will be collected during a two-minute observation period at the beginning of the activity.
  
• Place an inquiry cube on each group's table. (Cube diagram/content is attached.)
  
• Have all of the students look at the cube, but only the observer can talk. Call, "Go!" and give the observer two minutes to describe everything he or she can regarding the five visible sides of the cube.
  

At the conclusion of the two-minutes, the students begin to discuss all of the information they have heard about their cube. Tell them that their task is to determine what is written on the bottom face of the cube - the one they can't see. (The solution to the pattern is: There are three boys' names and three girls' names of the faces of the cube. Each boy's name has a corresponding girl's name. The information on the cube is presented with a top number, a name, and a bottom number. The top number is the number of letters on that face. The bottom number is the number of letters in common between the boy's name and the girl's name. There is more than one possible solution; two common answers are:

• As students are working, move about the classroom. Students may need some guidance in their thinking.
  

• Once students begin to make the appropriate progress, give them time to determine what information should be on the bottom of the cube. Once several groups are finished/near finishing begin to pull the group together and discuss the process/answer/etc. 
  

• Use the attached rubric to evaluate student participation/accuracy.