Guess the Function

What are you aiming to do?

For the task:

As a team:

• finding out what others think
• giving reasons for ideas
• being concise
• reflecting on what has been said
• allowing everyone to contribute.

Getting started

• the set of function rule cards.
• a piece of coloured paper (The Box)
• the set of function cards (large file).

Tackling the problem

• The team has the set of function cards. The domain of each function is either the values of x visible on the x-axis or is stated.
• The Ruler selects a rule card from the pack and keeps it hidden from the rest of the team.
• Before deciding on a function to present to the Ruler for testing - the team must discuss and agree as a team why they think it would make a good test case.
• If the function obeys the rule then the Ruler puts it in the Box, if it does not obey the rule it is placed outside the Box.
• If someone thinks they know the rule, they must share their reasoning with the rest of the team, who discuss and check their reasoning before deciding if it is a suitable conjecture to put forward.
• The Ruler then reveals the rule.
• If the team is right, the task can start again with a different Ruler. If they are wrong, they discuss where their error in reasoning may have been before moving on.

Team and Ruler Guidelines

• No one should choose a card for testing without the agreement of the rest of the team.
• You are trying to find the rule by testing the minimum number of function cards.
• The Ruler can only put a chosen card in the Box or outside it.
• The Ruler can only speak to state whether the rule the team have decided on is correct or not.

Observer Guidelines

• Make a note of how often each member of the team contributes to the discussion.
• Check that the Ruler only tests a function that has been chosen by the agreement of the whole team.
• Look for occasions when someone asks someone else's opinion.
• Look for occasions when someone listens and responds to someone else's ideas.