Semester 2 Progress Check #2: "New math: Fail + try again"

PART A: Which statement identifies the central idea of the text?

• Math is best taught using discovery-based learning as people are more likely to fail in math.

• Allowing and encouraging people to fail helps them to make sense of what they are learning.

• Although people can learn even when they fail at least once, they are still negatively affected by their failure.

• Younger people learn better through hands-on activities that can result in failure, while adults learn better through risk-free lectures.

PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

• “A century ago, after five months and more than 9,000 experiments, famed inventor Thomas Edison still wasn’t able to make a new type of storage battery work, according to a 1910 authorized biography.” (Paragraph 5)

• “As Walker suggests, the technique often goes hand-in-hand with inquiry-based learning. Students often teach and mentor one another.” (Paragraph 14)

• “‘If you’re engaged in a hard problem, you’re developing an attitude that failure is okay,’ says Walker. ‘Accepting failure helps you learn’” (Paragraph 9)

• “A related approach is also seeping into K-12 math education. Common Core is a set of educational standards that 43 states and the District of Columbia have

  adopted.” (Paragraph 20)

What is the meaning of “infuse” in paragraph 2?

• clear

• fill

• simplify

• toughen

How does the discussion of Thomas Edison in paragraph 5 contribute to the text?

• It proves that all failures eventually result in successes.

• It shows how difficult it can be to handle countless failures.

• It shows how failures can still provide valuable information.

• It shows that the public often looks down on people who fail.

How does the author’s discussion of Sergio in paragraphs 23-24 contribute to the text?

• They suggest that Sergio’s teacher caused Sergio to fail.

• They show how upset Sergio was that his car did not work.

• They show Sergio was able learn from the hands-on activity.

• They suggest that some students can get it right the first time.