You've undoubtedly heard a lot about the importance of checking your work on problems. You may have wondered exactly why your teacher wants you to check work you just did.
Let's talk about the pros and cons of checking your work with your classmates.
Find an example of where checking your work was beneficial, or an example where you did not check your work and it negatively affected the result. Post the problem and the details of your solution on the message board. Include, in your post, your score for the problem and any teacher responses. If you are confused about what you did wrong on a particular question, go ahead and post it. Your classmates might be able to give you helpful advice.
Example where checking your work was beneficial:
Problem: Solve the equation 3x + 5 = 17 for x.
Solution 1: Step 1: Subtract 5 from both sides
3x + 5 - 5 = 17 - 5
3x = 12
Step 2: Divide both sides by 3
3x/3 = 12/3
x = 4
Solution 2 (classmate's work): Step 1: Add 5 to both sides
3x + 5 + 5 = 17 + 5
3x = 22
Step 2: Divide both sides by 3
3x/3 = 22/3
x = 7.33
Both the solutions were posted on the message board. The student who solved it correctly posted Solution 1, which is the correct method. When the classmate posted Solution 2, it became apparent that the classmate made an error in adding 5 instead of subtracting it in the first step. The classmates pointed out this mistake and suggested correcting the solution.
Score: The student who provided Solution 1 received full marks for the problem. The classmate who provided Solution 2 initially received a lower score due to the mistake.
Teacher Response: The teacher acknowledged the mistake in Solution 2 and provided feedback on how to correctly solve the equation. The importance of checking work and double-checking for errors was emphasized.
This example demonstrates the benefit of checking work with classmates. By sharing their solutions, students can spot errors and help each other improve their understanding of the concept. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of checking work to avoid simple mistakes and obtain accurate results.