Act 1

Watch the video:

Also: Card House Act 1 from Mike Wiernicki on Vimeo.

Suggested Questions:

• How tall will the card house be when it’s finished?
• How many cards/decks of cards were used to make the card house?
• How many card triangles were used to make the card house?

Make a best guess estimate.

Make a guess that you know is too low.

Make a guess that you know is too high.

Act 2

What information do you need to answer your question?  Supply information to students as they ask for it.

• Card House Act 2-Dimensions of Card Triangles Measurement Decimals Elementary
• Card House Act 2-Dimensions of Card Triangles.Middle School
• Card House Act 2-Cards in each deck used to build the card house
• Act 2 – Card House info

Support pairs/groups of students with least helpful questions as they struggle to answer their math question(s).

Act 3

Students share strategies and solutions, using precise mathematical language and calculations.  Students should discuss various strategies and look for efficiency and flexibility in other students’ thinking.

Questions to ask

• How close was your best guess estimate?
• What patterns did you notice?
• How can you explain those patterns?

The reveal:

Height of Card House

Number of Cards Used

Number of Card Triangles Used