Math Makeover

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_meyer_math_curriculum_makeover.html

Really cool video about making over the math curriculum to have students more involved in problem solving.  So rather than using questions out of the text book, create layers of questions for the class to do where they don't have all of the information at the beginning and can then plug and chug.  They need to be able to critically analyze problems that relate to their lives.  Even more helpful is teachers who use mulitmedia to get kids interested, like a video of filling up a bucket that they then have to solve how long it will take.

Related to social studies, don't have students just read the textbook and answer the questions at the back of the chapter.  Find other things for them to read, make them think about how a particular event changed their life today (What would your life be like today if Columbus hadn't found the New World? Would you be here?)  I also want to use lots of videos and projects and online games (like Budget Hero) in my class to stimulate thinking and interest.  I'd probably bore everyone if I just sat and lectured the entire period.