In Up for Debate!: Exploring Math Through Argument, high school math teacher and debate coach Chris Luzniak shares stories, examples, and step-by-step routines that will help you build a classroom culture where students do the talking, explain their thinking, and critique each other's reasoning, all in the context of the math content you're expected to teach. Inside, you'll find:
- Inspirational stories of students debating math in real classrooms
- Concrete structures and routines that will get your students talking, listening, and debating
- Specific techniques you can use to transform existing math problems into debatable ones
Biography
High school math teacher and debate coach Chris Luzniak longed to see his math students as empowered and engaged as the students on his debate team, so he began incorporating debate structures and techniques into his math classes. Excited by the growth he saw in mathematical thinking and participation, Chris continued experimenting. Over the years, he developed and refined math debate routines that really work, which he uses daily in his current middle and high school classroom. Chris has been teaching math for the past 15 years, beginning in New York City public schools, and now currently at The Archer School in Los Angeles.
Getting students to explain their reasoning in math class has been a struggle because they often restate the steps they took rather than convince others that their strategy makes sense. This is why the actionable steps and stories in Up for Debate! are so inspiring. Chris created a very readable book that helped me see how students could passionately convince others that their reasoning is correct. Secondary math teachers are going to love this short book that’s filled with ideas to give them the classroom they’ve been hoping for. This timely and practical book is for anyone who believes that the purpose of learning mathematics in schools is not just to prepare young people for the workforce but also to help them become productive members of society who can parse complex information and think critically.…I enjoyed it immensely. – Daryl Yong, Professor of Mathematics, Harvey Mudd College
