I'm assuming the quiz doesn't have to have math content, so I'd just ask about what happens in the story--fill in the blank sorts of questions.
I've always been attracted to the idea of teaching math historically or philosophically. I read my kids Magnus Ensensberger's The Number Devil when I was still reading to them, so before they were 8 or so.
You can prevent the quiz from being too oppressive by only giving them a small margin to write in.
Require them to write a paragraph on something--anything--they found interesting in the reading for that class, and submit that to you by the night before. Unless you have tons and tons of students, you should be able to skim these pretty fast, since you're not grading them, just making sure it's vaguely on-topic and coherent.
This also helps with discussions, since they've already put at least some tiny bit of thought into what they read.
Alternately, come up with little prompts that they have to write their paragraphs on, instead. This is more work for you and for them, but has a bigger payoff in terms of prepping for a discussion.
Alternately, come up with little prompts that they have to write their paragraphs on, instead.
I do this, but I do it at the beginning of class. Everyone has 10 minutes to write. That way they have to do all the reading ahead of time, not just skim for the answer or read only the relevant section.
One professor of mine would have a quick, 5-question, fill-in-the-blank quiz on the reading. The answers were pretty obvious if you'd done the reading, but not so obvious you could guess if you hadn't read. We'd have like two minutes to complete it right at the beginning of class, then exchange papers and grade each others', with students calling out the right answers. It was a pop quiz, not every class period. If you're extra crafty, you can make the questions relate to parts of the reading assignment that you plan to focus the lesson on, so the grading-as-a-class part can be a springboard for substantive discussion.
I said above that the idea of math history instruction appealed to me. I can remember the subject came up when I was last around, and I mentioned Number, The Language of Science by Tobias Dantzig. I remember Teo was part of that conversation and had heard of it. That book put a lot of the math I'd learned , and I'd learned a lot of it, in context for me. I probably got more out of it because I had gone quite far in college math, but I bet everybody would get something from a book like that.
I should say, this short thread is actually perfectly helpful. Thanks all.
I remember Teo was part of that conversation and had heard of it. That book put a lot of the math I'd learned , and I'd learned a lot of it, in context for me. I probably got more out of it because I had gone quite far in college math, but I bet everybody would get something from a book like that.
Not just heard of it; I had read it and enjoyed it, even though I knew much less math than it sounds like you did. The last chapter or two went pretty much entirely over my head. Still, I did learn a lot and I agree that anyone could benefit from reading it.
Least painful sort of quiz is due the night before (or morning of class) on blackboard or online learning platform. I suppose surveymonkey would do if you have no school tool. Easy to skim before class, too.
If I want a class to have a good discussion, I require a short reading response of about a paragraph due before lecture. Grading is simple: check/no check. Our BB equivalent allows me to read them easily before class, and then I can make notes of good questions/point and incorporate it into my lecture/how I want the discussion to go. This seems to go over well, because it's not just "here's a busy work assignment to make you do the work", but actually changes the course. Bonus: makes it much easier to figure out what you're going to talk about.
The Number Devil is amazing! I've read it all the way through like 10 times.
I can make notes of good questions/point and incorporate it into my lecture/how I want the discussion to go. This seems to go over well, because it's not just "here's a busy work assignment to make you do the work"