I've been running the extra credit math club in my daughter's classroom (3rd grade) and we're coming up on the end of year party. I'm supposed to come up with and hand out awards. All the kids will get certificates of participation and little goodie bags, but we're also doing special ribbons for things like "most 100% papers" "500+ point club" "never missed a week" "creative thinker" etc.

I'm trying to come up with a name for an award for one boy who insisted on understanding any problem he got wrong. He couldn't rest until he knew where he went wrong and how to fix it. So far, all my tired brain has been able to come up with is the "need to know" award, which I'm the first to admit is a lousy name. I'd love to hear some other ideas, if anyone has any suggestions.

What a trouper! He sounds like a great kid. But I'm too tired to think of anything clever--the perseverance award, the power of persistence award, the stick-to-it-iveness award, the undaunted award....

mm

I'd think about making it the Edison Award, for displaying Thomas Edison's inquisitiveness, work ethic, etc.

Like minniemarx, the perserverance award.
Also, the Hard working award, the great-work-ethic award...things around those lines.

Hope this helps!

Thanks, everyone. I ended up calling it the "Mathematician Award" and presented it with a little speech about how true mathematicians don't always have the correct answer right away, but they know that understanding _how_ to find the solution is as important as finding it, if not more so, etc.

I think it meant something to him. He had dropped out of the program early in the year for few weeks when he got discouraged about getting less than perfect papers, but he came back and finished out the year with us. I hope he thought it was worth it in the end.

Wow - what a kid, and pats on the back to you for leading the group and noticing each child so deeply!