They are cutting paper. You can see scraps of paper on the desk. Of course “active” learning is better than passively sitting in a lecture. But these kids are

They are cutting paper. You can see scraps of paper on the desk. Of course “active” learning is better than passively sitting in a lecture. But these kids are not learning. They’re sitting in a group with scissors and markers making a X-y coordinate graph. Your long diatribe fails to recognize the obvious: that middle school math class has turned into an art and hand labor class / day care.