Teaching Through Rich Tasks
Mathematics
Session 1: March 30, 2016
Task 1: Table Tennis Anyone?
Making Space for Students to Think Mathematically
Features of A Rich Task
Rich or Not Rich Activity
Task 2: Car Curling
Task 3: Would You Rather? The Money Bag Problem
Designing Rich Tasks (Jo Boaler)
- Open up the task so that there are multiple methods, pathways, and representations
- Include inquiry opportunities
- Ask the problem before teaching the method.
- Add a visual component and ask students how they see the mathematics
- Extend the task making lower floor and higher ceiling
- Ask students to convince and reason
Session 2: April 13th, 2016
Task 1: Scaling Area Problem
Five Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematical Discussions
Anticipating
In the Anticipating phase, the teacher predicts during planning how students will respond to a particular mathematic task. He or she considers possible alternative strategies that students may use, as well as potential misconceptions that may surface.
Monitoring
Monitoring occurs as the teacher circulates during the Explore of the lesson in a CMP classroom. He or she listens to student discussions while asking clarifying questions and posing new challenges.
Selecting
This Selecting phase involves choosing the strategies for students that occur during the Explore that will best illustrate and promote the desired understanding of the Focus Question.
Sequencing
In Sequencing, before the Summarize, the teacher plans which students will share their thinking, and in what order, so as to maximize the quality of the discussion.
Connecting
Finally, the Connecting practice which occurs during the Summarize involves posing questions that enable students to understand and use each other’s strategies, and to connect the Problem’s Big Idea to previous learning. Connecting practice may also foreshadow future learning.
References
[1] Margaret S. Smith and May Kay Stein, Five Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions. NCTM. 2011
Task 2: The End of the Roll
Session 3: April 27th, 2016
Task 1: The Ferris Wheel Photo
The Quietest Concert Ever - Serina Ryder
The Math Processes
Creating Summative Tasks
- Identify the Overall Expectations
- Identify the Task
- Build the Rubric - The Math Processes