Task Teacher Guide
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In This Task…
The purpose of this task is to continue the key ideas from earlier in the unit and explore another addition structure known as compare with a larger quantity unknown.
Intentionality…
In this task, students will explore a new situation (Compare: Quantity unknown. This situation will still lend itself to the strategy of counting on. Big ideas related to this task:
- Addition names the whole in terms of the parts: when the parts of a set are known we call it addition
- Addition can be used in action situations (join and separate) and static situations (part part whole)
- Number relationships provide the foundation for strategies to help students remember basic facts
- Different addition situations will elicit different strategies
- Ability of students to visualize, interpret and solve word problems
Math Talk
String of Related Problems
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Visual Number Talk Prompt #1
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Visual Number Talk Prompt #2
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Visual Number Talk Prompt #3
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Visual Number Talk Prompt #4
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Visual Number Talk Prompt #5
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Visual Number Talk Prompt #6
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Spark
What Do You Notice? What Do You Wonder?
Show students the following video that shows people arriving for the birthday party. One party guest brought more cars. Students will wonder and notice how many cars are in the package.
Then, ask students:
Ask the students to share some of their notice and wonderings with their neighbours for about 60 seconds.
Finally, allow students to share with the entire group. Be sure to write down these noticings and wonderings on the blackboard/whiteboard, chart paper, or some other means to ensure students know that their voice is acknowledged and appreciated.
Some of the noticing and wondering that may come up includes:
What do you notice?
What do you wonder?

- Who are those people?
- What gifts did they bring?
- What kind of party are they doing to?
- Is that a car sticking out of the box?
- Are there lots of cars in the box?
- Why did they use an old box to bring presents to a party?
- There are 4 people coming to the party
- Is that a family?
- I think there are 10 cars still in the box
Sense Making
Crafting A Productive Struggle: Prompt
Building on the Context Through Storytelling
Continue developing the context by sharing the following video with students and verbally highlighting details leveraging the following script that builds on the story from day 1:
The birthday party has ended and cousins have arrived to celebrate. They have cleaned out their toy room and found some more toy cars.
Prompt: The cousin has 8 more cards than you. You have 13 cars. How many cars does the cousin have? Facilitators Note: This situation is a Compare: Quantity unknown. This situation will encourage students to have to hold the amount of cars after the birthday in their head and count on the 8 more cars that were brought to the birthday party.
During Moves
While Students Are Productively Struggling…
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Student Approach #1: Direct Modelling and Counting All
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Student Approach #2: Counting On with Comparison
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Student Approach #3: Getting to a decade number using a number line
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Next Moves
Making Connections
This situation is a Compare: Quantity unknown. This situation will encourage students to have to hold the amount of cars after the birthday in their head and count on the 8 more cars that were brought to the birthday party. It can be modeled using cubes or blocks to make a direct comparison between the two amounts.
When selecting student responses, consider the learning goal. This may vary depending on grade level. This question will elicit counting on, but it can also be used in discussion with the beginning stages of Up and Over ten.
When sequencing student responses, consider the order that will best lead to the learning goal. If a student response does not come up when monitoring student work, consider demonstrating that response and which skills/activities students need to lead them the targeted strategy.
A solution of direct modelling and counting all could be used as a springboard into the conversation.
Consider demonstrating student thinking as a comparison model.
B= Birthday C= Cousin
This comparison model could also be created with blocks. When the blocks are placed beside each other, it is easier to see how many more the cousin has.
This model can show that direct modeling of both numbers works but if the one first is already known then a recount is not necessary. This might be the sticking point for some students and understanding of the precursor skills will help students to move towards the counting on strategy.
Analyze the formative assessment checklist. It would also be a time to start thinking about possible guided groups based on student needs. Direct modeling and counting all is an early stage strategy so “How can the students who are direct modelling and counting all be supported to start counting on?”
To encourage counting on, consider using dice that have numerals instead of pips (dots) so the student has to think of the abstract number rather than counting all pips.
Whole class activities to promote counting on:


- Stand/sit in a circle. Tell the class that the goal is to count to 30. The educator or student chooses a number between 1-20 at random. They start by saying the number and the student to the left of them will say the number after it. Continuing around the circle, the next student will say the number after, etc until 30 is reached. E.g. “We are going to start at the number 13 and count to 30. I will start with 13 then the next person will say the number after. Let’s try 13, 14, 15, 16…”
- Choose an movement action (jumping jacks, air punches, knee-to-elbow, etc) and complete the movement while counting from a random amount between 1-20. E.g. “We are going to do some jumping jacks. We will start counting at 12 and count until 20.”
Reflect
Purposeful Practice
While Students Are Practicing…
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We suggest collecting this purposeful practice as an additional opportunity to engage in the formative assessment process to inform next steps for individual students as well as how the whole class will proceed.
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Resources and Downloads
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Printable Handout

Explore The Entire Unit of Study
This Make Math Moments Task was designed to spark curiosity for a multi-day unit of study with built in purposeful practice, and extensions to elicit and emerge mathematical models and strategies. Click the links at the top of this task to head to the other related lessons created for this unit of study.Visual Number Talk Prompt #1
Visual Number Talk Prompt #2
Visual Number Talk Prompt #3
Visual Number Talk Prompt #4
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Visual Number Talk Prompt #5
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Visual Number Talk Prompt #6
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Question #1
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Question #2
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Question #3
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Question #4
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Question #5
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