Task Teacher Guide
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In This Task…
Students will determine the length of a string that stretches from corner to opposite corner in a classroom.
Intentionality…
In this task, students will observe an individual running a string from one corner of a classroom to the opposite corner. The purpose of the day 4 task is allow students to apply their understanding of the Pythagorean relationship in various ways.
Spark
What Do You Notice? What Do You Wonder?
Show students the following video:
Then, ask students:
What do you notice?
What do you wonder?
Give students 60 seconds (or more) to do a rapid write on a piece of paper.
Replaying the video and/or leaving a screenshot from the video up can be helpful here.
Then, ask students to share with their neighbours for another 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:
- There is a long string.
- Whose classroom is that?
- How long is the string?
- What’s he standing on?
- How many desks are there?
- What kind of string is that?
Estimation: Prompt
After we have heard students and demonstrated that we value their voice, we can land on the first question we will challenge them with:
Show students the image below.
Then, ask students:
How long is the string that stretches from corner to corner?
We can now ask students to make an estimate (not a guess) as we want them to be as strategic as they can possibly be. This will force them to estimate dimensions and use their knowledge of area.
Encourage students to share their estimates, however avoid sharing their justification just yet. We do not want to rob other students of their thinking.
Sense Making
Crafting A Productive Struggle: Prompt
Prompt students by asking:
If you were to have more information to help narrow your prediction/make your prediction more accurate what extra information would you want?
Engage your class in Think-Pair-Share where they Think independently on what they would like to have to update their prediction, Pair and share their thinking with a partner, finally share their thinking with the class.
Show the More Information images one at time pausing and prompting your students to share their strategies.
Image 1:
Image 2:
Image 3:
With this information and ask students to update their prediction.
During Moves
While Students Are Productively Struggling…
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Student Approach #1: Diagrams of Two Triangles Utilizing the Pythagorean Theorem
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Next Moves
Consolidation: Making Connections
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Reveal
Consider sharing the following reveal video with your students:
Reflect
Engage students in a discussion on the accuracy of the answer revealed in the video and their calculated answer.
Consolidation Prompt #1:
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Consolidation Prompt #2:
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We suggest collecting this reflection 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.
Download Editable/Printable Handout
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Purposeful Practice
Purposeful practice problems are coming soon.
A downloadable PDF blackline master of this purposeful practice can be downloaded and used with your students in your classroom here: [ OPEN | DOWNLOAD ] Coming soon!
Resources and Downloads
Lesson Tip Sheet
Download the lesson plan in PDF format so you can keep it handy and share with colleagues.
Videos & Images
Download the videos, images, and related media files to your computer to avoid streaming.
Keynote Slides
Download in Apple Keynote format to avoid streaming video and run the lesson smoothly.
PowerPoint Slides
Download in Microsoft PowerPoint format to avoid streaming video and run the lesson smoothly.
Printable Handout
Download/edit the handout so you can keep it handy and share with colleagues.
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.
Reveal Video
Consolidation Prompt 1:
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Consolidation Prompt 2:
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Download Editable/Printable Handout
Become a member to access purposeful practice to display via your projector/TV, download the PDF to upload to your LMS and/or print for students to have a physical copy
Coming Soon
Purposeful practice problems are coming soon.
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