Local School Community Activities Tasks

Overview: Tasks Related to Local School Community Activities

This set of tasks draws on activities relevant to the local school community. Students’ experiences with classroom projects, eating in the cafeteria, and planning for parties and fieldtrips provide context that could be leveraged for learning with these tasks. The tasks engage students in mathematical modeling (Mathematical Practice 4) through activities including:

  • Determining how many supplies are needed for a craft project, individually and for a group.
  • Determining the best deal when buying items for school events.
  • Creating recipes that can be scaled to serve a different number of people.
  • Creating spinners for games.
  • Communicating plans, models, and creating a persuasive data-based argument with tables, pictures, numbers, and/or words.

Specific mathematical content and other mathematical practices connected to tasks are described within the lesson overview of each task.

Additional task suggestions:

  • Predicting how many products will be needed for a fundraiser or school store.
  • Planning a route to take while on a field trip.
  • Determining prices and estimating profits for fundraising/sales activities.

Local School Community Activities Tasks

Overview

The Cafeteria Waste Task asks students to investigate the amount of waste produced by using disposable trays in the cafeteria. Students develop a plan for determining the amount of waste, execute the plan and then create a poster to show their results. An extension to this task asks students to describe the amount of waste as a volume and compare it to a reference space such as a classroom to help them better appreciate the amount of waste found. Content standards in this task focus on whole number operations, volume measure, estimation, rounding, and writing and interpreting numerical expressions. Grade five students may use factional results to provide a more precise response.

Student Task Documents

We are including both PDF and MSWord versions of the Student Task document. The MSWord version will allow you to easily edit the task if you wish to do so. The PDF version will maintain the original format.

Lesson Slides

The Lesson Slides ask students to first think about the types of waste produced by the cafeteria. Slide 3 includes an optional YouTube video link that shows how one school engages students in reducing cafeteria waste. Students are asked how they might study this topic and whom they might interview to answer questions regarding cafeteria waste. It also provides slides that outline the student task to facilitate whole class discussion.

Cafeteria Waste Resources

Student Work

Students used a variety of multiplication algorithms to determine the number of trays and forks that were disposed of each day for their class and their grade level. Two solutions show strategies used to describe the amount of space the trays would take up if they were to be collected and stacked.

Cafeteria Waste Task Student Work.pdf

Overview

The Party Punch Task asks students to create a recipe for punch and then determine how many batches of the recipe need to be made to serve their class. Content standards used in the task primarily focus adding or multiplying fractions.

Student Task Documents

We are including both PDF and MSWord versions of the Student Task document. The MSWord version will allow you to easily edit the task if you wish to do so. The PDF version will maintain the original format. There are three version of the task. Version A uses unit fractions, Version B includes unit and non-unit fractions and Version C allows the teacher to determine what fraction measures are to be use.

Lesson Slides

The Lesson Slides include a launch to promote discussion about making punch for a party. Slides include a link to a YouTube video showing how to make punch. Teachers are encouraged to use their own videos if they are available. Task versions slides are color coded with version A in pink, version B in blue and version C in green.

Party Punch Resource Files

Party Punch Task Student Work

This file shows four Grade-4 student solution paths for the Party Punch Task.

Overview

In this task students will be given two different T-shirt pricing models (“Buy One Get One Half Off” and “Buy Two Get One Free”) and asked to determine which is the better price if they were to buy T-Shirts for their class or their school. Students can solve this problem in a variety of ways, using tables, finding patterns, trying examples with increasingly larger numbers, or with algebra. Depending on the cost of the T-Shirt and the number of shirts purchased students could work with fractions or decimal amounts.

Student Task Documents

We are including both PDF and MSWord versions of the Student Task document. The MSWord version will allow you to easily edit the task if you wish to do so. The PDF version will maintain the original format.

Lesson Slides

The Lesson Slides include an introduction to Buy One Get One Free and Buy One Get One at Half Off and the T-Shirt Task.

T-Shirt Task Resource Files

Overview

In this task students will create prize spinners out of circles. Students with limited experience working with fractions will explore how to make whole circles out of fraction pieces and then create a spinner. Students with more experience will create a variety of prize spinners. Standards addressed in this task include fractional parts of wholes, unit fractions, adding fractions to one whole. Task extensions include activities related to creating spinners to promote positive contributions to the school community and preparing for a school carnival.

Student Task Documents

We are including both PDF and MSWord versions of the Student Task document. The MSWord version will allow you to easily edit the task if you wish to do so. The PDF version will maintain the original format. There are three versions of the task included. Templates for fraction circles student worksheets are also included.

Lesson Slides

The Lesson Slides include the different routines and tasks outlined in the Lesson Overview. Task A is highlighted in blue, B in peach, and C in yellow. Embedded links to a YouTube video for Task B and an automated spinner are accessible in the lesson slides.

Prize Spinner Resource Files

Student Work

The Prize Spinner Student Work file provides three Grade 3 solutions for the Prize Spinner Task. Students created their spinners and were asked to write a “detailed paragraph that explains the fractions in [their] spinner and the math that went into it.” They were also asked what “equivalencies” they noticed. The student narratives provided for each sample task help to create a portrait of the students understanding of equivalent fractions, fractions that sum to one whole and their emerging use of mathematical language to describe their work.

Student Task Documents

We are including both PDF and MSWord versions of the Student Task document. The MSWord version will allow you to easily edit the task if you wish to do so. The PDF version will maintain the original format.

Lesson Slides

The Lesson Slides include the different routines outlined in the Lesson Overview. These routines are color-coded to help identify the transition from one routine to the other.

Making Bugs: Movie

One Lesson Slide refers to a movie titled “Making Bugs”. Clicking that link will open the movie to stream. If you won’t have a strong internet connection during your lesson, you can download the movie and play it locally.

Making Bugs Resource Files

Making Bugs Student Work

This Making Bugs Student Work file shows Grade 3, Grade 4 and Grade 5 solutions. Grade 3 students use repeated addition and skip counting to multiply. They use partitioning of the play dough sticks to determine how many sticks were needed to create the bugs body. Grade 4 students primarily use multiplication and division to determine the number of fuzzy stems and the amount play dough needed to create their bugs. Grade 5 students demonstrated growth in their ability to present and explain their work. Whole number multiplication and division were used to determine the number of stems and play dough sticks needed and the number of packages to buy. They also demonstrated emerging use of ratios when they indicated one package of pay dough could “fit four students.”

Lesson Overview

The Lesson Overview document lists CCSS-M content standards and Standards for Mathematical Practices that are aligned with this task. The overview also describes possible assumptions and solution strategies that students may use.

Student Handouts

The two student handout documents are what the students reference while working on the task. There are two versions: one is if each student will be designing one frame and the other is if students will each design two frames (individually or in small groups).

Lesson Slides

The complete lesson slides are provided in PDF and Powerpoint format. These files contain images and instructions that are designed to be projected while students work on the task.

Making Picture Frames Task Student Work Samples

This student work file illustrates the many strategies that students in grades 3, 4 and 5 used to figure out how many packages of popsicle sticks are needed for their class to make picture frames for their loved ones. Students designed their own frames and created the frames to validate their models. Students used pictures, equations, and words to solve this task. Common strategies included skip counting and partial products algorithms of multiplication.

Overview

The Making Jump Rope Task promotes student awareness of how our use of plastic bags is impacting the environmental. Students learn to “upcycle” plastic bags by making jump ropes. Mathematical standards in this task focus on solving multistep problems using operations with whole numbers. Students build mathematics models to determine how many plastic bags are needed to create a variety of jump rope sets for their class, school, or community. Four versions and two extensions of the task are provided.

Student Task Documents

We are including both PDF and MSWord versions of the Student Task document. The MSWord version will allow you to easily edit the task if you wish to do so. The PDF version will maintain the original format. Due to the number of tasks in this lesson a separate sheet titled “Making Jump Ropes at a Glance Task Summary Sheet” is provided to help teachers choose the versions appropriate for their students.

Lesson Slides

The Lesson Slides develop the context for upcycling plastic bags, show students how to make jump ropes from plastic bags and include one slide for each task warm-up, version, and extension. Two YouTube videos are embedded in the slides. The first video provides data related to the environmental impact of our overuse of plastics bags. The second video shows how to make jump ropes using plastic bags.

Making Jump Ropes Resources

Student Work

This student work file shows five solution paths for grades 3, 4, and 5. Sample comments from pre-task discussions and use of organizing tools are also provided.

Making Jump Ropes Student Work

Overview

In this task students will determine which slime recipe they think the 2nd graders should use for a science celebration. They will first focus on the cost of each recipe and then look at other criteria to rank order their recommended recipes. Students will use and develop their understanding of fractions, working with money, multiplication and division of whole numbers and fractions, measurement and estimation. Part 1: Version B requires students to convert from fluid ounces to cups and smaller measurements found in recipes.

Student Task Documents

We are including both PDF and MSWord versions of the Student Task document. The MSWord version will allow you to easily edit the task if you wish to do so. The PDF version will maintain the original format. Part 1: Version B can be found on page 3.

Lesson Slides

The Lesson Slides include a launch for the slime task and overview of the tasks outlined in the Lesson Overview. Part 1 Version B Task sides start at slide 23. This task can stand alone or be used as part of original task.

Slime Task Resource Files

The Marshmallows for Camping Task asks students to estimate the number of marshmallows they will need and then determine the number of bags of marshmallows to buy for a camping trip. An extension of this task includes determining the amount of chocolate and graham crackers needed to make S’Mores on this trip. Standards used in the task primarily focus on multidigit whole number addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with remainders and writing numeric and algebraic expressions.

Student Task Documents

We are including both PDF and MSWord versions of the Student Task document. The MSWord version will allow you to easily edit the task if you wish to do so. The PDF version will maintain the original format.

Lesson Slides

The Lesson Slides include a launch to promote discussion about roasting marshmallows on a camping trip and making S’Mores. The last slide provides links to YouTube videos related to these topics.

Marshmallows for Camping Resources

Marshmallows for Camping Task Solutions Notes

This file includes three teacher and one grade four solution paths for the Marshmallows for Camping Task. Teachers used whole number addition, multiplication and division with remainders. Students used whole number addition and subtraction to determine the number of bags of marshmallows needed for the camping trip.

Marshmallows for Camping Student And Teacher Solution Paths

Marshmallows Camping Trip Possible Solutions.pdf

Lesson Overview

The Lesson Overview document lists CCSS-M content standards and Standards for Mathematical Practices that are aligned with this task. The overview also describes possible assumptions and solution strategies that students may use.

Student Handouts

The two student handout documents are what the students reference while working on the task. There are two versions for grade 3 (in the Gr3 doc) and one version for grades 4 and 5. The Task Notes document lists possible extensions and sources to build context.

Lesson Slides

The complete lesson slides are provided in pdf and powerpoint format. These files contain tables and instructions that are designed to be projected while students work on the task. The lesson images, launch option2, and teacher tips are extra resources to modify the lesson. Many images and links to videos connect this task to the Water Crisis in Flint, MI.

Safe Water for Schools Task – Student work samples

This student work file illustrates the many strategies that students in grades 3, 4 and 5 used to figure out how many jugs are needed for their class to have clean drinking water at school. Students made assumptions about how much each person will drink based on the ages of students and the number of students who bring their own water bottles to school from home. Students used pictures, fractions, equations, and words to solve this task. Common strategies included skip counting and reasoning about the remainder in long division.