Tackling Constructed Response Math Performance Tasks {How to and a Pin It to Win It!}

Happy Sunday, Everyone! :)

I am so excited to share how Amanda and I have been "TACKLING" math problem solving lately! 

We created a resource to help prepare our students for solving constructed and extended response math problems. Problem solving has always been an important part of our math instruction, but the Common Core Standards and new state and national assessments have changed how we present these problems. Students are still required to think critically, but now they are also responsible for explaining their thinking in words. Writing an explanation of how you solved the problem is just as important as solving it correctly. - AND THIS IS TOUGH for our kids!!!

Since this is a new way of thinking for students (and teachers!), we knew that we needed a way to simplify the process. When our students first saw the examples of constructed and extended response performance tasks from our state, many panicked or cried or shut down. They were overwhelmed, and so were we! That’s why we decided to create a plan for teaching our kids how to think like mathematicians and solve these performance tasks.

We created a little "PLAYBOOK" to explain...Can you tell I have football on the mind!?  :)

We’ve set up 5 weeks of instruction for each unit- you don’t have to use all 5 weeks- just pick what works for you! For each week, you are given a lesson plan of daily “Math Performance Prompts”, a “Weekly Work” activity, and a culminating “Performance Task.”

Students prepare Monday through Thursday for the Performance Task on Friday. The “Math Performance Prompts” are designed to be a 5-10 minute quick lesson to prepare your students for Friday’s “Performance Task.” We use it as part of our Calendar time at the beginning of Math class. Here's an example below.

Okay, on to Play 2!

The “Weekly Work” activities can be used as daily work, homework, or even part of a center rotation. These activities give students practice with the skills needed to solve the “Performance Task” on Friday. We love the structure of Monday-Thursday!

And Play 3!

Finally, on Friday, you can complete the “Performance Task” with students or use it as an independent assessment. There is a detailed rubric and scoring guide included for each task.

What I love most about this is that my kids are becoming more CONFIDENT in their math thinking and their willingness and ability to solve these constructed response problems. This type of problem solving isn't easy, and I hope that by scaffolding their learning, we can enable our kids to be successful. 

We hope this system helps you and your students tackle Constructed and Extended Response Performance Tasks. We will be creating tasks for each unit of study in fourth grade. Check out the first unit here- Place Value. It's aligned to the 4th Grade Common Core Standards, but can definitely be used as a review with 5th grade as well. 

We are almost done with our Addition, Subtraction, and Estimation Unit, as well as our Multiplication Unit and will be posting them in our store soon! 

If you would like a FREE copy of the Place Value Unit, please PIN IT TO WIN IT! Yes, we will email this unit to 2 WINNERS!

Please Pin this Image:

Click on the image above and pin it. Then, copy the URL of your pin and paste it in the comments.  Also, leave your email address so if you win, I know where to send it!  I'll choose two winners!!  

***Here is a FREEBIE Addition Performance Task if you would like to try it out!  :)

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading this LOOOOOOOOONG post!
I hope you have a Wonderful Rest of your Weekend! :)