8 Mathematical Practices

Carl A. Furr Elementary Nov. 4, 2014

Objectives for Today

o To understand the standards for mathematical practice

o Explore strategies for implementing the standards effectively.

What does it mean to be mathematically proficient?

o Are students who can remember formulas or memorize algorithms truly mathematically proficient, or are there other skills that are necessary?

o Is the correct answer the ultimate goal of mathematics, or do we expect a greater level of competence?

8 Mathematical Practices

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.3. Construct viable arguments and

critique the reasoning of others.4. Model with mathematics.5. Use the appropriate tools strategically.6. Attend to precision.7. Look for and make use of structure.8. Look for and express regularity in

repeated reasoning.

Let’s take a look at how the mathematical practices can be

grouped…

http://www.readtennessee.org/math/teachers/teachers_mathematics_toolkit/mathematical_practices.aspx

Digging Deeper1. Divide into 8 groups (Let’s count off)2. Access our 8 Mathematical Practices Google

Doc (Folder)3. Each group will be given 1 mathematical

practice4. As a group explore the resources on the 8

Mathematical Practices – Teacher Resources Folder - for your assigned practice. Come up with an easy way to understand exactly what the practice is (examples, student friendly, etc.)

5. Share your thoughts with the group via Google Doc Bubble Map

What mathematical practices do you see in the following problem?

The Partin family counted the different types of ornaments on the town’s holiday tree. Here is the list of what they saw.

stars – 24gingerbread men – 14snowflakes – 12reindeer – 18candy canes – 6

Six of the reindeer had red noses. What fraction of the reindeer had red noses? Tell how you would get the answer.

RESPOND IN OUR “NEAT CHAT” ONLINE

Taking it a little further…The Parry family counted the different types of ornaments on the town’s holiday tree. Here is the list of what they saw.

stars – 24gingerbread men – 14snowflakes – 12reindeer – 18candy canes – 6

What fraction of the ornaments were snowflakes?What fraction of the ornaments were edible?If 6 of the stars were silver, what fractions of the stars were not silver?

Animals and Fences at the Zoo…

The Problem: A zookeeper was promised that she could have some special animals called mathemals. She has twenty connecting cubes to be used as fencing to build a pen for the mathemals. What type of pen can she make to hold the most mathemals?

Materials

o Twenty connecting cubes of one color to use as fencing and a large supply of connecting cubes of another color to use as mathemals when testing various solutions.

o Grid paper for recording the results.

Rules

o Work in teams to use all twenty connecting cubes to build the pen, with each cube joining another cube, face against face.

o The pen must be closed, with no doors or openings, so that the mathemals cannot get out.

o Mathemals cannot be allowed to stand on top of one another in the pen.

o Each mathemal in the pen uses the space of one cube.

What learning took place?

o Take a moment at your table to decide which standards this covers at your grade level.

o How could this task be adapted to fit every student’s ability?

o How could you adapt it to fit better at your grade level?

RESPOND IN OUR “NEAT CHAT” ONLINE

Are the 8 mathematical practices used and how?

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.3. Construct viable arguments and critique the

reasoning of others.4. Model with mathematics.5. Use the appropriate tools strategically.6. Attend to precision.7. Look for and make use of structure.8. Look for and express regularity in repeated

reasoning.

RESPOND IN OUR “NEAT CHAT” ONLINE

Thank you for all you do for our students!