Overview

In this performance assessment, students will demonstrate their understanding of how the distributive property works and can be used to make finding the product of a multiplication expression easier. They will use a visual area model to justify their responses.

Specifically, students will be asked to identify a pattern or rule for making equivalent expressions using the distributive property.

Students will identify equivalent expressions requiring the distributive property and identify a pattern within the equivalent expressions. They will justify the equality or inequality of the expressions by creating area models. This performance assessment is likely best to be done using paper and colored pencils or markers but could also be done using an electronic document program like Google Docs or Microsoft Word. Final student work should be saved as an Acrobat PDF for uploading to the virtual scoring software.

Prior to this assessment, students should have demonstrated an understanding of how to solve expressions using the distributive property and how to use an area model to represent the distributive property.

Details

Big Ideas & Competencies

Big Ideas Competencies

A. Understanding and Applying Number Systems

Students understand that numbers hold value and can choose the appropriate representations and algorithms to reason quantitatively, abstractly, and efficiently.

Strategies for Multiplication 2

Students can use area models to represent the distributive property in mathematical reasoning.

NOTE ABOUT ASSESSMENT RUBRICS

Below are analytic teacher rubrics. The column on the left shows the dimension that is being measured in the student’s performance. The levels across the top row indicate the performance level in the dimensions. Occasionally all dimensions and performance levels are exemplified by multiple students in a single recording.

Teacher Rubric

Dimensions Not Yet Meeting Expectations Meeting Expectations Exceeding Expectations

Concepts and Procedures

  • I can solve part of the problem, but I am confused in some places and have calculation mistakes. 
No exemplars at this time.
  • I can solve the problem using strategies that make sense with few calculation mistakes 
No exemplars at this time.
  • I can solve the problem efficiently and accurately without any calculation mistakes. ext. 
No exemplars at this time.

Seeing Structure and Generalizing

  • I am beginning to recognize a pattern and develop a rule 
No exemplars at this time.
  • I can develop a rule based on the pattern in this specific set of problems. 
No exemplars at this time.
  • I can develop a rule based on the pattern of solving expressions using the distributive property. 
No exemplars at this time.

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