In this performance assessment, students will demonstrate their understanding of the meaning of, as well as how and when to use the four operations to write and solve a multi-step story problem by creating an escape-room, multi-step story problem puzzle.
Specifically, students will be asked to write and solve a multi-step story problem with a whole number answer using any of the four operations. The story problem will require at least two steps. Students will choose (or be assigned) a theme for their escape room problems.
This type of problem is a great way to incorporate science, social studies, and/or language arts topics into your mathematics curriculum. Allow students to come up with or choose a topic related to something you’re studying (or have previously studied) in science or social studies. Alternatively, students could choose to research a topic of their own interest. If this is not appropriate for the time you have or for your classroom set up, you can also allow students to make up the data/numbers they are using for their story problems.
This assessment can be used at any time during the year so long as the necessary mathematics skills have been learned (whole number operations). Additionally, it would make sense to pair this task with a curricular topic that students could research to gather data for the problems they create.
Students should have demonstrated proficiency with adding and subtracting two numbers with a sum or difference to the thousands place. Students should also have demonstrated proficiency with 1-digit by 4-digit multiplication and/or 2- digit by 2-digit multiplication and 4-digit by 1-digit division. Students should have had multiple opportunities to solve multi-step problems.
In this performance assessment, students will demonstrate their understanding of the meaning of, as well as how and when to use the four operations to write and solve a multi-step story problem by creating an escape-room, multi-step story problem puzzle.
Specifically, students will be asked to write and solve a multi-step story problem with a whole number answer using any of the four operations. The story problem will require at least two steps. Students will choose (or be assigned) a theme for their escape room problems.
This type of problem is a great way to incorporate science, social studies, and/or language arts topics into your mathematics curriculum. Allow students to come up with or choose a topic related to something you’re studying (or have previously studied) in science or social studies. Alternatively, students could choose to research a topic of their own interest. If this is not appropriate for the time you have or for your classroom set up, you can also allow students to make up the data/numbers they are using for their story problems.
This assessment can be used at any time during the year so long as the necessary mathematics skills have been learned (whole number operations). Additionally, it would make sense to pair this task with a curricular topic that students could research to gather data for the problems they create.
Students should have demonstrated proficiency with adding and subtracting two numbers with a sum or difference to the thousands place. Students should also have demonstrated proficiency with 1-digit by 4-digit multiplication and/or 2- digit by 2-digit multiplication and 4-digit by 1-digit division. Students should have had multiple opportunities to solve multi-step problems.
| Big Ideas | Competencies |
|---|---|
B. Operations and Algebraic ThinkingStudents can use mathematics to analyze and evaluate historical, political, economic, scientific, and social problems and make conjectures about possible solutions. |
Solve Word Problems with Whole Numbers 1Students can represent and solve multistep word problems posed with whole numbers and having whole-number answers using the four operations, including problems in which remainders must be interpreted. |
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.
| Dimensions | Not Yet Meeting Expectations | Meeting Expectations | Exceeding Expectations |
|---|---|---|---|
Concepts and ProceduresWhat is the evidence that the student can apply correct computational processes and strategies to solve mathematical problems? SMP 1 & 6 |
No exemplars at this time.
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No exemplars at this time.
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No exemplars at this time.
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Demonstrates Understanding of the Meaning of Operations |
No exemplars at this time.
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No exemplars at this time.
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No exemplars at this time.
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