K-2 Breakout/ Session 3 Parallel Tasks

Minds-On TPS – choose one: 1. Show how you would share your grilled cheese sandwich with one other person, OR 2. Show how you would share your grilled cheese sandwich with 3 other people. Whole group sharing

On-going assessment With a partner, tell how you would respond to a colleague who says: You can’t use parallel tasks since you have to stick to the curriculum expectations.

Assessment of Learning What role might parallel tasks play in assessment of learning situations? Thinking or communication would be assessable using parallel tasks “Freeing kids up from problem-y things and focusing on communication”

Example 1 – Grade 2/3

What obstacles might students experience in solving this? This thinking needs to happen before the students tackle the task Anticipating problems

Example 1 Common Questions: Could your number have been 3? 4? How did you decide what numbers to try? How did you solve the problem? Would there have been more answers if we hadn’t limited the number of markers? How would you find them?

Example 1 Scaffolding Questions: Here are some markers. How would you show that there is 1 [or are 2] left over when you make groups of 3? How do you know there were more than 4 counters?  Having those questions in your back pocket is the key

Revisit plenary task of common questions and scaffolding questions

Action: Consider the following tasks Choice 1: Jelly Bean Counting Contest. You've won! You guessed the closest number to the number of jelly beans: 63. How will you count the jelly beans to make sure the number is right? Choice 2: Your school is collecting pennies for donations to the food bank. You look in your mom's wallet. She says there are 25 pennies. How will you count them to make sure she is right?

Questions Are they parallel tasks? Explain. To which Big Ideas are they connected? In grade one, which curriculum expectations would be reflected in this activity?

Making tens

Counting by 5s

Making tens to 63 - From ten frames to towers

Action continued… Instead of: Use blocks to show the number 15 Try these: Option 1- Choose a number between 1 and 10. Show that number with more than one group. Option 2- Choose a number between 20 and 30. Show that number with more than one group.

Common Questions What number did you represent? How did you know what number was to choose? How did you know what groups to make?

Revisit: Steps for Creating Parallel Questions Select the initial task. Anticipate student difficulties with the task (or anticipate what makes the task too simple for some students). Create the parallel task, ensuring that the big idea is not compromised, and that enough context remains common so that common questions can be created. Create at least three or four common questions that are pertinent to both tasks. You might use processes and big ideas to help here. These should provide insight into the solution and not just extend the original tasks. Ensure that students from both groups are called upon to respond.

Your turn Choose one question and in pairs, create two parallel tasks: 1) How many wheels do four tricycles have? Show your work with an addition sentence? (p.46) 2) What things come in 2s? Draw pictures to show your ideas. 3)Alex and Alyse are twins who are having a birthday party. They have 16 candles. How many candles are there on each cake?

Consolidation: Sharing parallel tasks Whole group share Did the step by step process help? How do you see these parallel tasks supporting your students?

Session 3 B: Common questions Minds on: –Revisit the grade one parallel task 63 jelly beans, or 25 pennies in the change purse What common questions could we ask to create an inclusive math talk community?

Common questions for the task Describe how you counted your blocks. Why did you chose to count them that way? How is your way similar to your friend’s way of counting? What makes it easier to count lots of blocks?

Common questions “Common questions should be carefully crafted so all students can participate together in follow-up discussions, regardless of the choice of task taken,” Good Questions, p.12 They connect to the big idea embedded in the task They expose mathematical thinking about an important concept They provide valuable assessment information

Video – Dr. Small Show shortened version of webcast clip on initial assessment – parallel task Monograph - Read the section on parallel tasks - Discuss new learning with partner

Creating common questions Take the task you worked on in the previous session and write 2-3 common questions for class discussion. 1)How many wheels do four tricycles have? Show your work with an addition sentence? (BI- Kto3, p.26) 2) What things come in 2s? 3) Alex and Alyse are twins who are having a birthday party. They have 16 candles. How many candles are there on each cake?

Peer feedback on common questions Take a few sticky notes Circulate and read the parallel tasks and common questions created Feedback prompts are on your tables..

Assessment – on the side… Do parallel tasks fit into: –Assessment for learning plans –Assessment of learning plans –If so, how???

Reflections on creating common questions What did you find easy? What did you find difficult?

Minds On: Scaffolding questions Questions designed to encourage thinking Avoid leading students to solutions, rather open up or redirect their thinking –Revisit the grade one parallel task 63 jelly beans, or 25 pennies in the change purse

Scaffolding questions How can you arrange the cubes to make them easier to count? What tool can you use to help you count your cubes? Show me what you have done so far. Go have a “spy walk” to see what others are doing – One rule: it is a silent walk

Posing Powerful Questions Template

Session 3C: Putting it all together Your turn to try creating a parallel task –Select a Big Idea –Select an expectation –Find a workable question/activity from your resource or create a new one - Use the PPQT template

Reflections on Day