4th Grade Task: Ice Cream

4th Grade Task: Ice Cream

Standards & Objectives

Essential and guiding questions: 

Whole Group Questions

Write the key understandings that students should come to in the discussion of this task and questions you can ask in the whole group setting to support arrival at these key understandings.

The Model:

  • How did you model the class?
  • Did anyone do it differently?
  • Are these solutions correct?
  • Which model seems easier to use to you?

The Fractions:

  • What is ¼ of 20? What is ½ of 20?
  • How did you decide that these were the answers?
  • Did anyone decide differently?
  • Do both of these processes work?

The Context:

  • What would happen if the class had 15 students in it?
  • What is ¼ of 13? One‐half of 13?
  • Can we have fractions of people?

Multiplying a Whole Number Times a Fraction:

  • Can anyone see a relationship between the numbers ¼ and 20 that gives us a clue how to solve this without models?
  • Do you think the relationship a×(b / c) = (a × b) / c always works?
  • Can you give me another example of this in the problem?

Activity/Task Variations

Blooms taxonomy level: 
Understanding
Extension suggestions: 

Extensions:

If students can’t get started….

Assessing Questions

  • Draw me a picture that represents a class of 22 students, any way you would like. Can you use that to model this problem?

Advancing Questions

  • Once we have disregarded the 2 students who won’t get ice cream, can you represent the remaining 20 in fourths and halves?
  • How many groups do you have if you are dividing people into fourths?

If students finish early….

Assessing Questions

  • Can you solve the problem if there are 26 students in the class and 2 are still allergic? How does your picture and solution change?

Advancing Questions

  • Could you solve this problem if there were 18 students in the class? What is the solution?