Facilitator’s Notes Module 4
Sunnyside Math Training
Big Ideas:
1. Students need to be proficient at 1-2 step word problems before they move
onto more complex problems.
2. Students need to struggle when solving word problems.
3. A teacher’s role is to facilitate students solving, not to assist too much.
4. A very purposeful scaffolding will give students the best chance to become
proficient at tasks.
Slide 2:
 Teachers discuss the two questions in the anticipatory set.
Slide 3:
 Review the shifts.
 Remind them that Focus and Coherence are how the standards are different.
 Rigor is increased when teachers balance Procedural Skill, Conceptual
Understanding and Application throughout their class.
 Today will focus on the shift of Application, which refers specifically to doing
real life word problems with students.
Slide 4:
 Math practice 2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively connects to doing reallife word problems with students.
Slide 5:
 Teachers read MP2 quietly and then discuss the prompted questions.
 Quantitative Reasoning is when students are thinking about or discussing the
meanings behind the numbers in a word problem. Example: Rather than just
talking about multiplying 2 and 16, students say, “we need to double the 16
oranges that Jose has.”
 Abstract Reasoning is when students discuss the numbers without context.
As we work through equations, it is not efficient to keep referring to what the
numbers mean.
 When doing a word problem, students need to fluidly move between the
abstract and quantitative reasoning.
Slide 6:
 Today, we are going to focus on performance tasks, which are more complex
word problems than the daily word problems that we worked on in Module
3.
 These tasks should be complex enough to take students 45-60 minutes to
solve (25-30 minutes K-1).
 If teachers scaffold performance tasks over the course of the year and had
students complete one every two weeks, it would take the entire year for
students to be able to solve them independently.
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When you first start tasks, teachers should do a whole-class model of one or
two, then move to group or partner solving, then independent solving.
Slide 7:
 We want to create a plan so that students can complete these on their own by
the end of the year.
Slide 8:
 When choosing a performance task, be sure to think about these attributes.
Slide 9:
 These are some research-based steps that teachers can use when students
are solving tasks.
 When reading the word problem as a class, use close reading strategies.
o Read it three times before beginning to solve.
o No writing the first two times that we read it.
o Teacher poses a question for students to consider each time it’s read.
 Student groups should not be larger than 3.
 During this entire process, teachers should not let on to the correct answer.
If students know that one table or one student has it, they may stop critically
thinking about the task. Teachers need to have a “poker face.”
 There are many ways to share out their work.
o On a construction paper rather than poster paper.
o Spy time.
o Conference time.
Slide 10:
 When we first start doing tasks, we need to emphasize the process more than
the final answer.
 As students get better at tasks, you can emphasize the correct answer more
heavily.
 We are trying to create patient problem solvers who will not shut down
when solving a complex problem.
Slide 11:
 Before showing the task, have everyone clear their desk and get out a clean
piece of paper to use for solving.
 Have people partner up in twos or threes (no more than three).
 Show the problem and read it through three times. During the first two
readings, no one is allowed to write anything down.
o First reading—prompt them to think about what the problem is
about. After you read it aloud, have them do a 1-minute share with
their partner about what is happening in the problem.
o Second reading—prompt them to think about what their math job
might be. Based on the information in the problem, what questions
might it ask. Have them partner share, then whole group share. You
can then show them the question on the next slide.
o Third reading—They can now write things down on their paper.
Prompt them to think of any questions they want to ask before
beginning to solve.
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Give them 4 minutes of independent work time where they are not allowed
to talk to each other. Pass out the question to each person.
After 4 minutes, have them share with their group and then work toward
solving.
It will probably take 30 minutes to solve. You will be monitoring each group
and handing out hint cards or think beyond cards.
Once a group feels confident about their answer, have them put it on poster
paper and put it on the wall.
Encourage groups to look at other’s work and compare to how they solved.
Slide 12:
 Garden Problem Question
Slide 13:
 Have them spend a few minutes reflecting on the process they went through
using these questions. Share out as a whole class.
 Highlight the following:
o The teacher never said who was correct, but responded with more
questioning.
o When first starting performance tasks, it’s important to have students
work in partners or triads. It increases their perseverance.
Slide 14:
 Give teachers 10-15 minutes to find a task online to use with their students
this month.
 At this point, the tasks may be 3-4 step word problems that do not seem that
hard, but will take students some time to solve when they are doing it on
their own.
Slide 15:
 Have teachers write down what they commit to do with their students.
Slide 16:
 Standards Study