4th Grade Assessment Task
Sending the Right Signal
MCC4.MD.6 Measure angles in whole‐number degrees using a protractor. Sketch angles of specified measure.
MCC4.MD.7 Recognize angle measure as additive. When an angle is decomposed into non‐overlapping parts, the
angle measure of the whole is the sum of the angle measures of the parts. Solve addition and subtraction
problems to find unknown angles on a diagram in real world and mathematical problems, e.g., by using an
equation with a symbol for the unknown angle measure.
Time Taken:
45 minutes
Materials required.
Protractors
Paper
Pencil
Task:
T-Rizon Cell Phone Company is planning to build a new cell phone tower in Henry County. Through
surveying current customers of other companies and extensive research they have to determine the best
positioning for their tower and the angle in which their satellite will provide the best signal. The worst
signals are transmitted when the satellite is angled more than 120° from the ground. Calls are dropped
most often when the satellite is angled between the largest acute angle and the smallest obtuse angle.
Signal bars receive the highest rating when the satellite is 45° less than a right angle or no more than 30°
higher than a right angle. What could be a possible angle for T-Rizon’s new cell phone tower satellite?
Draw a model to show the angle of the satellite to the ground.
Assessment:
Assess according to the MATHEMATICS ASSESSMENT TASK RUBRIC.
Sending the Right Signal
T-Rizon Cell Phone Company is planning to build a new cell phone tower in Henry County.
Through surveying current customers of other companies and extensive research they have
to determine the best positioning for their tower and the angle in which their satellite will
provide the best signal. The worst signals are transmitted when the satellite is angled more
than 120° from the ground. Calls are dropped most often when the satellite is angled
between the largest acute angle and the smallest obtuse angle. Signal bars receive the
highest rating when the satellite is 45° less than a right angle or no more than 30° higher
than a right angle. What could be a possible angle for T-Rizon’s new cell phone tower
satellite? Draw a model to show the angle of the satellite to the ground.
MCC4.MD.6 Measure angles in whole‐number degrees using a protractor. Sketch angles of specified measure.
MCC4.MD.7 Recognize angle measure as additive. When an angle is decomposed into non‐overlapping parts, the angle measure of the whole is the sum of the
angle measures of the parts. Solve addition and subtraction problems to find unknown angles on a diagram in real world and mathematical problems, e.g., by
using an equation with a symbol for the unknown angle measure.
MATHEMATICS ASSESSMENT TASK RUBRIC
1
NOVICE

Content
Standard(s)
SMP 1
Make sense of
problems and
persevere in
solving them.



SMP 6
Attends to
precision
SMP 2, 3
Reasoning
and
explaining



SMP 4,5
Models and
use of tools
SMP 7, 8
Seeing
structure and
generalizing


2
APPRENTICE
Little or no
understanding of the
content standard(s)
addressed in the task

Unable to explain the
problem
Showed minimal
perseverance even
with teacher prompting

Unclear in their
thinking
Unable to communicate
mathematically

Unable to express or
justify their opinion
using numbers,
pictures, charts or
words.

Unable to select
appropriate tool OR
Drew an incorrect
representation to
reason or justify their
thinking
Unable to identify
patterns, structures or
connect to other areas
of mathematics and/or
real-life contexts






3
PRACTITIONER
Limited understanding of
the content standard(s)
addressed in the task
Partially complete/accurate
solution
Explained the problem and
showed some perseverance
in identifying the purpose of
the problem; however, the
explanation did not fully
align with the intent of the
problem
Clearly described their
actions and strategies
Used some everyday, real
life vocabulary to explain,
but was weak on the
mathematical justification
Expressed or justified their
opinion either quantitatively
OR abstractly using
numbers, pictures, charts OR
words.

Selected an appropriate tool
or drew a correct
representation of the tools
used to reason
Provided a weak justification
for their response
Identified a pattern OR
Noticed connections to other
areas of mathematics or
real-life contexts










4
EXPERT
Displayed complete
understanding of the content
standard(s) addressed
Complete/accurate solution

Explained the problem and
showed perseverance
Selected an appropriate
strategy that led to a correct
solution

Clearly described their actions
and strategies
Used grade-level appropriate,
mathematical vocabulary

Expressed and justified their
opinion using numbers,
pictures, charts and/or words.
Makes connections between
models and equations.

Selected an efficient tool and/or
drew a correct representation
of the efficient tool used to
reason
AND justifies their response

Identified patterns or structures
in the number system
Noticed connections to other
areas of mathematics and reallife contexts








Displayed complete understanding of
the content standard(s) addressed
Provided a correct answer
demonstrated through more than
one method
Explained the problem and showed
perseverance
Selected and applied an appropriate
strategy that led to a correct solution
Checked answer using another
appropriate method
Clearly described their actions and
strategies using pictures, words and
correct mathematical symbols
Used precise, grade-level
appropriate, mathematical
vocabulary
Expressed and justified their opinion
using a variety of numbers, pictures,
charts and/or words.
Connects quantities to written
symbols and creates a logical
representation with precision.
Selected multiple, efficient tools and
correctly represented the tools to
reason and justifies their response
Explained why their tool/ model was
efficient
Identified patterns or structures in
the number system and generalized
understanding to another
mathematical idea
Noticed connections to multiple
areas of mathematics and real-life