Domain/Standard Code:
1.OA.2
Author Name:
Lexee, Kit, Sasha, Polly
Page 1
Title of Task: __Farm Animals _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Adapted from: Smith, Margaret Schwan, Victoria Bill, and Elizabeth K. Hughes. “Thinking Through a Lesson Protocol: Successfully Implementing High-Level Tasks.”
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School 14 (October 2008): 132-138.
PART 1: SELECTING AND SETTING UP A MATHEMATICAL TASK (PREPARE)
Mathematical Goal
What are your mathematical goals
Students will be able to add 3 whole numbers with a sum that is less than or equal to 20.
for the lesson? (i.e., what do you want
students to know and understand about
mathematics as a result of this lesson?)




What are your expectations for
Students will find one or more combinations of the 3 kinds of animal legs to equal the sum of 20
students as they work on and
legs. (hens, cows, horses).
complete this task?
Strategies
What resources or tools will
Counting on
students have to use in their
Drawing—pictorial representation
work that will give them
Objects
entry into, and help them
Using known math facts
reason through, the task?
How will the students work—
independently, in small groups, or Tools
Animal pictures or figures
in pairs—to explore this task?
Problem on Paper with 3 addend sentences template, pencil
How will students record and
Cubes
report their work?
Number line
Hundreds chart
Students will work independently at first, pair share, then discuss as a class.
Students will record their work on the story problem paper and report to a partner. Students
are required to draw and label a picture of their animals and write a number sentence. For
example ___cow legs + __hen legs + ___horse legs= 20 animal legs. The teacher will select
students to report during the discussion phase of the lesson. Other students will respond to and
question each other.
Domain/Standard Code:
1.OA.2
Author Name:
Lexee, Kit, Sasha, Polly
Page 2
Title of Task: __Farm Animals _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How will you introduce students to the
activity so as to provide access to all
students while maintaining the
cognitive demands of the task?
LAUNCH
You live on a farm. In your barn you have hens, cows and horses. There are 20 animal legs in the barn
altogether. How many of each kind of animal is in the barn to equal 20 legs?
Domain/Standard Code:
1.OA.2
Author Name:
Lexee, Kit, Sasha, Polly
Page 3
Title of Task: __Farm Animals _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PART 2: SUPPORTING STUDENTS’ EXPLORATION OF THE TASK (EXPLORE)
Domain/Standard Code:
1.OA.2
Author Name:
Lexee, Kit, Sasha, Polly
Page 4
Title of Task: __Farm Animals _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Launch Questions:
As students work independently or in
When I was a little girl I would go and visit my grandpa and his barn. He had all sorts of animals.
small groups, what questions will
What kind of animals would you see in a barn? Today you are going to create a barn with
you ask to—
different animals…launch question. You can also Youtube or read a farm book.
 help a group get started or make
progress on the task?
Clarifying Task Questions:
 focus students’ thinking on the
What do you know? What are you trying to figure out? How can you get started? What tools can
key mathematical ideas in the
you use?
task?
 assess students’ understanding of
key mathematical ideas, problem- Focus Questions:
How do you know? What two numbers did you add first? Why did you add those first? Can you
solving strategies, or the
try another way? Can you add two other numbers first? Can you tell me more about it?
representations?
 advance students’ understanding
Assessing Questions:
of the mathematical ideas?
How did you come to that answer? Will you explain that to me? What does that mean? How can
you use labels to show your thinking?
Advanced Questions:
Are there other combinations that you could make? Can you explain that to your partner?
How will you ensure that students
remain engaged in the task?
 What assistance will you give or
what questions will you ask a
student (or group) who becomes
quickly frustrated and requests
more direction and guidance is
solving the task?
 What will you do if a student (or
group) finishes the task almost
immediately? How will you
extend the task so as to provide
additional challenge?
Assistance:
 Take your low group back to your desk the day before and do a similar problem together.
 Give manipulatives
 Do it with a partner
 Start a strategy and have the student finish it
Extension:
 Increase the number of animal legs or add a new kind of animal
 Have student show it in a different way
 Have student use a different strategy
Domain/Standard Code:
1.OA.2
Author Name:
Lexee, Kit, Sasha, Polly
Page 5
Title of Task: __Farm Animals _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PART 3: SHARING AND DISCUSSING THE TASK (DISCUSS/DEBRIEF)
Solution Path:
How will you orchestrate the class
discussion so that you accomplish your
mathematical goals?
 First have students share strategies with a partner.
 Pick 3 students to share their work with the whole group on the document camera.
 Which solution paths do you want
Choose students who represent different strategies.
to have shared during the
class discussion? In what order will
Specific Questions:
the solutions be presented? Why?
 Questions & Compliments for student reporting
 What specific questions will you ask
 Would this work for all groups of numbers?
so that students will—
 How is this strategy similar or different from your strategy?
1. make sense of the
 Which strategy is most efficient (quick and smart)?
mathematical ideas that you
 Can you explain your thinking?
want them to learn?
2. expand on, debate, and question
What will you see or hear?
the solutions being shared?
 Pre-selected students show work on the document camera.
3. make connections among the
 Students questioning, commenting, and complimenting to create mathematical
different strategies that are
arguments
presented?
 Students examining strategies and proving them to determine accuracy.
4. look for patterns?
5. begin to form generalizations?
What will you see or hear that lets you
know that all students in the class
understand the mathematical ideas that
you intended for them to learn?
Domain/Standard Code:
1.OA.2
Author Name:
Lexee, Kit, Sasha, Polly
Page 6
Title of Task: __Farm Animals _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________