STEAM 8/10/2015 Page 1
Math: What new math learning can I now apply to a situation to measure, model, or calculate? Caution: simple
math applied to new situations does not demonstrate your new math learning.
Check
Total
Points
Math Rubric
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1. Students include a claim that answers the question (What new math learning can I now
apply to a situation to solve problems, reason, and/or model?). State both the math
learning and the situation in which your example displays the application of your claim.
Caution: simple math applied to new situations does not demonstrate your new
math learning.
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2. Students describe what they created for evidence, and state the mathematical
processes or algorithms they applied to the task they have uploaded.
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3. Students explain how the learning was different. Give an example of what mathematical
processes or algorithms you have used before and state how this new math learning is
different from the example you have just given.
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4. Students explain how the math learning was more complex or advanced. Give specific
details of the problem solving process, reasoning, and/or modeling that made the
process more complex or advanced than the math that you have done in previous
semesters. List a minimum of 3 specific details.
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5. Students explain how the evidence supports their claim that they have applied new
math learning to the task that they specified in the claim.
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6. Students demonstrate a full understanding of the processes that they applied to the
task by taking the readers, step by step, through the processes that were applied to the
math task. (three sentence minimum) These must relate to the claim.
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7. Students use reasoning to tell how the math skill can be used in their lives now.
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8. Students use reasoning to tell how the math skill might be used in the future, such as in
a career. You cannot use a math teacher as a career. Math is present in all careers.
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9. Every sentence begins with a capital letter and uses standard punctuation. All proper
nouns are capitalized. The personal pronoun I is always capitalized.
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10. There are no more than three basic errors in the paragraph. The paper is written in
complete sentences that use correct spelling, punctuation, grammar usage, and
capitalization.
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11. Paragraph document is uploaded and typed in 11 or 12 point Calibri, Arial, or Times
New Roman.
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12. First and last name is in the upper left hand corner.
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13. Project is uploaded and serves as evidence of the claim.
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You must achieve a score of 100% on this paragraph. After you get 100% on your paragraph, you
must upload it as a Google Document to Turnitin.
STEAM 8/10/2015 Page 2
Math Paragraph Prompts and Sentence Template
These sentence prompts are provided to help you express your thoughts if you get stuck. The numbers coincide
with the rubric item numbers.
1. I have learned how to solve problems that ______ (name each mathematical process or algorithm that
you learned and applied). I have used this new knowledge to direct my reasoning as I _____ (state what
problem you solved).
2. The evidence that I uploaded is _____. (Describe the evidence. What mathematical content and
practices did you use?)
3. What I can now do is different because in the past I __________ (Discuss what math you were able to
apply in the past as you solved a problem.)
 With this new learning, I was able to __________. (State what you can do now with the
mathematical process or algorithm that you had not done before.)
4. This is more complex or advanced because instead of just being able to___________________, as I did
in the past, I had to__________________ (use details of the problem solving, reasoning, and/or
modeling in the process that made it more complex or advanced than the math that you have done in
previous semesters.)
5. This evidence supports my claim that I can solve problems that _____ (Describe the mathematical
process or algorithm) and use my new knowledge to determine _____ (Describe the reasoning that you
used.)
6. I completed the task by _____. (Take the readers step-by-step through the mathematical processes and
reasoning needed to complete the task.)
7. I can now use this mathematical understanding to _______ (Explain how you would use the selected math
process in your daily life or in one of your classes.)
8. In a future career I might be able to use this mathematical understanding to _____ (Explain what someone
might use this to accomplish on a job.)
Example:
I have learned how to solve problems that calculate the surface of a sphere. I have used reasoning to
compare the area of the moon with the area of dry land on earth to find out which one had more dry land, the
earth or the moon. The evidence that I uploaded is my calculations to determine the surface area of the moon
and my calculations to determine the dry land on earth. I then compared the two. What I can now do is different
because in the past I could calculate the surface area of a sphere, but I had never used it to compare anything
like the percentage of dry land on the earth and the moon. This is more complex (complicated/in-depth) because
instead of just being able to calculate the surface of a sphere as I did in the past, I had to reason which numbers
to use to get the correct answer for the area of the moon. I had to reason to use the correct numbers to get the
area of dry land on the earth. Next, I had to compare the two to know which had the most dry land. This
evidence supports my claim that I can solve problems that calculate the surface of a sphere and use reasoning
to determine whether the earth or the moon had more dry land. This is how I figured it out. Since the area of the
Earth covered in water is 71%, then the area not covered by water is 29%. So the area of the earth not covered
in water is 0.29 (510,000,000), which is about 148,000,000 square km. The radius of the moon is about 1,738
km and the surface area is 4 x pi x the radius squared, which is about 38,000,000 square km. The earth’s dry
land of 148,000,000 is greater than the moon’s dry land of 3,800,000. I can now use this mathematical
understanding to compare the areas of the land irrigated by our pivots. In a future career I might be able to use
this mathematical understanding to compare the areas of incoming asteroids.