Domain: Operations and Algebraic Thinking
First Grade
Standard Code:
1.OA 1
Author Name:
Title of Task: _Hot Chocolate_____________________________________________________________________
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
Our first grade has been discussing viewing the movie ”Polar Express” before our Christmas break.
What are your mathematical goals for
We have been discussing measuring liquids using smaller units. We wondered what would be faster to
the lesson? (i.e., what do you want
students to know and understand about fill the hot chocolate cup: measuring spoons, measuring cup, ladle, etc. This task has the students
working with the number three and an introduction to grouping items by 5. Additional task: I then
mathematics as a result of this lesson?)
want them to make a number sentence using marshmallows (art project). They will glue the
marshmallows onto a paper mug of hot chocolate.ie. 3+4=7
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What are your expectations for
students as they work on and
complete this task?
What resources or tools will
students have to use in their
work that will give them
entry into, and help them
reason through, the task?
How will the students work—
independently, in small groups, or
in pairs—to explore this task?
How will students record and
report their work?
How will you introduce students to the
activity so as to provide access to all
students while maintaining the
cognitive demands of the task?
Most students hopefully will realize they need to start with the 5 mugs and figure how to represent the
ladles. Some will draw ladles, use tally marks, or represent with unifix cubes, or numbers.
Mugs
Ladles
Water or manipulatives to represent these.
Paper and pencil(crayons) for representing these.
Marshmallows
Glue
A copy of a cup or a mug picture
I would suggest working in pairs or groups of 4 because of the access of ladles and supplies.
I want them to draw the pictures on a piece of paper to illustrate their thought process.
The pan has hot chocolate in it. It takes 3 ladles full to fill each mug. How many ladles will it take to
fill the mugs for five children that are riding on the Polar Express?
Then
Take a handful of marshmallows and make an addition equation and glue the marshmallows on a
paper mug and write an equation on the mug.
i.e. 2+3=5.
PART 2: SUPPORTING STUDENTS’ EXPLORATION OF THE TASK
As students work independently or in
Getting Started Questions:
small groups, what questions will you
How are you going to figure this out? What information do you have? What is your plan?
ask to—
What can you use that you already know? How can we show how many ladles we will need for
 help a group get started or make
each mug.
progress on the task?
 focus students’ thinking on the
Focus questions:
key mathematical ideas in the
Why did you start with the 5 cups? How many ladles in each cup? How can you represent this in
task?
 assess students’ understanding of your drawing? If you use unifix cubes, how can these help? Can you see a pattern with 3’s? Is
key mathematical ideas, problem- there another way? Can you use addition to help you? Skip counting?
solving strategies, or the
Assessing Questions:
representations?
 advance students’ understanding Will you explain that to me? Is each portion equal? How did you add that? What did you use to
come to that answer?
of the mathematical ideas?
Advanced Questions:
Is there another way to come up with an answer? How many ladles would you use if you had 10
mugs?
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?
Extensions:
Add 10 mugs to the problem.
How many ladles used for the mugs for the whole classroom?
Provide an art project where the student will take less than 10 marshmallows
and make a number sentence using the marshmallows. The student will glue the
marshmallows on the mug and write the sentence on the mug itself.
PART 3: SHARING AND DISCUSSING THE TASK
Specific Questions:
How will you orchestrate the class
Can you explain your thinking?
discussion so that you accomplish your
What do your drawings show?
mathematical goals?
Do you see a pattern?
 Which solution paths do you want
Can you figure how many more ladles needed if you added 2 more mugs? 5 more? 10 more?
to have shared during the
class discussion? In what order will
the solutions be presented? Why?
 What specific questions will you ask
so that students will—
1. make sense of the
mathematical ideas that you
What will you see or hear?
want them to learn?
They have pictures drawn representing the mugs and the ladles or representations of unifix
2. expand on, debate, and question
cubes
in the mugs.
the solutions being shared?
Their work is clear and precise.
3. make connections among the
Students will be sharing work with the partners and with the class.
different strategies that are
The students will be explaining how the mugs are equal.
presented?
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?