Domain: Number and Operations in Base Ten Standard Code: 1.NBT.2b Teacher Name: M. Johnson, K. Chavez, K. Ames
Title of Task: Bull’s-Eye Competition
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
Students will understand that the numbers 11-19 are composed of a ten and one, two, three, four, five,
What are your mathematical goals for
six, seven, eight, or nine ones.
the lesson? (i.e., what do you want
students to know and understand about
mathematics as a result of this lesson?)
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What are your expectations for
They will have access to:
students as they work on and
o Bull’s-eye target
complete this task?
o Recording sheet.
o paperclips
What resources or tools will
o pencil/pen
students have to use in their
o Base ten blocks
work that will give them
o ten frame or number line
entry into, and help them
reason through, the task?
Students will work with a partner.
How will the students work—
independently, in small groups, or
Students will record their work on the recording sheet.
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?
We are all going to a target competition. The larger the number the higher the score. Your job is to
drop the paperclip onto the target board (Students must stand up straight and drop the paperclip with their arms straight out, no
bending over) and record your results on the bull’s-eye sheet. Who will get the highest number? Compare
your score to your partner’s after you finish.
PART 2: SUPPORTING STUDENTS’ EXPLORATION OF THE TASK
Ask questions such as:
As students work independently or in
Getting Started Questions:
small groups, what questions will you
Where should your paper be? How are you going to drop the paperclip? What are you going to
ask to—
do after you get your number?
 help a group get started or make
progress on the task?
Focus Question:
 focus students’ thinking on the
How do you know? Tell me more about this? Is there another way? (build all with ones or use ten and ones )
key mathematical ideas in the
task?
 assess students’ understanding of Assessing Questions:
key mathematical ideas, problem- How did you get that answer? Are you sure? Will you explain that to me? What does that mean?
solving strategies, or the
Advanced Questions:
representations?
 advance students’ understanding What did you notice? Do you see any patterns?
of the mathematical ideas?
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:
Assign a specific partner
Provide ten frames or number lines
Provide base ten blocks
Extension:
Trade Partners
Build with base ten blocks
Add up their scores
Connect to expanded form (10+6= 16)
PART 3: SHARING AND DISCUSSING THE TASK
Solution Path:
How will you orchestrate the class
discussion so that you accomplish your
Build with all ones
mathematical goals?
Build with base ten blocks using a ten and ones
 Which solution paths do you want
Ten frames or number lines
to have shared during the
class discussion? In what order will Draw tens and ones
Write the number in tens and ones
the solutions be presented? Why?
Expanded notation
 What specific questions will you ask
so that students will—
Specific Questions:
1. make sense of the
mathematical ideas that you
What makes this different or the same?
want them to learn?
What patterns do you see?
2. expand on, debate, and question
What else did you notice?
the solutions being shared?
Why does that work?
3. make connections among the
different strategies that are
Students will be sharing their work with their partner and the class.
presented?
There were multiple strategies used.
4. look for patterns?
Students use strategies they wouldn’t normally use.
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?
Common Errors:
Students may not group their ones into a ten stick.
Students may get the tens and ones mixed up.
Wrote a ten in the tens place instead of a one for the one group of ten
Students may not notice any patterns.
Vocabulary:
Tens and ones
Bull’s-Eye
Paperclip
Ten stick, one blocks
Ten frame
Counting Numbers 11-19