Domain/Standard Code:4.OA.3 Author Name: Brown, Rollins, Jack, Ward Page 3
Title of Task: Water Used to Grow Your dinner.
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)What are your mathematical goals for the lesson? (i.e., what do you want
students to know and understand about mathematics as a result of this lesson?) / Standard 3: Solve multistep word problems posed with whole numbers and having whole-number answers using the four operations. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies.
· 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? / Expectations: Students will interpret a multistep equation that includes the basic operations.
Students will work in small groups to explore the task. The groups will share their menus with others.
Paper, pencils, and math journals will be available.
They will plan a meal for a family of 4. Choose at least one item from each category from the “My Plate” chart. They will determine how much water it takes to grow the food to feed your family one meal.
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
Review the different food items listed in each section of “My Food Plate.” Lead a discussion of how much water they think is needed to grow a variety of foods. Play a matching game where you match a food item with how much water is needed to grow it.
Resource: C.U.P. Water Facts Central Utah Water Conservancy District
355 W. University Parkway, Orem, Utah 84058
Domain/Standard Code:4.OA.3 Author Name: Brown, Rollins, Jack, Ward Page 3
Title of Task: Water Used to Grow Your dinner.
PART 2: SUPPORTING STUDENTS’ EXPLORATION OF THE TASK (EXPLORE)As students work independently or in small groups, what questions will you ask to—
· help a group get started or make progress on the task?
· focus students’ thinking on the
key mathematical ideas in the task?
· assess students’ understanding of
key mathematical ideas, problem- solving strategies, or the representations?
· advance students’ understanding
of the mathematical ideas? / Walk around and monitor.
Ask open ended questions.
Have you completed what is being asked?
What else should you include?
How did you decide that?
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? / Constant monitoring.
Praise for what they have completed already.
Do you need to reread the task?
Extensions are listed on the task.
Domain/Standard Code:4.OA.3 Author Name: Brown, Rollins, Jack, Ward Page 3
Title of Task: Water Used to Grow Your dinner.
PART 3: SHARING AND DISCUSSING THE TASK (DISCUSS/DEBRIEF)How will you orchestrate the class discussion so that you accomplish your mathematical goals?
· Which solution paths do you want 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 want them to learn?
2. expand on, debate, and question the solutions being shared?
3. make connections among the different strategies that are 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? / Groups will share their menus starting with simpler and moving to more complex answers.
What observations did your group make?
Why would some food require more water than others?
How does the water consumption of the food from animals compare or contrast to the food that is grown?
Discuss the effects of droughts, floods, or rainy seasons.
How would Utah’s water usage compare or contrast to another state?
Task: Plan a meal for a family of 4. Choose at least one item from each category from the “My Plate” chart. How much water will it take to grow the food to feed your family one meal?
Water needed to produce one serving of food item.Food item / Amount of Water in gallons / Food item / Amount of Water in gallons
cherries / 20 / Apples / 16
Oranges / 22 / Watermelon / 100
Potatoes / 7 / Corn / 61
Tomatoes / 3 / Lettuce / 6
Milk / 65 / Steak / 2607
Chicken / 408 / Bread / 15
Soft drinks / 10 / Pork / 408
2 Eggs / 136 / Cereal / 13
Pancakes/waffles / 100 / Bacon / 350
Juice / 35 / Bananas / 30
Carrots / 12 / Green beans / 12
Oatmeal / 25 / Crackers / 25
Pasta / 149 / Hamburger patty / 575
Chips / 49 / Nuts / 362
Peanut butter / 341 / Fish / 372
Cheese sticks / 48 / Cottage cheese / 56
Yogurt / 79 / pudding / 24
Extensions: *How much water is needed to feed a family breakfast, lunch and dinner?
*How does your meal compare with a partner?
*Your area is experiencing a drought. How would that change your meal choices?