Task

Choosing a Tool

Answer

Choose any tool in the classroom

to measure the length of the
classroom.
What tool did you choose?
How long is the classroom?
If you had to do the same task
again, would you choose the
same tool or a different tool?
Why?

Children may choose any object in

the classroom to measure: Unifix
cubes, dinosaur counters,
unsharpened pencils, paper clips, or
even standard units such as a ruler,
yard stick, or measuring tape.
The idea is to choose an efficient
tool or to recognize whether or not
an efficient tool was chosen in the
end. A paper clip is much less
efficient than a sheet of paper
because its much smaller.
Answers will vary.

Cognitive Demand: Doing Mathematics

Explanation

Features

The purpose of this task is to

choose an efficient tool.
Students must use their basic
knowledge of measurement. In
the end, students reflect on
their choice and defend
whether they made or good
choice, or whether a different
tool would have worked better.

Non-algorithmic thinking
Analysis of the task required
Reflective
Uses manipulatives
Involves multiple steps