 | About the task | CCSSM Alignment | Part a | Part b | Part c | Scoring |  |
Traditionally, students’ understanding of the concept of a fraction has been developed through the idea of parts of a whole. The CCSSM requires students in grade 3 to understand that fractions are numbers that can represent an area or a location on a number line.
In this three-part task, students can solve the problem using a variety of approaches. Logical mathematical reasoning, rather than reliance on rules, leads to a solution. In Part a, students demonstrate their understanding first by analyzing a visual model to determine a fractional area; they are then asked to determine an equivalent fraction in order to represent that number on a number line. Parts b and c require students to think about fractional representations in different ways and recognize representations that are unlike those they may have traditionally seen. In so doing, students reason abstractly and computationally. Students are not expected to convert to sixteenths as older students might, but they instead use their intuitive understanding of regions of equal size to create their fraction models.
One innovation embodied in this item is the use of technology enhancements to capture evidence of student knowledge and understanding. In Parts b and c, students move the draggable tiles around until they are satisfied with their answer, thus transferring what they have learned with manipulatives in the classroom to demonstrate their understanding on the assessment. The technology enables students to test their own ideas and interact with the problem, allowing for multiple entry points to this rigorous item.
This multipart task was designed to show a progression of student thinking in a machine-scored format.
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