 | About the task | CCSSM Alignment | Part a | Part b | Part c | Scoring |  |
Students have developed their understanding of place value in previous grades. Fourth graders are expected to generalize this understanding of place value to multi-digit whole numbers. This three-part task calls for students to demonstrate reasoning skills and a deep conceptual knowledge of place value in atypical ways. This task uses the securely-held content of rounding to assess the Standards for Mathematical Practice—MP.3: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others and MP.6: Attend to precision. Because these practices, and not the content, are the focus of the task, it is considered a “practice forward” task.
Part a is designed to allow students an accessible entry into the content, asking them to sequence three large numbers using drag-and-drop technology. This technology enables students to test their ideas about number relationships before submitting their answer electronically. In Parts b and c, students must think deeply about what rounding means in terms of the sizes of numbers and their relationships to one another. Knowing the rules of rounding and place value is not sufficient for students to answer the questions and explain their thinking. Part b asks students to critique the work of others (MP.3), while Part c asks students to justify their conclusions (MP.3) and addresses both precise communication and flexible reasoning (MP.6).
This task asks students to demonstrate their understanding and explain their thinking in ways to which many American students have not been exposed. Future research might address more broadly how students respond to tasks that call for deep understanding, supported by precise explanations, and what the influence of such assessment tasks might be on instruction.
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