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Clusters should not be sorted from Major to Supporting and then taught in that order. To do so would strip the coherence of the mathematical ideas and miss the opportunity to enhance the major work of the grade with the supporting clusters.
- Assessment Limits :
Measurement conversions are from larger units to smaller units. Calculations are limited to simple fractions or decimals. Operations may include addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Item contexts are not limited to distances, intervals of time, and money. - Calculator :
No
- Context :
Required
- Test Item #: Sample Item 1
- Question:
Gretchen is baking pies. She needs
cup of butter for each pie. One stick of butter is 
cup.How many sticks of butter does Gretchen need to make 4 pies?
- Difficulty: N/A
- Type: EE: Equation Editor
- Test Item #: Sample Item 2
- Question:
Jing participates in a trivia contest. He completes each question each question in
minute.How long does it take for Jing to complete 10 questions?
- Difficulty: N/A
- Type: MC: Multiple Choice
Related Courses
Related Access Points
Related Resources
Formative Assessments
Image/Photograph
Lesson Plans
Original Student Tutorial
Problem-Solving Tasks
Teaching Idea
Tutorials
STEM Lessons - Model Eliciting Activity
This Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) is written at a 4th grade level.
This activity allows students to think critically using information provided. Students will write a procedure on how they determined which painting company would be suitable for the client.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
Fourth graders will help Cookies and Treats find cost-effective and eco-friendly packaging for its cookies. Students will organize data and compare prices using decimal notation in order to develop a procedure for choosing packaging for cookies. Students will use multiplication and division of whole numbers to plan for how many packages to order.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
Students will use a real-world problem solving situation to determine the best types of light bulbs to maintain an appropriate environment for a captive lizard.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
Lotsa Lotion Labs requests the help of your team to rank a group of sunscreens, explain the process and justify how you chose which is 'best.' An additional hands-on lesson investigating solar energy and sunscreens is included as an extension activity.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx
The main problem that the students are going to solve in this MEA is how to determine the appropriate allowance for a family of five children. This activity will allow the students to take on the role of financial planners as they examine a budget that has been earmarked by "The Davidson Family." The client has a particular amount of money to spare for their five children, however are unable to determine how much money each child should receive. The factors that students will need to consider at first will be the age of the children, the chores completed, and extracurricular activities the children engage in after school. The students might need to reconsider their thinking processes in order to take into account behavior comments and concerns that are also included.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
This Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) asks students to develop a procedure to select a pickle brand for a sandwich shop. Students will need to consider appearance, texture, price, flavor, length of shelf life, and estimating shipping costs. In the second portion of the problem statement, the students will need to trade off what they have previously considered and give more worth to the estimated shipping costs, while adding three more brands for consideration. The students will complete a culminating activity of making a commercial to advertise their selected brand. Student will need to work together and use the standard conventions of writing to write and perform their commercial for the other groups.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx
The Plant Package MEA provides students with an engineering problem in which they are asked to rank different plant containers using recycled materials.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx
This MEA will ask students to work in teams to help their client, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, to decide which Burmese python traps manufacturing company to buy traps from. The traps will be placed along the Florida Keys and the Everglades to help prevent the growth of invasive Burmese Python population. The students will implement their knowledge of how plants, animals, and humans impact the environment, use mathematical and analytical problem-solving strategies, and be able report their finding in an organized, descriptive manner.
This MEA asks students to take on the job of a tennis pro and decide which factors are most important in choosing a facility to take tennis lessons. Students will perform math calculations, create a two-column table for hours and minutes, develop a procedure to rank facilities, and provide written feedback through letters to a parent whose child needs group tennis lessons and writes letters to ask for advice. They will rank their choices from "best to worst" tennis lesson facilities. Students will provide a detailed written explanation for how they decided to rank factors and their solution for rating tennis lesson facilities.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
In this MEA, students will determine which mode of transportation is best for a traveling sports team. They will have to decide between cost, time to travel, and comfort of travel. In the "twist," students are provided with more information including customer service rating of transportation as well as additional choices. Additionally, students will need to calculate the cost of the team's travel if they want the team to have a chance to win a drawing.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
This MEA is designed to help students create a process for selecting a Space Shuttle to send to the moon given the particular criteria provided. Students will master the Science Standard SC.4.E.5.2: Describe the changes in the observable shape of the moon over the course of about a month . Students will also practice and reinforce the Math Standard MAFS.4.MD.1.2: Use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, and money, including problems involving simple fractions or decimals. Represent fractional quantities of distance and intervals of time using linear models. Students will also practice ELA Standard LAFS.4.W.2.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
This MEA is a student's exploration of banking. In the first task, they will create a model that will rank banks from most consumer friendly to least consumer friendly. In the second task, they will need to modify their models to address additional banks and additional criteria. Students can then test their models while researching real banks and determining their level of consumer friendliness.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
This activity requires students to apply their knowledge of unit conversions, speed calculation, and comparing fractions to solve the problem of which water park their class should choose to go on for their 5th grade class trip.
MFAS Formative Assessments
Students are asked to solve a multi-step word problem that requires converting metric length units.
Students are asked to solve a multi-step word problem involving money and unit conversions.
Students are asked to convert units of measure given with fractions and decimals using linear models.
STEM Civics Tutorials and Videos - Grades K-12
Learn about sales tax as Malik tries to buy his favorite candy from the store in this short video.
Student Resources
Original Student Tutorial
Learn about sales tax as Malik tries to buy his favorite candy from the store in this short video.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Problem-Solving Tasks
This task is designed to help students focus on the whole that a fraction refers. It provides a context where there are two natural ways to view the coins. While the intent is to deepen a student's understanding of fractions, it does go outside the requirements of the standard.
Type: Problem-Solving Task
The purpose of this task is for students to solve multi-step problems in a context involving a concept that supports financial literacy, namely inflation. Inflation is a sustained increase in the average price level. In this task, students can see that if the price level increases and people’s incomes do not increase, they aren’t able to purchase as many goods and services; in other words, their purchasing power decreases.
Type: Problem-Solving Task
When a division problem involving whole numbers does not result in a whole number quotient, it is important for students to be able to decide whether the context requires the result to be reported as a whole number with remainder (as with Part (b)) or a mixed number/decimal (as with Part (c)). Part (a) presents two variations on a context that require these two different responses to highlight the distinction between them.
Type: Problem-Solving Task
Tutorials
This Khan Academy tutorial video presents a strategy for computing the amount of change to be received after making a purchase.
Type: Tutorial
In this Khan Academy tutorial video Chris is told to be home by 6:15. You know the number of minutes it takes him to get home. What time should he leave?
Type: Tutorial
In this video tutorial from Khan Academy, explore converting between gallons, quarts, pints, cups, and fluid ounces.
Type: Tutorial
In this video tutorial from Khan Academy, explore conversion of units of time between hours, minutes and seconds.
Type: Tutorial
Parent Resources
Problem-Solving Tasks
This task is designed to help students focus on the whole that a fraction refers. It provides a context where there are two natural ways to view the coins. While the intent is to deepen a student's understanding of fractions, it does go outside the requirements of the standard.
Type: Problem-Solving Task
The purpose of this task is for students to solve multi-step problems in a context involving a concept that supports financial literacy, namely inflation. Inflation is a sustained increase in the average price level. In this task, students can see that if the price level increases and people’s incomes do not increase, they aren’t able to purchase as many goods and services; in other words, their purchasing power decreases.
Type: Problem-Solving Task
When a division problem involving whole numbers does not result in a whole number quotient, it is important for students to be able to decide whether the context requires the result to be reported as a whole number with remainder (as with Part (b)) or a mixed number/decimal (as with Part (c)). Part (a) presents two variations on a context that require these two different responses to highlight the distinction between them.
Type: Problem-Solving Task
Tutorials
In this video tutorial from Khan Academy, explore converting between gallons, quarts, pints, cups, and fluid ounces.
Type: Tutorial
In this video tutorial from Khan Academy, explore conversion of units of time between hours, minutes and seconds.
Type: Tutorial
