Rebecca Lash

MTH 221-05

Content Competency: Measurement and Data

Convert like measurement units within a given measurement system
Task: Minutes and Days
What time was it 2011 minutes after the beginning of January 1, 2011?
This task requires division of multi-digit numbers in the context of changing units and so
illustrates 5.NBT.6 and 5.MD.1. In addition, the conversion problem requires two steps since
2011 minutes needs to be converted first to hours and minutes and then to days, hours, and
minutes. In the solution, the division problem 201160 is handled in a way that aligns both with
the usual division algorithm and with the scaffold method.
Source: https://www.illustrativemathematics.org/content-standards/5/MD/A/1/tasks/878
Standard: Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given
measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these conversions in solving multistep, real world problems. (5.MD.A.1)
The task I chose meets this standard because you have to change from minutes to hours and vise
versa, and solving a problem that would be found in the real world.
Key: January 1, 2011 begins at 12:00 AM. To find the time 2011 minutes later will require
changing units since time is told in hours and minutes. There are 60 minutes in an hour so to see
how many hours there are in 2011 minutes we can perform the division problem 201160. Since
3060=1800, we can write
2011 = 30 x 60 + 2011
Next, there are three groups of 60 in 211, with a remainder of 31 so we get
2011 = 30 x 60 + 3 x 60 + 31
Using the distributive property this last expression is equivalent to
2011 = ( 30 + 3 ) x60 + 31
So 2011 minutes is the same as 33 hours and 31 minutes. Now 33 hours is one day and an
additional 9 hours so this means that 2011 minutes is one day, nine hours, and thirty-one minutes.
So 2011 minutes after the beginning of 2011 it is January 2 and it is 9:31 AM.
AND: Anticipate student errors.
If I gave this problem to students I would anticipate that some students would forget that there
are 60 minutes in an hour and would calculate that wrong. Also, they may forget that theres 24
hours in a day and calculate the day and hours wrong.
Represent and Interpret Data
Task: Fractions on a line plot
You and your partner will need fraction cards made from this set:

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A. Label the line-plot below with 1/8 's. Cut out and divide the cards evenly between the two
players, laying them face-down. Each partner will choose one of their face-down cards
and turn it over. The team will then add their fractions together. For each turn, each team
will record their sum on the line plot.

B. Each team should have 12 data points marked on their line plot.
C. Look at the line plot. Which values came up the most? Which values did not come up?
D. The tick marks on the number line correspond to eighths. Which of the eighths will never
come up as a sum of two of these cards? Why?
E. You want to improve the game so that it is possible for two fractions to sum to 7/8. Name
one fraction card that you could add to the deck and explain why your new card would
now make it possible to have 7/8 as a sum of two cards.
The purpose of this task is for students to add unit fractions with unlike denominators and solve
addition and subtraction problems involving fractions that have more than one possible solution
(5.NF.1). The reason that students are asked to record their results on a line plot is that they need
a way to systematically record their sums and to help them reason about the possible sums they
can make with the cards. While this task does not ask students to record measurement data (as
described in 5.MD.2), it is a good introductory activity for working with line plots with nonwhole numbers.
This activity would be best during the early months of 5th grade when students are gaining
familiarity with adding and subtracting unlike fractions and strengthening their understanding of
equivalency on the number line. The three fractions introduced can all be represented in eighths,

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MTH 221-05

thus making this task ideal to build fluency with fraction operations where one denominator is a
factor of the other. If the teacher would like to add an extra level of challenge, he or she can label
the number line with fractions as shown below, which would require students to find equivalent
fractions for some of the sums.

The task also pushes students to engage in MP.3, Construct Viable Arguments and Critique the
Reasoning of Others. Students will use their data and their reasoning to make conjectures about
which values could not come up. Though their experimental data will likely point them in the
right direction, they will need to create an organized system to prove that certain values cannot
come up. If this task is discussed in a whole group after individuals or pairs have had an
opportunity to think about the follow-up questions, there should be opportunities for students to
show different ways of constructing their arguments.
This task is designed to be used in class. If students become comfortable with this type of task, it
could be used as a center in centers-based learning. Though the activity is for pairs, the questions
posed after students create the line plot would be good to discuss as a whole group after students
have had a chance to discuss them in pairs.
Source: https://www.illustrativemathematics.org/content-standards/5/MD/B/2/tasks/1563
Standard: Make a line plot to display a data set of measurements in fractions of a unit ( , ,
1/8). Use operations on fractions for this grade to solve problems involving information
presented in line plots. For example, give different measurements of liquid in identical beakers,
find the amount of liquid each beaker would contain if the total amount in all the beakers were
redistributed equally. (5.MD.B.2)
The chosen task meets this standard because it uses a line plot to plot the sum of the fractions
chosen, and students have to use known additions operations to find the sum of the fraction
cards.
Key:
A. Before discussing the individual solutions, it is helpful to think about the possible
outcomes in this task.
Card 1
Card 2
Sum
1/8
1/8
2/8
1/8

3/8

1/8
3/8
1/8

5/8

1/8
5/8

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MTH 221-05

There should be 12 xs marked on the line plot and these xs should only be above the
values 2/8,3/8,4/8.5/8,6/8 or 1. One possible example is shown below:

B.

C. Answers may vary, but in the example line plot above, 3/8, came up most frequently and
0, 1/8, 6/8, and 7/8 did not come up. Fifth grade students are not expected to work on
concepts of probability. The purpose of this question is to prime students to think about
which answers cannot come up at all rather than to explain why some possible sums are
more likely than others.
D. The values that cannot come up are 0, 1/8 and 7/8 because none of the combinations of
the cards will sum to these values, as we saw above.
Students might also note that 0 and 1/8 are both less than or equal to one of the addends.
Since 5th graders have not yet worked with negative numbers, they could not start with
1/8 and add a non-zero value and end with a sum less than or equal to 1/8 (and none of
the cards have negative numbers).
There are 3 possibilities for new cards, 3/4, 5/8, or 3/8:
1/8 + = 7/8
+ 5/8 = 7/8
+ 3/8 = 7/8
Students should be able to show how they found the sums above.
AND: Alternate solutions.
Answers to this problem will be different because each time this task is done, there will be
different combinations of cards paired together. Also, the number that appears the most often will
change each time the game is played.
Geometric measurement: understand concepts of volume and relate volume to multiplication and
to addition
Task: Caris Aquarium
Cari is the lead architect for the citys new aquarium. All of the tanks in the aquarium will be
rectangular prisms where the side lengths are whole numbers.

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MTH 221-05

A. Caris first tank is 4 feet wide, 8 feet long and 5 feet high. How many cubic feet of water
can her tank hold?

B. Cari knows that a certain species of fish needs at least 240 cubic feet of water in their
tank. Create 3 separate tanks that hold exactly 240 cubic feet of water. (Ex: She could
design a tank that is 10 feet wide, 4 feet long and 6 feet in height.)
C. In the back of the aquarium, Cari realizes that the ceiling is only 10 feet high. She needs
to create a tank that can hold exactly 100 cubic feet of water. Name one way that she
could build a tank that is not taller than 10 feet.
This task supports the standard 5.MD.5.b in that it asks students to use the volume formula and
conceptual understanding to solve real-world problems. Please note, the standard calls for
students to find the volume, but not necessarily a missing length. Therefore, part a is aligned
directly to the standard whereas parts b and c are extension problems. For part b, students might
use the same numbers (10 feet wide, 4 feet long, 6 feet high) but order them differently (for
example, 4 feet wide, 6 feet long, 10 feet high). This uses the commutative property of
multiplication: it is not, however, a different shape of aquarium but rather the same shape
oriented differently.
Source: https://www.illustrativemathematics.org/content-standards/5/MD/C/5/tasks/1308
Standard: Apply the formulas V =lwh and V=Bh for rectangular prisms to find volumes of right
rectangular prisms with whole number edge lengths in the context of solving real world and
mathematical problems. (5.MD.C.5.B)
This task is aligned because students have to use the formulas in the standard to answer the
problems that may be experienced in the real world.
Key:
A. The tank can hold 160 cubic feet of water because:

LengthWidthHeight = Volume
8 ft x 4 ft x 5 ft = 160 ft
Alternatively, the base of the tank is:

4 feet8 feet=32 feet

Therefore,

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Area of BaseHeight= Volume

32 ft x 5 ft = 160 ft
B. There are many possible solutions to this task. The whole number factor combinations are
listed below. Please note that each set of factors is listed only once, though a student
could reassign which factor represents length, width or height as long as she or he uses
the same three factors.
Length
Width
Height
Volume
240 ft
1 ft
1 ft
240 ft
180 ft
2 ft
1 ft
240 ft
80 ft
3 ft
1 ft
240 ft
60 ft
4 ft
1 ft
240 ft
60 ft
2 ft
2 ft
240 ft
48 ft
5 ft
1 ft
240 ft
40 ft
6 ft
1 ft
240 ft
40 ft
3 ft
2 ft
240 ft
30 ft
4 ft
1 ft
240 ft
30 ft
2 ft
2 ft
240 ft
24 ft
10 ft
1 ft
240 ft
24 ft
5 ft
2 ft
240 ft
20 ft
12 ft
1 ft
240 ft
20 ft
6 ft
2 ft
240 ft
20 ft
4 ft
3 ft
240 ft
16 ft
15 ft
1 ft
240 ft
16 ft
5 ft
3 ft
240 ft
15 ft
4 ft
4 ft
240 ft
15 ft
8 ft
2 ft
240 ft
12 ft
5 ft
4 ft
240 ft
12 ft
10 ft
2 ft
240 ft
10 ft
6 ft
4 ft
240 ft
10 ft
8 ft
3 ft
240 ft
8 ft
6 ft
5 ft
240 ft
AND: Anticipate student errors.
Students may forget the formulas to use to calculate the length, width, and height and not
calculate the base correctly buy accidentally adding the height to the formula.
Develop understanding of statistical variability
Task: Buttons: Statistical Questions
Zeke likes to collect buttons and he keeps them in a jar. Zeke can empty the buttons out of the
jar, so he can see all of his buttons at once.

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MTH 221-05

A. Which of the following are statistical questions that someone could ask Zeke about
his buttons? For each question explain why it is or is not a statistical question.
a. What is the typical number of holes for buttons in the jar?
b. How many buttons are in the jar?
c. How large is the largest button in the jar?
d. If Zeke grabbed a handful of buttons, what are the chances that all the buttons
in his hand are round?
e. What is the typical size for the buttons in the jar?
f. How are these buttons distributed according to color?
A statistical question is a question that can be answered by collecting data and where there will
be variability in the data. This is different from a question that anticipates a deterministic answer.
For example, How many minutes do 6th grade students typically spend on homework each
week? is a statistical question. We expect that not all 6th grade students spend the same amount
of time on homework, and the time spent on homework may also vary from week to week. On
the other hand, this is not a statistical question: How much time did Juana spend studying last
night? This question is based on a single number and has a deterministic answer.
Source: https://www.illustrativemathematics.org/content-standards/6/SP/A/1/tasks/1040
Standard: Recognize a statistical question as one that anticipates variability in the data related to
the question and accounts for it in the answers. (6.SP.A.1)
This task meets the standard because students are required to determine if questions are statistical
questions or not.
Key:
a. Statistical question
b. Not a statistical question
c. Statistical question
d. Statistical question
e. Statistical question
f. Statistical question
Each of the statistical questions would be answered by collecting data and there would be
variability in the data.
Questions identified as not statistical questions are not answered based on data that vary.
The question "What is a typical number of holes for the buttons in the jar?" is a statistical
question. To answer this question, students might compute the mean or the median (both
measures of center that are used to describe a typical value). But in either case they would need
to collect data on the number of holes by recording a value for each button. Because not all
buttons have the same number of holes, there would be variability in the data that would be used
to answer this question. That is what makes this a statistical question.

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MTH 221-05

The question "How many buttons are in the jar?" is answered by counting the buttons. This
produces a single value--it is not answered by collecting data that vary. It is not a statistical
question.
The question "How large is the largest button in the jar?" is a statistical question. The size of the
largest button is a population characteristic and this question would be answered by collecting
data on the sizes of all the buttons in the population. In this way, the question would be answered
in a way that takes variability in the population into consideration.
The question "If Zeke grabbed a handful of buttons, what are the chances that all of the buttons
in his hand are round?" is a statistical question because this is asking for a probability that would
be estimated by having Zeke grab many handfuls of buttons. For each handful grabbed, whether
or not all of the buttons were round would be recorded. This would result in categorical data
(with values of "all round" and "not all round"), but again there would be variability in this data.
These data could then be used to estimate the probability of interest to provide an answer to the
question posed.
Like the first question, the last two questions (v and vi) are statistical questions because they
would be answered by collecting data that vary. To answer the question about the typical number
of holes, data on number of holes would be collected for each button in the jar. The question
about how the buttons are distributed according to color would be answered by recording the
color of each button in the jar and then summarizing these data in a table or a graph.
AND: Expand on the task.
After students determine if the questions are statistical questions or not, have them take the
questions that are not statistical and make them statistical.
Summarize and describe distributions
TASK: Puppy weights
Below are the 25 birth weights, in ounces, of all the Labrador Retriever puppies born at Kingston
Kennels in the last six months.
13, 14, 15, 15, 16, 16, 16, 16, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 18, 18, 18, 18, 18, 18, 18, 18, 19, 20
a. Use an appropriate graph to summarize these birth weights.
b. Describe the distribution of birth weights for puppies born at Kingston Kennels in the last
six months. Be sure to describe shape, center and variability.
c. What is a typical birth weight for puppies born at Kingston Kennels in the last six
months? Explain why you chose this value.
A dotplot, histogram or boxplot are appropriate ways to summarize these data. The description in
part (b) should address the shape, center and spread in the distribution, using mean or median for
center and mean absolute deviation or interquartile range for spread.
Source: https://www.illustrativemathematics.org/content-standards/6/SP/B/4/tasks/1026
Standard: Understand that a set of data collected to answer a statistical question has a
distribution which can be described by its center, spread, and overall shape. (6.SP.A.2)

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MTH 221-05

Display numerical data in plots on a number line, including dot plots, histograms, and box plots.
(6.SP.B.4)
The task meets the standard because students have to show the data on a graph they choose and
be able to explain how its centered, spread and shaped in question B.
Key:
a. Possible graphical displays are a dotplot, histogram or boxplot (see below).

Dot Plot

Histogram

Box Plot

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MTH 221-05

b. The distribution of birth weights is centered at approximately 17 (median = 17 ounces,

mean = 16.92 ounces), and the interquartile range is 2 ounces and the mean absolute
deviation (MAD) is 1.149 ounces. The distribution has a longer tail for lower values (that
is, it is skewed left).
c. A typical weight is one that is about 17 ounces. A student might also choose 18 ounces,
the mode of this data distribution.
AND: Anticipate student errors.
I would anticipate that students may use a graph with an x and y axis and grid to record the data
instead of a dot plot, box plot or histogram.