3 Act Math Tasks

Real World Math Problems to Make Math Contextual, Visual and Concrete From K-12

AdditionAreaCircumferenceCounting and Quantity
KindergartenGrade 1Grade 2Grade 3Grade 4Grade 5Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8Grade 9Grade 10Grade 11Grade 12
KindergartenGrade 1Grade 2Grade 3Grade 4Grade 5Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8AlgebraFunctionsGeometryModelingNumber & QuantityStatistics & ProbabilityPractice
Andrew StadelBrennan JonesBrian MarksCathy YencaDan MeyerGraham FletcherJohn ScammellJon OrrJustin LevackKyle PearceMike WiernickiMishaal SurtiNathan KraftRobert Kaplinsky

New to Using 3 Act Math Tasks?

DOWNLOAD TIP SHEET
Snack Time!

Snack Time!

Flavour Frenzy

Flavour Frenzy

Stack ‘Em Up

Stack ‘Em Up

Rising Water

Rising Water

Just Keep Digging

Just Keep Digging

Grass Is Greener

Grass Is Greener

Going Up?

Going Up?

Big Tipper

Big Tipper

Better Buy

Better Buy

Bear Builder

Bear Builder

Counting Cars

Counting Cars

How Many Cookies? How Many Crackers?

How Many Cookies? How Many Crackers?

Fruit Picking

Fruit Picking

Bowling Pins

Bowling Pins

Prisms and Pyramids

Prisms and Pyramids

Invasive Species

Invasive Species

Covering Ground

Covering Ground

Evergreen

Evergreen

Acorn Hoarding

Acorn Hoarding

Bird Migration

Bird Migration

Olympics Revisited

Olympics Revisited

Keep It Up

Keep It Up

Pop Goes the Volume

Pop Goes the Volume

Olympics

Olympics

Can’t Get Enough Cereal

Can’t Get Enough Cereal

Planting Flowers Revisited

Planting Flowers Revisited

Sowing Seeds Revisited

Sowing Seeds Revisited

Rice Ratios

Rice Ratios

Planting Flowers

Planting Flowers

Piggy Bank Revisited

Piggy Bank Revisited

Voting Booth

Voting Booth

Girl Guide Cookies

Girl Guide Cookies

Squares To Triangles

Squares To Triangles

Sugar Cubes

Sugar Cubes

Missing Batteries

Missing Batteries

Sowing Seeds

Sowing Seeds

New to Using 3 Act Math Tasks?

DOWNLOAD TIP SHEET

Looking For My Most Recent 3 Act Math Style Lessons & Units?

All of my new problem based math lessons and full units are shared in the Make Math Moments tasks area.

Each problem based unit starts with a lesson that Sparks Curiosity in order to Fuel Sense Making, followed by consolidation prompts and even purposeful math practice with downloadable blackline master PDF handouts.

Subscribe

MAKE MATH MOMENTS WITH OUR NEW

PROBLEM BASED MATH UNITS

ACCESS FULL PROBLEM BASED MATH LESSONS

Each Lesson Consists of:
Each Make Math Moments Problem Based Lesson consists of a Teacher Guide to lead you step-by-step through the planning process to ensure your lesson runs without a hitch!

Each Teacher Guide consists of:

  • Intentionality of the lesson;
  • A step-by-step walk through of each phase of the lesson;
  • Visuals, animations, and videos unpacking big ideas, strategies, and models we intend to emerge during the lesson;
  • Sample student approaches to assist in anticipating what your students might do;
  • Resources and downloads including Keynote, Powerpoint, Media Files, and Teacher Guide printable PDF; and,
  • Much more!

See all of our problem based math lessons.

Each Make Math Moments Problem Based Lesson begins with a story, visual, video, or other method to Spark Curiosity through context.

Students will often Notice and Wonder before making an estimate to draw them in and invest in the problem.

A great example of this is one of our more recent units called Piggy Bank.

After student voice has been heard and acknowledged, we will set students off on a Productive Struggle through a prompt related to the Spark context.

These prompts are given each lesson with the following conditions:

  • No calculators are to be used; and,
  • Students are to focus on how they can convince their math community that their solution is valid.

Students are left to engage in a productive struggle as the facilitator circulates to observe and engage in conversation as a means of assessing formatively.

The facilitator is instructed through the Teacher Guide on what specific strategies and models could be used to make connections and consolidate the learning from the 3 act math lesson.

Often times, animations and walk through videos are provided in the Teacher Guide to assist with planning and delivering the consolidation.

A review image, video, or animation is provided as a conclusion to the task from the problem based lesson.

While this might feel like a natural ending to the context students have been exploring, it is just the beginning as we look to leverage this context via extensions and additional lessons to dig deeper.

At the end of each lesson, consolidation prompts and/or extensions are crafted for students to purposefully practice and demonstrate their current understanding. 

Facilitators are encouraged to collect these consolidation prompts as a means to engage in the assessment process and inform next moves for instruction.

At the end of each lesson, consolidation prompts and/or extensions are crafted for students to purposefully practice and demonstrate their current understanding. 

Facilitators are encouraged to collect these consolidation prompts as a means to engage in the assessment process and inform next moves for instruction.

In multi-day units of study, Math Talks are crafted to help build on the thinking from the previous day and build towards the next step in the developmental progression of the concept(s) we are exploring.

Each Math Talk is constructed as a string of related problems that build with intentionality to emerge specific big ideas, strategies, and mathematical models. 

ACCESS THESE PROBLEM BASED UNITS NOW!

HELPING TEACHERS

MAKE MATH MOMENTS THAT MATTER

Helping K-12 teachers spark student curiosity, fuel sense making in kids, and ignite the teaching moves necessary to lead successful problem based mathematics lessons.

LEARN ABOUT THE 3-PART FRAMEWORK
Spark Curiosity
SPARK
Curiosity
Fuel Sense Making
FUEL
Sense Making
Igniting Teacher Moves
IGNITE
Your Teacher Moves
MAKE MATH MOMENTS WITH THE 3-PART FRAMEWORK
Make Math Moments 3-Part Framework Guidebook

The Make Math Moments core lesson design should be your go-to math lesson planning framework to spark curiosity, fuel student sense making, and ignite your teacher moves.

Download the Digital Guidebook now!

DOWNLOAD THE GUIDEBOOK

TRANSFORM YOUR ASSESSMENT PROCESS TO:

ASSESS FOR GROWTH

Our latest math educator PD course, teaches how we can transform our assessment and evaluation process from one that promotes assessment to label to assesses for learning  through problem based math lessons. Let's Grade for Growth!

Make Math Moments Academy

Module 1 is NOW OPEN ACCESS for you to enjoy, but for a limited time only.

ACCESS MODULE 1 NOW!

NAVIGATION

About
Resources
3 Act Math Tasks
Problem Based Math Units
Podcast
Blog
Workshop & PD Resources

CONSULTING & SERVICES

Speaking & Consulting
Online Workshop
Proportionality Course
Math Teacher PD Courses
Join The Academy
Virtual Summit
Math Tutoring
Contact

FOLLOW ME

SEARCH

KYLE PEARCE IS ALSO A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR TO THESE WEBSITES:

Make Math Moments

Math Is Visual

Mr. Orr Is A Geek

Math Before Bed

Canadian Wealth Secrets

Privacy + Terms
© 2018 Tap Into Teen Minds