few_shots: 
Example:
Problem/activity:
Narrative
The purpose of this activity is for students to create composite shapes and compose new shapes from composite shapes. For example, students may find that a rectangular prism can be made from four triangular prisms or from eight smaller cubes. Students then discover that they can combine two of the composed rectangular prisms to make a new rectangular prism.
Required Materials
Materials to Gather
Geoblocks
Launch
Groups of 4
Give each group geoblocks.
Display a large cube.
“This cube can be built from other shapes. See how many ways you can build a cube using other shapes.”
3 minutes: partner work time
Share responses.
Activity
“Choose a different shape. Try to find smaller shapes you can use to build that shape.”
5 minutes: partner work time
Student Response
Teachers with a valid work email address can
click here to register or sign in
for free access to Student Response.
Activity Synthesis
Display a cube and a composite cube—for example, a cube composed of four small cubes and one rectangular prism.
Demonstrate putting the shapes together.
“What new shape did I make with the cube and the cube I made?”
“Put your shapes together to make a rectangular prism.”
Display a rectangular prism and two triangular prisms.
“Find these shapes. Put them together. What new shape can you make?” (a cube, a rectangular block)


Concept/skill: 
Compose two-dimensional shapes (rectangles, squares, trapezoids, triangles, half-circles, and quarter-circles) or three-dimensional shapes (cubes, right rectangular prisms, right circular cones, and right circular cylinders) to create a composite shape, and compose new shapes from the composite shape. (Students do not need to learn formal names such as “right rectangular prism.”)

Answer: 
Yes. This activity asks students to compose three-dimensional shapes, using geoblocks, to create composite shapes.

Now, does the problem or activity shown below enable students to learn the full intent of the following concept or skill?

shot_info: im_lesson_009431_pos_0

1
standard_description: Partition a rectangle into rows and columns of same-size squares and count to find the total number of them.
problem_activity: Narrative
The purpose of this activity is for students to add and subtract within 1,000. Students begin the activity by analyzing different expressions without adding or subtracting to determine which values they think would be the least and most challenging to find. In the synthesis, students share different reasons why sums and differences were chosen to be “least” and “most challenging” and different methods for finding the values of the expressions.
Although students may have many different reasons for why they think expressions are more or less challenging to find, the synthesis focuses on reasons based on composing or decomposing units. Discussing whether students will compose or decompose units will support students in fluently finding sums and differences within 100 in the next activity.
This activity uses
MLR8 Discussion Supports. Advances: speaking
Launch
Groups of 2
Activity
“Without finding the value of any of the sums or differences, read each expression and circle the two you think would be the most challenging to find the value of.”
3 minutes: independent work time
“Choose one of the expressions you circled and find the value. Then choose 2 other expressions and find their value.”
4 minutes: independent work time
“Share your work with your partner. Explain why you picked your expressions and the method you used to find the values.”
MLR8 Discussion Supports
Display sentence frames to support students when they explain their strategy:
“I picked _____ because . . . .“
“First, I _____ because . . . .”
“I noticed _____ so I . . . .”
4 minutes: partner discussion
Student Facing
A
\(102 + 341\)
G
\(64 + 37\)
B
\(385 - 124\)
H
\(302 - 198\)
C
\(611 - 45\)
I
\(73 - 27\)
D
\(87 + 38\)
J
\(685 + 279\)
E
\(571 - 268\)
K
\(320 + 509\)
F
\(885 - 142\)
L
\(53 + 52\)
Circle 2 sums or differences you think would be the most challenging to find. Find the value of one of these expressions. Show your thinking.
Choose 2 other expressions and find the values. Show your thinking.
Student Response
Teachers with a valid work email address can
click here to register or sign in
for free access to Student Response.
Activity Synthesis
Poll the class. For each expression, ask students to “Show one finger if the expression was not challenging, two fingers if it was a little challenging, or three fingers if it was the most challenging to find.”
Consider displaying:
A, D, E, F, H, J
Stop for any expressions where there is a mix of ratings.
Consider asking:
“Why did you feel this expression is more challenging?”
“Who can share why this expression was less challenging?”
For expressions where most or all students felt the expression was most challenging, select students to share different methods for finding the value.
“All the expressions you felt were most challenging can become less challenging with practice and using what you know about place value.”


aligns: no