few_shots: 
Example 1:
Problem/activity:
You’re mixing ingredients for cookies. The recipe says to combine 6 tablespoons, or ¾ stick, of butter with 1 cup of sugar. You accidentally mix in a whole stick of butter (8 tablespoons) with the cup of sugar. How can you fix this?


Concept/skill: 
Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities.

Answer: 
No. Usually problems that teach recognizing and representing proportional relationships between quantities involve deciding whether two quantities are in a proportional relationship or identifying the constant of proportionality, and then representing proportional relationships by equations or explaining proportional relationship using coordinate graphs.

Example 2:
Problem/activity:
For each pair of numbers, determine if the values are equivalent. Explain your reasoning for each one.
a.
$$-0.25$$
and
$$\frac{1}{-4}$$
b.
$$-\left ( \frac{1}{4} \right )$$
and
$$\frac{-1}{-4}$$
c.
$$\frac{-1}{4}$$
and
$$-\frac{1}{4}$$


Concept/skill: 
Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division and of fractions to multiply and divide rational numbers.

Answer: 
Yes. This problem involves understanding fractions and division to divide rational numbers, such as 1, -4, 4, and -1. This problem also involves an understanding of multiplication: if p and q are integers, then -(p/q) = (-p)/q = p/(-q).

Example 3:
Problem/activity:
Problem 1
The table below contains single equations in a single variable, single equations in two variables, and pairs of simultaneous equations in two variables. Check the appropriate box to show whether there is no solution, exactly 1 solution, or if there is an infinite number of solutions.
|                                                          | **           No solution          ** | **           Exactly 1 solution          ** | **           Infinite number of solutions          ** |
|----------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|
|                       $${9=4x+7}$$                       |                                      |                                             |                                                       |
|                       $${y=3y+5}$$                       |                                      |                                             |                                                       |
|                    $${y={x\over2}}$$                     |                                      |                                             |                                                       |
|                     $${3x+6y-9=0}$$                      |                                      |                                             |                                                       |
|    $${x=y}$$                        $${1.25x=1.25y}$$    |                                      |                                             |                                                       |
| $${9.9=6x+8y}$$                        $${9x=2.5y-8.8}$$ |                                      |                                             |                                                       |
| $${11x-2y=1.5}$$                        $${11x-2y=2.5}$$ |                                      |                                             |                                                       |
Problem 2
Kim has a small container and a large container as shown.
[IMG]
It takes 16 of the small containers to fill the large container. Three small containers leave 1.95 gallons of space in the big container.
What is the size of each of the two containers?


Concept/skill: 
Analyze and solve pairs of simultaneous linear equations.

Answer: 
Yes. The last three rows of the table in the first problem involves solving pairs of simultaneous linear equations. The second word problem can also be represented as two simultaneous linear equations.

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

shot_info: fl_problem_000972_neg_0

6

fl_problem_001097_pos_0

7

fl_problem_001392_pos_0

8
standard_description: Use congruence and similarity criteria for triangles to solve problems and to prove relationships in geometric figures.
problem_activity: Optional activity
In the previous activity, students generalized that the diagonals of squares are related to the side length of the square by a factor of about 1.4, or exactly
\(\sqrt2\)
.
In this activity, students apply their generalization about the diagonals of squares to isosceles right triangles. To find the lengths of the unlabeled sides in the second figure, students will need to generalize that a right triangle with one 45 degree angle is isosceles (because it’s half a square, or because both base angles are congruent, or because it’s similar to the isosceles triangle in the first figure).
To find the unknown values in the third figure, students will have to use the ratio of diagonal length to side length to find unknown side lengths. Students may use the approximate ratio
\(1.4:1\)
(or
\(1:0.7\)
) to find the side lengths, or they might use the exact ratio
\(\sqrt2:1 \text{ or } 1:\frac{1}{\sqrt2}\)
. Students are not expected or encouraged to rewrite answers of
\(\frac{24}{\sqrt2}\)
in another form.
Launch
Action and Expression: Internalize Executive Functions.
Provide students with a three-column table to organize their work. Use the column headings: the side adjacent to the 45 degree angle, the side opposite to the 45 degree angle, and the hypotenuse. The table will provide a visual support for students to identify the type of triangle and pattern.
Supports accessibility for: Language; Organization
Student Facing
[IMG]
[IMG]
[IMG]
Calculate the lengths of the 5 unlabeled sides.
Student Response
Teachers with a valid work email address can
click here to register or sign in
for free access to Student Response.
Student Facing
Are you ready for more?
Square
\(ABCD\)
has a diagonal length of
\(x\)
and side length of
\(s\)
. Rhombus
\(EFGH\)
has side length
\(s\)
.
How do the diagonals of
\(EFGH\)
compare to the diagonals of
\(ABCD\)
?
What is the maximum possible length of a diagonal of a rhombus of side length
\(s\)
?
Student Response
Teachers with a valid work email address can
click here to register or sign in
for free access to Extension Student Response.
Anticipated Misconceptions
If students are struggling, encourage them to analyze the three triangles, look for patterns, and identify the triangles as isosceles right triangles. Students can then use the patterns from the previous activity.
Activity Synthesis
Make sure all students understand that the three triangles are isosceles right triangles, and represent half of a square, and so are prepared to connect their reasoning from earlier activities to this activity.
Display this list of solutions for triangle
\(PQR\)
:
\(QR=14, RP=\sqrt{392}\)
\(QR=14, RP=14\sqrt{2}\)
\(QR=14, RP = 19.8\)
\(QR=14, RP = 1.4 \boldcdot 14 \)
or 19.6
Invite students to explain the reasoning behind each. Encourage students to think about which answers are most accurate, and which are most efficient. (The first two methods are equally accurate, but the first probably took more calculation, while the second could be found using scale factors quite easily. The third answer was obtained by using a calculator to evaluate either of the first two answers, which actually loses both efficiency and accuracy. The fourth answer is very efficient, as it was found using scale factors, but is a bit less accurate. For some applications, the fourth answer may be best, and it’s great for estimating.)


aligns: yes