Viable Arguments

A focus for this school year will be developing student ability to construct viable arguments (SMP.3). Students will start by working both individually and with their peers on modeling tasks, which are open-ended and require them to justify or defend their reasoning, similarly to the SBAC Performance Task. They will continue to develop and practice their reasoning skills throughout the course of the school year.

Modeling Tasks

Counting Trees Task

  • Introduce students to the use of aerial photography and its use by the forestry service
  • Relate it to how they could possibly count all of the trees in a forest
  • Students work independently to develop a strategy for counting the old and young trees in the picture
  • Group share and think time
  • Independent argument writing time

Mr. Peterson’s Problem

Picture

 

Problem Solving

Textbook P. 27 (1-7 All)