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Measuring Up Prototypes for Mathematics Assessment (1993) / Chapter Skim
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How Many Buttons?
Pages 95-100

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
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From page 95...
... 1 _ Student social organization ~~~~~~~~~~ Students working in groups of two or three Task Assumed background: This task assumes that the children have had experience in gathering data and making estimates in relatively complex situations.
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From page 96...
... As students are estimating, some questions and issues will probably arise. Encourage students to talk about any questions that occur to them (for example, "What about buttons on sweaters or coats hanging in the closet?
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From page 97...
... Rationale for the mathematics education community This item pushes the curriculum to inc~ucle work with large numbers ant] with a complex situation in which estimation is a legitimate mathematical process not simply a prelude to finding the "real" answer.
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From page 98...
... The mode of presentation embeds the assessment task as an integral part of a piece of curriculum. Indeed, teachers might want to move from the assessment task back into curriculum by continuing the investigation with the whole class comparing the students' individual estimates, gathering additional information, and refining these estimates.
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From page 99...
... The numerical values are put together with appropriate arithmetic processes. (For example, if the students decided there were an average of 90 buttons in each of the 12 upper grace classrooms and an average of 60 buttons in each of the ~ lower grade classrooms, they would calculate with these values so that their result would be (90 x 12)
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From page 100...
... Further, it uses a reasonable estimate for the number of students per class (if needed for the solution) and the number of ciassrooms in the school, with appropriate justifications for the values chosen.
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Key Terms

  • assessment task
  • grade classrooms
  • students near
  • encourage students
  • response takes

  • class data
  • student social
  • following aspects
  • previous session
  • wear varies

  • particularly valuable
  • mathematics education
  • legitimate mathematical
  • various ages
  • careful consideration

  • disregard entirely
  • appropriate arithmetic
  • extensions section
  • complex situation
  • individual estimates

  • social organization
  • presentation embeds
  • lower grade
  • reasonable estimate
  • students decided

  • gathering data
  • gathering additional
  • chosen inappropriately
  • relatively complex
  • task assumes


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