PALS - Task with Student Directions

Making Marbles

Task with Student Directions

Contributed by: Kentucky Department of Education (KDE)

PERFORMANCE TASK DIRECTIONS/RESPONSE FORM

TASK: M/S1 - Making Marbles		GRADE 4
STUDENT NAME:_______________________________________________
SCHOOL NAME:________________________________________________

There are three different sizes of marbles on the plate at your table. Super Toys is a company that manufactures toys. The company has been making only the middle-sized marbles you see on your plate. Marbles of this size are called "Shooters." Marbles are made by pouring melted glass into molds.

The company melts enough glass in a container to make 100 shooters. The company always melts the same amount of glass in each container.

Now the company wants to make small marbles and big marbles, like the ones you see on your plate. Your job is to answer these questions for the company:

How many small marbles can be made from one container of glass?
How many large marbles can be made from one container of glass?

There are many different kinds of measuring equipment on your table that your group can use to do experiments to help answer the questions. Use whatever equipment you want. Whenever you make a measurement, each of you should record it on your own Data Sheet. Each of you should plan to organize your data in some way so that it will be easy for other people to understand.

NOTE: Always put the marbles back on the plate so they don't roll off the table.

Before you begin experimenting, discuss the questions you must answer with your group. Decide what you need to know about the marbles to answer the questions. Then design an experiment to get the necessary information.

INDIVDUAL WORK

When you finish your group work, someone from your group should tell the person in charge or your teacher. Then you should open your response form and answer the questions by yourself. Do not complete the Response Form as a group.

When you have finished answering the questions, return it to your teacher or the person in charge.

TASK: M/S1 - Making Marbles		GRADE 4
STUDENT NAME:_______________________________________________
SCHOOL NAME:________________________________________________

DATA SHEET

EACH MEMBER OF THE GROUP MUST COMPLETE ONE COPY OF THIS DATA SHEET.

You are to complete this sheet along with others in your group. You may write the same things as the others, or you may disagree with them and write your own ideas. It is your Data Sheet, and you will use it later when you do your Student Response Form.

Whenever you make a measurement, you should record it on your own Data Sheet. It is important that you plan to organize your data in some way so that it will be easy for other people to understand.

RESPONSE FORM (answer by yourself)

Use the observations you have written on your Data Sheet to complete this Response Form.

1. About how many small marbles can be made from one container of glass? ____

2. About how many large marbles can be made from one container of glass? ____

3. Now you need to convince the people from Super Toys Company that your answers to the questions are correct. On the lines below, write an explanation of what you did to decide how many small marbles could be made from one container of glass. Explain why your answer is correct.

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

4. Now write an explanation of what you did to decide how many large marbles can be made from one container of glass. Explain why your answer is correct.

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________