Fifth Grade · Math · week 34

Performance-task practice

Solve an extended, multi-part performance task that requires planning, showing work across several skills, and justifying a final answer.

A performance task is one big real-world scenario broken into several connected questions, often ending with "explain your reasoning" or "justify your answer." You need a PLAN before you start calculating.

Read the entire task first, note what each part is asking for, and decide which tool -- fractions, decimals, volume, order of operations -- fits each part before diving in.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Read the whole task aloud together first, with no calculating, just to identify how many parts there are and what each one asks.
  • Have them write a short plan -- first this, then this -- before picking up a pencil for real computation.
  • Require a written justification sentence for the reasoning part -- a bare number is not a complete performance-task answer.
  • Let this task take the full session; performance tasks are meant to be slower and deeper than a normal day of problems.
Talk about it:
  • Why does a performance task need a plan before you start calculating?
  • What was the reasoning part of the task asking you to justify?
  • How is a performance task different from a normal single-answer problem?

Mastery looks like: They can plan and complete a multi-part performance task, showing labeled work and a written justification for their final choice.

Common stumbles: Diving into calculations before reading the whole task; giving a final number without a justification sentence.

Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Math for this learner.
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