The 34 math word problem solving task cards included in this resource are designed to help 4th grade students exercise multi-step math problem solving, reasoning, critical thinking, and precise math modeling skills.

The focus of the tasks in this collection is on fourth grade metric measurement conversion concepts. While solving these complex word problems, students will practice their ability to:

• Know relative sizes of measurement units including kilometers (km), meters (m), centimeters (cm); kilograms (kg), grams (g), liters (l), milliliters (mL), hours (hr), minutes (min), and seconds (sec).
• Express measurements in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit.
• Record measurement equivalents in a two-column table.
• Represent measurement quantities using diagrams such as number line diagrams that feature a measurement scale.
• Use the four operations to solve word problems involving metric measurement.

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WHAT’S INCLUDED:

★ Teacher’s Guide: This detailed 14-page guide includes ideas for organizing your task cards, organizing response sheets, scoring completed tasks, and answers FAQs.

★ 20 Making Meaning Task Cards: These tasks require students to apply 4th grade math skills to solve complex word problems using precise math models.

★ 8 Challenge Task Cards: These tasks are designed to provide enrichment opportunities to students who have mastered the math concepts you’ve introduced during your metric measurement conversion unit. Each task requires critical thinking and the ability to apply 4th grade metric measurement conversion skills to solve more advanced and complex problems.

★ 8 Transfer Task Cards: These tasks are designed for students who are ready to demonstrate their mastery of 4th grade metric measurement conversion through carefully-crafted summative assessment problems.  Each of these higher-order tasks requires students to evaluate, design, analyze, make connections, or find patterns while problem solving.

★ Printable Recording Sheets: The three recording sheet formats included help you scaffold and differentiate the problem solving process for the learners in your classroom. Each recording sheet format includes space for students to:

• Record and analyze the math word problem.
• Create labeled math models showing how to solve the problem.
• Record their solution in a complete sentence.

★ Answer Key: Scoring these complex word problems in easier than ever with a quick-reference answer key for every task.

★ Editable Rubric: Providing meaningful feedback to students has never been easier with this word problem solving task card rubric. The format of this rubric also makes it an ideal tool for routine student self-reflection. Use the rubric as-is, or tweak the editable version to meet the unique needs of your classroom.

★ Weekly Task Card Tracker Template: Plug your student names into this editable document, print it, laminate it, and hang it near your task card station so you and your students can easily track their progress toward their weekly task card goal. 

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PEDAGOGY:

Multi-step word problems are one of the greatest challenges for many students. We should be providing students with daily opportunities to tackle complex word problems in the classroom so they can truly master this challenging skill.

These math problem solving tasks are carefully crafted so students routinely practice their ability to:

★ Carefully analyze what math skills are required to find a solution.

★ Create detailed math models that show their math reasoning.

★ Record their solution in a complete sentence.

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DESIGNED TO FIT YOUR MATH BLOCK:

Now you can easily give your students more practice solving complex word problems without having to prep your own for each unit. Here are a few ways you can use these task cards as an instructional tool in your classroom:

★ Guided practice during small group work

★ Step-by-step modeling during mini lessons

★ Guided math conversations with parent volunteers, teacher’s aides, or teacher

★ Independent practice during math workshop, guided math, math centers, or Daily 3

★ Word problem solving station during math centers

★ Formative assessment tool throughout math units

★ Summative assessment tool at the end of math units (Transfer Tasks are designed specifically for this purpose)

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DIFFERENTIATION & RIGOR MADE EASY:

This collection of task cards includes two features that make it easy for you to differentiate problem solving your students.

★ Three Task Card Types: With three types of task cards to choose from, your students will participate in rigorous problem solving opportunities that meet them at their current level of understanding.

• Making Meaning Tasks are designed for students who are working to apply and master fourth grade metric measurement conversion math concepts. (20 included)
• Challenge Tasks are designed for students who are ready to take their learning to the next level and tackle more advanced, complex word problems. (8 included)
• Transfer Tasks are designed for students who are ready to demonstrate their mastery of a standard through carefully-crafted summative assessment problems.  Each of these higher-order tasks requires students to evaluate, design, analyze, make connections, or find patterns while problem solving. (8 included)

★ Three Recording Sheet Formats: No matter what type of task card your students are solving, they can use the unique problem solving recording sheets included in this resource. The three formats include:

• A sheet with a beginner problem solving process checklist.
• A sheet with an advanced problem solving process checklist.
• A sheet without a problem solving checklist for students who need less scaffolding.

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BUILDING STUDENT INDEPENDENCE:

These task cards are a perfect independent practice tool for math workshop, guided math, math centers, or Daily 3. Included in this bundle are labels that help you create a task card board or station where students can independently select the tasks that interest them most each day. This makes incorporating student choice into your daily math practice seamless.

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SAVING TIME:

You will have no shortage of quality word problems this school year. Rather than crafting your own word problems, or piecing together the most rigorous problems from your math files, you can simply print, cut, and laminate these task cards and rest easy knowing you have a collection of standards-aligned problem solving tasks that were crafted with rigor and creativity in mind. In addition to your ready-to-print tasks, you will also receive these time-saving tools:

• The included quick-reference answer keys make scoring these complex word problems in easier than ever.

• The 14-page Teacher’s Guide gives you detailed best practices for implementing this unique type of task card in your classroom based on years of experience using tasks like these in my own classroom.

• An editable rubric makes providing meaningful feedback to students has quick and easy. The format of this rubric also makes it an ideal tool for routine student self-reflection. Use the rubric as-is, or tweak the editable version to meet the unique needs of your classroom.

• The editable Weekly Task Card Tracker template saves you and your student time as you track progress toward learning goals. Simply plug your student names into this editable document, print it, laminate it, and hang it near your task card station so you and your students can easily track their progress toward their weekly task card goal. 

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