Middle School Math Teachers, we would love to give you THREE math tasks that you can use for the next school year! You can get them paper-based or digital! Click the link below, enter your email address and we send these right over to your email.  Then, read below for different ways to incorporate them into your classroom!

This is a thank you for all the hard work you have done during this pandemic. We thought a freebie that was…

• TEKS and CCSS aligned
• Vertically aligned from 6th grade through 8th grade
• Perfect for in person or digital use

…would satisfy the needs of most teachers. How about a math task that can also be used in a variety of ways? 

3 Ways to Use MATH PERFORMANCE Tasks for Middle School 

1. As a Group Project

Do your students beg for projects? Mine sure did. Any opportunity to collaborate or change up the routine was always met with such enthusiasm from my sixth graders.  These tasks can be the basis of an exciting project! Students can complete the math task and present the project via FlipGrid or by creating a Google Slides presentation. Since the digital world does not seem to be going away, this could be an opportunity to teach students how they can work together remotely. 

2. As an Assessment

These math performance tasks cover the following standards in their depth and breadth which makes them the perfect assessment tool.

Common Core State Standards

(Standards have been edited for brevity)

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.RP.A.3 – Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.1 – Compute unit rates associated with ratios of fractions measured in like or different units.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.2.C – Represent proportional relationships by equations. 

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.F.B.4 – Construct a function to model a linear relationship between two quantities. Interpret the rate of change and initial value of a linear function in terms of the situation it models.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

6.4(B) apply qualitative and quantitative reasoning to solve prediction and comparison of real‐ world problems involving ratios and rates

7.4(A) represent constant rates of change in mathematical and real‐world problems

8.4(B) graph proportional relationships

8.4(C) use data from a table or graph to determine the rate of change or slope and y‐intercept in mathematical and real‐world problems 

8.5(I) write an equation in the form y = mx + b to model a linear relationship between two quantities

Ideally, you could have this math task self-grade by using Go Formative or a variety of other tech tools. 

3. As an Extension or Extra Credit

If you are looking for something for the students who are always asking for more, here you go! (Those students do exist, I promise!) Give one of these math performance tasks to your early finishers at the beginning of your Proportional Reasoning Unit. Explain that this is something they will be expected to complete as they acquire the skills to do so. Perhaps, it is extra credit, or it could even replace a student’s lowest grade in the grade book. Use it knowing that it will push your students to think critically! (It isn’t just busy work.)

The possibilities with this printable + digital freebie are endless. How do you use math performance tasks in your classroom?