Typical Test Items Performance Based Task
Commonalities
Typical Test Item
The perimeter of a school’s rectangular computer lab is 190
feet. The width of the lab is 55 feet. What is the length (L) of
the computer lab?
• Use what you know about perimeter and finding
missing dimensions to explain how you determined
the length of the computer lab. Use words,
numbers, and/or symbols in your explanation.
• The art room has the same perimeter as the
computer lab. However, the width of the art room
is 10 feet shorter than the width of the computer
lab. What is the length of the art room? Explain
how you determined your answer. Use words,
numbers, and/or symbols in your explanation.
Mikah’s older brother just bought his first car, valued at
$8,000. The salesperson gave Mikah’s brother a 20%
discount on the value of the car. What was the final sale
price of the car?
An engineer wants to make a model of a water tower. The
scale being used is 1 inch: 6 feet. The actual height of the
tower is 84 feet. What height should the engineer make the
model?
A 14 inches
B 21 inches
C 78 inches
D 504 inches
Tom is going to the county fair. He has two choices for
purchasing tickets as shown in the table below. [Table]
• Write an equation for Tom’s total cost (y) for Ticket
Plan A. Write an equation for Tom’s total cost (y)
for Ticket Plan B. Let x represent the number of
rides he plans to ride.
• How many rides would Tom have to ride for the
total cost of Ticket Plan A and Ticket Plan B to be
equal? Use mathematics to explain how you
determined your answer. Use words, symbols, or
both in your explanation. (If you choose to draw a
graph, use the grid provided in the Answer Book to
add to your written response.)
• Tom plans to go on 8 rides. To spend the least
amount of money, which ticket plan should Tom
choose? Use mathematics to justify your answer.
Performance Task
You have been hired by a day care agency to fence in an area to be
used for a play area. You have been provided with 60 feet of fencing
(in 4’ sections) and a 4’ gate. How can you put up the fence so the
children will have the maximum amount of space in which to play?
Submit your plan for the playground area. Include a diagram, your
calculations, and an explanation of why this is the best design.
Create a mathematical model in order to compare home mortgage
options for varied purchase prices, down payments, interest rate
plans, and length of term (including variable rates).
A former NBA legend, Hoops McGinty, has pledged money to the
local science museum for an exhibit on our solar system. He pledges
the money under one condition: that a regulation NBA basketball be
used to represent some aspect of the scale display and that another
NBA-related shapes and sizes be used (e.g., a basketball be used to
represent a planet or moon). The building floor space is 300 by 800
feet.
As designer, how do you propose that the main exhibit hall with a
model of the solar system be built to scale? Prepare a diagram with
accurate measurements drawn to scale. Show your work so that
Hoops can follow your reasoning and will approve and fund your
design.
As a reporter for the Consumer Advisor website, your job is to
investigate the pricing plans for three cell phone services in your area
to determine the best value for different scenarios (a monthly plan, a
two-year contract, a plan for a family of four, and so on). Include all
potential costs in your analysis (price per call in minutes and price per
text in megabytes; costs of a new phone, fees for early termination;
and so on).
Your report will be posted online and should include:
• Your analysis of the three plans
• Tables, graphs, or equations to represent the costs for the
various scenarios
• Your recommendations for consumers
 Draft Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings

Essential Questions Enduring Understanding

Students will be able to independently use their learning to make meaning of and take risks to persevere through
complex mathematical problems utilizing strategic thinking and reasoning.

How do I get unstuck? Different strategies can be utilized to solve a problem, as patterns and
relationships can be represented numerically, graphically, verbally, and

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symbolically.

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How do I work through a challenging Growth occurs by analyzing successes and failures and strategically
problem? planning next steps.

Students will be able to independently use their learning to effectively communicate mathematical reasoning by
developing viable arguments and constructively critiquing the reasoning of others.

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How do I effectively communicate • Use of appropriate vocabulary is necessary.
mathematically? • There are multiple methods to express mathematical reasoning and to

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arrive at a viable solution.
• Self-assessing and verifying an answer will support an argument.

Students will be able to independently use their learning to fluently apply appropriate skills, processes, and tools in
new and authentic situations.

D
How do I know that I have used an Some strategies are more effective and efficient than others when solving a
effective and efficient strategy? problem.

How do I decide what tools will work Tools have varied capabilities and can be used for more than one purpose.
in a given situation?

Students will be able to independently use their learning to make use of structure and/or repeated reasoning to
quantify, compare, represent and model mathematics while attending to precision.

How can patterns help me solve a

math problem? Patterns can be used to create conjectures or be extended to find a
solution to other mathematical problems.

How can I use prior learning to The process of solving most problems are based upon a series of basic
approach any task? structures.

How do I know that my answer is • Estimation can be used to validate the reasonableness of an answer.
reasonable? • Adjustments to solutions may be necessary within a given context.

Cornerstone Tasks Are….