Pretest

Notes:

• I will give this pretest before I begin the unit on fractions.   
•  I want to give myself enough time to review student work and adjust my plans.  I will use students’ work to inform my instruction.  For example, if the majority of students are able to create equivalent fractions to compare fractions, I will not spend class time on that skill.  Also, I can use the information to identify students who require remediation and extension on particular topics.

See my Do Now video that explains my beginning of class routines.

Often, I create do nows that have problems that connect to the task that students will be working on that day.  Here I want students to think about what they already know about fractions.  Some students may draw models or create example problems.  Students participate in a Think Write Pair Share.  I ask students to share out with the class. 

I explain that students will be taking the fractions pretest today.  It does not count for a grade.  It is a way for me to learn what students know about fractions and what we need to work on.  I explain that there will probably be problems on the pretest that students don’t know how to do, and that is okay.  I want students to do their best and show and explain their thinking.

I review testing expectations and students move their desks apart.  I pass out the test and students work quietly.  Students are engaging in MP1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

When students finish, I ask them to check their work.  Once they have done this they can choose to read quietly, work on other schoolwork, or work on the Unit 4 Vocabulary word search. 

If students do not finish the test, I set up a time (preferably today or the next day) for them to complete their work.