NYS Math Grade 4 case studies
NYS Math Grade 4 · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Grade 4 Mathematics Test is part of New York State's Grades 3–8 Mathematics Tests, administered under the New York State Education Department's Office of State Assessment. It is taken by fourth-grade students in New York public schools and is used to measure progress against the state's mathematics standards. The NYS Math Grade 4 case studies are 5 cases and about 2,302 words.
1Comparing Fractions by Numerator and Denominator Separately
A fourth-grade team is reviewing two responses to the prompt “Compare 3/4 and 5/8.” Student A writes: “3/4 is less than 5/8 because 3 < 5 and 4 < 8.” Student B writes: “3/4 = 6/8, so 3/4 is greater than 5/8.” The team must decide which response to use as the basis for a whole-class discussion and what follow-up task will surface the misconception. The class has fraction strips and number lines available.
489 words, about 2 min2Interpreting a Remainder When Packing Pencils
A class is packing 138 pencils into boxes of 8 for a community event. The teacher asks, “How many boxes are needed?” Student M writes 138 ÷ 8 = 17 R 2 and answers 17 boxes.
430 words, about 2 min3Same Perimeter, Different Area
Students are designing a rectangular rabbit pen using 20 meters of fencing. The pen must have whole-number side lengths in meters and must enclose the greatest possible area.
475 words, about 2 min4Choosing a Reasonable Estimate for a School Store Purchase
A school store sells notebooks for 2.75 each and pencils for 0.50 each. A class buys 24 notebooks and 36 pencils.
448 words, about 2 min5Reading a Line Plot With Eighths
A class measures bean plant heights to the nearest eighth of an inch and records the data on a line plot: 1/8 inch (two plants), 2/8 inch (three plants), 3/8 inch (one plant), 5/8 inch (four plants), 6/8 inch (two plants), and 7/8 inch (one plant). Student T reads the line plot and says, “The tallest plant is 7/8 inch, and the difference between the tallest and shortest is 6/8 inch because 7 − 1 = 6.” Student S says, “The difference is 6/8 inch, but the shortest is 1/8, so the difference is 6/8; that is 3/4 inch.” The teacher notices several students label the scale with only the numerator and ignore the eighths.
460 words, about 2 min