Why Use A Three Act Task

A three act task is an activity designed to engage the whole class while challenging them because these are open ended.  The three act task is made up of part one which captures their attention and hooks them, part two has them finding out more and working towards a solution while the third part has them share their answers, their thoughts, and the way they found their solutions.

We know that the three act task provides an engaging situation for students to use the math while developing better understanding.  These tasks are set up so the student wonders what comes next.  The nice thing about three act tasks is that they provide few barriers to students trying them and the teacher can implement scaffolding as needed.  This activity also provides opportunities for students to discuss and communicate their mathematical thoughts, reflect, and refine.

The three act task is a nice way to help students build new knowledge from prior knowledge, allows students to attack the problems using multiple approaches, creates situations for students to practice mathematical modeling, and helps students develop their mathematical thinking.  Not all three acts are done in the same exact way.

The three act task is designed so each task fulfills certain skills.  In the first act, the students are shown a video, a picture, or other presentation to set up the problem.  For instance, the teacher shows the students a picture found at a coffee shop where the size and prices of coffee are listed for both cold and hot coffee.  The teacher projects the photo and students talk about what they notice and what they wonder.  They brainstorm questions they could ask about the photo and together they might decide what the question is the class should answer.  Sometimes, the first act may have a specific question for students to explore. It depends on the type of three act task.

For the second act, students work on finding the solution to the question asked.  They use the information they have from the photo or video.  If they need additional information, they can ask the teacher for it.  They might have to adjust their questions as they work through the problem.  

In the final act, students share their work, their thinking, and their justifications. The teacher then reveals possible solutions to the question and has students discuss their answer as compared with the solution provided by the teacher or solutions provided by other students.  They can discuss the assumptions they made as they worked on the solution and how their assumptions compared to the ones the teacher or others used.  The teacher can also ask students what other questions they might have answered with the setup.

These are great activities to do and they can be done in one day or each part can be done over a period of three days depending on the time available in class.  On Wednesday, I'll be talking about creating your own three act tasks.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.