Content Strand 2: Measurement - Item Specification (8-2005)

ME04 (Estimated Measurements) Identify situations in which estimated measurements are sufficient; estimate measurements of circles and right triangles, and volume and surface area of rectangular prisms (1.2.6)

Item Format:

· Multiple-Choice and Short-Answer items may be used to assess this learning target.
· Multiple-Choice items will not ask students to estimate and identify the answer.

Stimulus, Stem, and Prompt Rules:

· Stimulus may include figures, tables, charts, and graphs.
· Items should focus on the appropriate use of estimation rather than particular estimation strategies.
· Estimation of measurements may include those relating to circles, right triangles, and rectangular prisms.
· Items will not require students to convert from U.S. to metric or metric to U.S.
· The answer and distracters will be stated in terms of the same system of measurement.
· ME04 items will be on a “no tools” day.

Mathematical Vocabulary and Terms:

· Terms that may be used: accurate, accuracy, approximate (as an adjective), area, centimeter, cubic unit, estimate, estimation, foot/feet, inch, kilometer, length, meter, mile, millimeter, perimeter, square unit, width, yard
· Terms that may be used with definitions or examples: approximation
· Terms that may not be used: approximate (as a verb)
· Students are expected to know how to determine the following:

Perimeter of a polygon

Area of a rectangle Area of a triangle

Volume of a rectangular prism

Item Characteristics:

a) Items may ask students to determine when or whether estimation is appropriate in a given situation.
b) Items may ask students to identify a procedure that is an appropriate way to estimate a measurement.
c) Items may ask students to explain a procedure that would determine an estimated measurement.
d) Items may ask students to explain why they would use estimation rather than an exact measurement in a given situation.
e) Items may ask students to estimate the measures of the radius, diameter, circumference, or area of a circle.
f) Items may ask students to estimate the measures of the sides, perimeter, or area of a right triangle.
g) Items may ask students to estimate the volume and/or surface area of a rectangular prism.

Note: Students will not receive credit in estimation items for computing and then rounding.

Note: Students are expected to determine and label units.