Participate
Ask a question, share an observation, test an idea, record the group’s work, or explain a step. Everyone should contribute.
Thinking Math is about more than getting an answer. Show your reasoning, test ideas, learn from your group, and explain why your solution makes sense.
You do not have to know the answer immediately. You do have to participate in the thinking, contribute to your group, and make your reasoning visible.
Ask a question, share an observation, test an idea, record the group’s work, or explain a step. Everyone should contribute.
Do not stop with “I just knew it” or “I did it in my head.” Explain how you arrived at your answer and why the strategy makes sense.
Give classmates time to finish their ideas. Ask questions before deciding that someone’s strategy is incorrect.
If you usually speak first, pause and invite someone else in. If you usually stay quiet, challenge yourself to contribute.
Use whiteboards, manipulatives, rulers, calculators, or Chromebooks when directed. Resources should support your thinking, not replace it.
Feeling confused is part of learning. Try another approach, look for a pattern, test an example, or explain what you already know.
Your group should keep moving through these four actions as you work. The goal is visible thinking, not one person racing to an answer.
THINKTry an idea before asking for help.
TALKExplain your reasoning and listen to your teammates.
ROTATETake turns using the marker and leading the work.
RECORDShow thinking with pictures, numbers, words, tables, or equations.
Your score is based on the quality of your mathematical thinking, how clearly you record and explain it, and how you contribute to the group.
| Category | 5 Points | 4 Points | 3 Points | 2–1 Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematical Reasoning | Strategy is logical, complete, and clearly demonstrates strong mathematical thinking. | Strategy is mostly logical and shows solid mathematical thinking. | Some reasoning is shown, but important steps are missing or unclear. | Very little reasoning is shown or the work does not demonstrate a meaningful strategy. |
| Showing & Recording Work | Work is complete, organized, readable, and uses appropriate equations, tables, diagrams, or explanations. | Work is mostly complete and organized with appropriate representations. | Some work is recorded, but it may be incomplete, difficult to follow, or missing useful representations. | Very little work is recorded or only an answer is shown. |
| Explanation & Justification | Clearly explains the strategy, why it works, and why the final answer makes sense. | Explains the strategy and provides some justification. | Explanation is present but incomplete or unclear. | Explanation is missing or gives little information about the group’s reasoning. |
| Participation & Collaboration | Consistently participates, listens, shares ideas, asks questions, and helps every group member contribute. | Participates appropriately and works well with the group most of the time. | Participation is inconsistent or relies heavily on others. | Rarely participates, prevents others from participating, or does not work productively with the group. |
| Think · Talk · Rotate · Record | Consistently follows all four expectations and uses resources responsibly. | Follows most expectations with only occasional reminders. | Follows some expectations but needs repeated reminders. | Frequently ignores the routine or uses class time/resources irresponsibly. |
Paste student names, score each rubric category from 0–5, add optional notes, and download a CSV with totals out of 25 and percentages. Student information stays in this browser session and is not saved to the website.
| Student | Reasoning /5 | Recorded Work /5 | Explanation /5 | Collaboration /5 | Routine /5 | Total /25 | Percent | Notes |
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