Q: Should anchor task be used for teaching Math in every lesson and is anchor task one of the ways to reasoning and communication in Math?
A: You can think of “anchor task” as one that richly encapsulates the basic concepts in a lesson/topic. So, as you move through the unit you keep coming back to refer to the (perhaps continually embellished) anchor task in order to reinforce basic concepts as well as to link new ones to them.
An example I can think of is a “Word Problem” common in primary level Math. Assuming that the solution of the problem is obtained through the drawing of the “models” (i.e., rectangles with composite units), the fundamental idea in the solution strategy is to “form same units and find the amount in one unit”. Thus, in solving other word problems, a teacher can “come back” to this task to help students become increasingly familiar with the fundamental idea that is applicable to a range of problem types. Or, the original problem can be tweaked at each revisitation to emphasize how new concepts can be built upon the fundamental ideas.
I can also think of a suitable anchor task in secondary level Math. Consider the topic of probability. One can start with the simple “anchor task” of flipping an unbiased coin to determine the probability of obtaining “Head” facing up when the coin lands on a flat surface. The solution involves determining the sample space of the experiment, and then taking the ratio of the number of outcomes in the favourable event – in this case, “Head” – to the number of outcomes in the sample space. Clearly, this approach can be applied to a whole range of problem types (e.g., tossing a die). This original task can later be revisited and embellished into “Two unbiased coins are flipped, what is the probability of obtaining two “Heads”?” and perhaps even further into “Two unbiased coins are flipped. Given that one of them is “Head”, what is the probability that the other is also “Head”?”
I hope these examples illustrate the “power” of anchor tasks. But in reality, it is not always easy to find such tasks for every lesson/topic. I will suggest to use them where they fit well with the intended instructional goals but avoid “forcing” them when they are not.
