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Subject adaptation · Years 7 to 8 · Mathematics and Statistics · Field-Based STEM · Tony Jones
A student who has never committed their thinking in writing before a mathematical investigation begins has nothing to compare at the end. The Position Comparison is where the mathematical reasoning about change becomes visible and assessable.
The Position First Protocol gives students something to compare at the end: their own thinking from the beginning. The Position Comparison, completed at submission, is where the mathematical reasoning about change becomes visible and assessable alongside the investigation itself.
Teacher provides a sentence starter for the initial position. The Position Comparison is completed as a brief whole-class discussion before students write their individual response. Teacher circulates to prompt students who write only one word per section.
Students write both the initial position and the Position Comparison independently. The comparison is assessed for quality of reasoning about mathematical change, not for whether the initial position was correct.
The initial position is never marked for correctness. If a student's comparison says "everything changed" or "nothing changed," return it with one prompt: "Name one specific idea that shifted and one specific thing that caused the shift."
In mathematics, students frequently write very short initial positions because they believe only a correct answer counts. Prompt them explicitly to write what they currently think, not what they think is right.
Friction Framing · Decision Vignette · Evaluation Gate