Lesson Introduction - Applying Operations to Solve Word Problems

Applying Operations to Solve World Problems - Grade 4

Introduction to the Toolkit Lesson

Setting:

Classroom or Home
Group or Individual Students

Before the lesson:
Getting Students Ready! The Rounding activity (found in the Progression of Skills Section) and the Pre-Lesson Knowledge Check are great, developmentally appropriate lessons to warm up students for the skills they will practice in this toolkit. Both are intended to access students' current knowledge in a simple and concrete demonstration of their skills. This provides a chance for the facilitator to give an example of how to work this skill. If a student struggles with this level, then more practice of pre-skills will be needed before this toolkit.

During the lesson:
The lesson activities include 4 word problems that require multiple steps to solve, increase in difficulty of operations, and provide opportunities for students to solve using various methods of representation: Kinesthetic, Visual, Verbal, Symbolic, or Contextual. The word problems have many ways to be solved so students will demonstrate an understanding of the operations and representations through their participation in the activities and how they solve.

Word Problems 1 and 2 provide word problems that have opportunities for solving with various methods. This is a good way to ease into the intervention instruction for students who struggle with this skill. Students should start by making sense of the problem which may include various representations.
Word Problems 3 and 4 increase in difficulty by using division with remainders and rounding. Notes on how to support students with these skills are in each lesson.

After the lesson:
The activity section of the toolkit is followed by a post-knowledge check that provides word problems for students to solve using the methods and skills gleaned from the activities independently.

Resources & Support:
For students who continue to struggle with this skill, scaffolded support materials, and additional, explicit intervention practice are offered. Students with special learning needs and English Learners will benefit from the graphic organizers that are provided as optional support material.

Visit the Resource Bank to learn more about Grouping Students.

Math Materials

Be sure to have these materials handy!

Each individual student will need:

Rounding to the Nearest Whole Number
Pre-Lesson Knowledge Check
Lesson: Math Representations
Word Problem 1: Katie’s Cookies
Word Problem 2: Mark’s Muffins
Word Problem 3: Peach Juice
Word Problem 4: Lemonade Stand
Learning from Today
Word Problems: Post-lesson Knowledge Check

Resources for Additional Support:

Word Problems
Word Problem Organizer and Answers (facilitator only)
Word Problem Sheet: Division with Remainders and Answers

Other Materials needed:

Pencil
Computer(s)
Projector (if available)
Printer (if printing materials)
Hands-on manipulatives for modeling and multi-sensory needs:
- Any manipulative (beans, coins, small pieces of paper cut up) that students can use to model and solve the problems in the toolkit for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

A Note About Timing

This toolkit has several components and activities. The activities in this toolkit can be divided up over several days and do not have to be completed all at once. There is a suggestion for breaks throughout the toolkit. However, you know your student(s) best and know the amount of time you have to help them. Feel free to take a break after every activity or chunk activities together in the amount of time you have. Timings are approximate and will depend on the needs of the student.