Session 1 - Applying Operations to Solve Word Problems

Applying Operations to Solve World Problems - Grade 4

Step 1

Get Prepared! Before the Lesson (20 minutes):

Directions:

Gather materials and review the lesson.

Materials:

You will need copies of the following handouts. Make copies or turn on computers.

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

Step 2

Think: Pre-Lesson Knowledge Check! (10 minutes)

Pre-Lesson Knowledge Check Task: Pre-Lesson Knowledge Check

Pre-lesson Knowledge Check Task:

Pre-Lesson Knowledge Check

Directions for Giving the Task:

Pass out the Knowledge Check to each student.
Read the directions as a group.
Circulate around the class or learning area to observe the students’ process and how they can participate in the activity.
Be sure each student has completed all sections of the Knowledge Check
Collect student responses. Review and assess their responses. To guide the remainder of the toolkit lesson and the support from the facilitator, use the information from their responses, how they show their ability to solve multi-step problems, and how they use drawing to solve the problem.

Student Directions:

Read/listen to the problem.
As you are solving the word problems, use manipulatives or a drawing to make sense of the problem.
Do your best to solve the word problems independently.

Decorative question mark:

Why are students doing this/what are they getting out of it?

This assessment intends to gauge the readiness of students to translate word problems into equations and solve the equations to generate a solution.

Directions for Scoring & Understanding Student Responses

While students are doing the Pre-Lesson Knowledge Check, you will want to circulate the learning space to be sure all can access the activity and answer questions. When they feel ready to share, look at their answers/responses. Use the suggestions below to help decide if they “got it” or are still struggling with this skill.

Sample Thinking Prompts:

Common Problems	Question to Pose to Student
Student is unable to carry out an operation to solve or check their work.	What strategies can you use to (insert operation) these numbers that make sense to you or that we have practiced?
Student has inaccurately completed an equation or guessed.	Say this equation out loud or in your head, does it make sense to you when you hear it? What would be a reasonable answer for a problem like this? Are there any numbers that are close to that or make sense that you could check?

Common Problems

Question to Pose to Student

Student is unable to carry out an operation to solve or check their work.

What strategies can you use to (insert operation) these numbers that make sense to you or that we have practiced?

Student has inaccurately completed an equation or guessed.

Say this equation out loud or in your head, does it make sense to you when you hear it?

What would be a reasonable answer for a problem like this? Are there any numbers that are close to that or make sense that you could check?