Session 2 - Applying Operations to Solve Word Problems

Applying Operations to Solve World Problems - Grade 4

Step 3

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Model & Think: Math Lesson (120 minutes):

Activity:

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

Warm-Up Activity: Lesson: Math Representations

Directions:

In this toolkit, students will encounter word problems that require multiple steps to solve. Students should be able to practice different ways (or representations) of how to process and solve the word problem.
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.
As students begin to explore the word problems, encourage diverse answers and representations to solve. This presentation explains 5 different representations of how students can demonstrate their understanding and model their math thinking.

Lesson Activity #1 (30 minutes)

Activity: Word Problem 1 - Katie’s Cookies

Directions for Giving the Task:

The lesson activity includes a word problem that requires multiple steps to solve and provides 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.
Word Problem 1 has opportunities to ease into the intervention instruction for students who struggle with this skill. Students should start by practicing using various methods with support to solve the word problems with grade-level math operations.
Have the students read the problem.
Students may also check their work individually or in pairs.

Notes:

If you are doing this with a whole class: After students have reviewed, invite them to share ideas and list them for the group to see, making groups of similar responses or “themes” that arise and that help solve the problems. Have students create a poster for their method (eg: picture group, manipulative group, equation group).
If you are doing this with an individual or a small group: Pose the question set and allow the students to review their work. They can generate an individual response list or share it with a partner and then share it with the facilitator or other partner group or student. The facilitator can make a list of responses.
If students get stuck understanding, here are some questions or ideas for providing support for your students. These will intentionally lead them through the supported practice of the skill to grasp the learning and guide their thinking:
1. What would you tell someone to do to get started with this problem?
2. What would you tell someone to look for in a word problem to get started?
3. If someone got stuck, what would you tell them to do?

Please Note

If this activity seems to be taking a long time, this would be a good breaking point.

Lesson Activity #2: (30 minutes)

Activity: Word Problem 2 - Mark’s Muffins

Focus: MP1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them, MP2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively, MP4: Model with mathematics.

Decorative question mark:

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

This portion of the lesson is for students to develop a process and strategy for solving any format of word problem by organizing the components of a problem and then finding a solution.

Directions:

The lesson activity includes a word problem that requires multiple steps to solve and provides 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.
Word Problem 2 has opportunities to ease into the intervention instruction for students who struggle with this skill. Students should start by practicing using various methods with support to solve the word problems with grade-level math operations.
Hand out Mark’s Muffins to each student.
Students should use the materials from previous examples to help solve this problem.

Notes:

If you are doing this with a whole class: After students have reviewed, invite them to share ideas and list them for the group to see, making groups of similar responses or “themes” that arise and that help solve the problems. Have students create a poster for their method (eg: picture group, manipulative group, equation group).

If you are doing this with an individual or a small group: Pose the question set and allow the students to review their work. They can generate an individual response list or share it with a partner and then share with the facilitator or other partner group or student. The facilitator can make a list of responses.

Progress Monitoring:

Directions:

By watching students and the work they do in their groups you can see how well they understand how to solve the problems.
Students who can solve the problems, or explain their thinking and where they made a mistake are ready to move on to the next series of activities.
If a student is still struggling with solving these word problems, here are some resources they could use to practice the skill in a more step-by-step manner.

Resources and 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.

Word Problems
Word Problem Organizer and Answers (facilitator only)

Decorative question mark:

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

Students receive feedback in real-time from peers and facilitators so they can self-reflect and have multiple opportunities to problem solve and gain additional perspectives on their work.

Collaborative Activity

Before students move on to Lesson Activity 3 and 4, a discussion would be helpful. This will allow students to verbalize their learning so far, how they represent their reasoning and understanding, and to hear from their peers on different ways to solve.

Questions to lead the discussion:

What are the similarities and differences in the problems we worked on?
Are there always clues in a problem that might help you solve it?
What is one thing you would tell someone never to do when they begin work on a word problem?
What are the most important or two things to do when you start solving a word problem?