Classroom Activities
Lesson One
Identify the Strategy
Time Frame: This lesson can be completed in one to two days.
Preparation: The teacher will need to make sure that they create several examples of each class of word problems.
Activity Flow: The first thing that the teacher will do is ensure that students are aware of the different types of word problems. Although you may not teach the problems using the vocabulary presented in this unit (i.e., join problems with start unknown), students must have been exposed to several samples of that type. This can be accomplished in one of several ways. Teachers can choose to review sample problems written on chart paper. Another way can be to create a PowerPoint presentation. Other choices include putting individual problems on index cards for small groups to review or even putting the problems on a sheet for each student to have for himself or herself.
After about ten to fifteen minutes of reviewing various problems, teachers will present the students with at least ten word problems that are comprised of a mixture of samples from each class. The best grouping for this activity will be small, heterogeneous groups consisting of no more than four children each. The students will decide what operation they will use to solve the problem. Along with identifying the operation, students will write the number sentence that they will create to solve. These are the only things that they will do. Although this activity is seemingly very simple, I believe that this is a crucial activity because this will help the teacher to learn which students have mastered the concepts and those who have not.
An alternative to this activity could be to discuss several problems of one type, and then introduce a new type while using a strategic set of questions for students. When introducing a second set, teachers may ask, "How is this problem different from the problems we have been looking at?" When it is solved, a new problem could be introduced, ask whether it was like the last one, or the ones we had been doing earlier. Questions to ask could ask students which problems are related to which, how they are similar, and how they are different. It is not important for students to learn the whole taxonomy. What is important is that they learn to read the problem carefully and think about what it says. The comparison activities are to help them make distinctions in language.
Assessment: As stated before, students will work in small, heterogeneous groups for this activity. The teacher will circulate among the groups listening to discussion. This is how you will be able to assess whether or not individual students understand the previous lessons that have been describing the methods for solving word problems. Of course, teachers will use the results of this activity to decide whether to reteach or continue to expand the word problems lessons.
Lesson Two
What, How, Why Activity
Time Frame: This activity can be completed in one to two days.
Preparation: The teacher will need to make sure that there are several examples of each class of word problems that could be taken from the appendix.
Activity Flow: Once again, teachers will need a variety of word problems from the four classes of problems presented in this curriculum unit. The way that teachers choose to present the problems should be in a manner that best fits their personalities and the class' needs and learning styles. Teachers will arrange students in pairs for this activity.
The name of this activity explains exactly what the students will be doing. After more exposure to a variety of word problems, teachers will use this opportunity to verify that students are indeed becoming more proficient at solving word problems. While in their pairs, students will decide whether they will use addition or subtraction. This will satisfy the "what" of this activity. After specifying the operation, students will show the number sentence that they will use to solve the word problem. This is the "how" of the activity. In order to satisfy, the "why" portion of the activity, the students will explain to their partners why they choose to solve the problems in that manner. It is during this time that the teacher will listen for reasoning that will help them to solve various problems consistently. There will be times when students will be able to "guess" the correct answer, but the discussion piece will clarify whether or not they really understand what they are doing.
Lesson Three
Creating Word Problems
Time Frame: This activity can be completed in one to three days.
Preparation: In order to complete this activity, students will need to be placed in small heterogeneous groups of no more than four students. They will need paper and pencils to complete the activities and then chart paper and markers or crayons to display their word problems and share them with the class.
Activity Flow: This activity will be completed at a point when the teacher is confident that the majority of students are able to complete any of the word problems within the four classes of addition and subtraction word problems. Students will work in their groups to create four different word problems. Students can decide whether or not they will use addition or subtraction as long as they use different types of word problems. For example, they can create two addition word problems as long as they are not both "join problems with start unknown".
After students have created the problems in their groups, the teacher should review their work. Once students have followed the guidelines, the teacher should give them approval to create a poster that they will share with the class. Once all groups have created their problems, had them approved, and rewritten them on chart paper, the class should go through each chart, discuss, and solve the problems.
Implementing District Standards
Georgia Performance Standards
This curriculum unit satisfies several sections of the Georgia Performance Standards for second grade students. The second Number and Operations domain states that "students will build fluency with multi-digit addition and subtraction". The elements of the standard include correctly adding and subtracting two whole numbers up to three digits with regrouping, understanding and using the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction to solve problems and check solutions. Two additional elements of importance in this unit include students using mental math such as benchmark numbers to solve problems and using basic properties of addition (commutative, associative, and identity) to simplify problems.
In addition to the Numbers and Operations domain, this curriculum satisfies several elements that fall under the Process Standards that are required for the second grade. Some of these standards include building new mathematical knowledge through problem solving, applying and adapting a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems, recognizing and using connections among mathematical ideas, and understanding how mathematical ideas interconnect and build on one another to produce a coherent whole.
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