KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate:

Marissa Weidner

Cooperating Teacher:
Group Size:

27

Subject or Topic:

Date:

11/14/14

Coop. Initials
Allotted Time

Grade Level 1st Grade

Mathematics: Problem Solving

Section

932

STANDARD:
CC.2.2.1.A.2: Understand and apply properties of operations and the relationship
between addition and subtraction.
2.1.1.F: Select the appropriate operations (addition or subtraction) to solve problems.
2.4.1.A: Draw conclusions and describe thought process (es) (e.g., think aloud) related to
problem solving situations
2.5.1.A: Solve the problem and check if answer makes sense. Explain how problem is
solved in grade appropriate contexts.
I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):
The first grade students will be able to solve a word problem by drawing pictures and
identifying if its an addition or subtraction problem.
II.Instructional Materials
Whiteboard
Whiteboard Markers
Word Problems
Word Problems Worksheet
Introduction Word Problem Worksheet
Counting Bears
10 Counting Bears problems
Dice
Pencils
Crayons
Markers
Number Lines
III.Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea)
A. Prerequisite Skills

1. Students can identify and write numbers up to 100.

2. Understanding of how to solve addition problems.
3. Understanding of how to solve subtraction problems.
4. Students can read sentences.
5. Students have an understanding of how to use the skill of drawing pictures to
answer problems.
6. Students can listen and follow multiple step directions.
7. Students can work successfully in groups.
B. Key Vocabulary
1. Problem Solving: the process of finding solution to difficult or complex issues.
2. Addition: the process of calculating the total of two or more numbers.
3. Subtraction: the process of taking one number/amount away from another.
4. Word Problems: any mathematics exercise explained in words.
5. Addends: A number that is added to another number.
6. Sum: The total amount resulting from the addition of two or more numbers.
7. Minuend: The first number to be subtracted from in a subtraction problem.
8. Subtrahend: The second number to be subtracted from in a subtraction problem.
9. Difference: The total amount resulting from the subtraction of two or more
numbers.
C. Big Idea
1. The ability to solve word problems not only helps with building math skills, but
it helps students to practice logical thinking to solve real life problems step by
step.
CI.Implementation
A. Introduction
I have a word problem on your desks, and I need your help solving it.
I have 9 leaves in three colors. Two are yellow. The number of red leaves is
equal to the number of yellow leaves. I have more green leaves than any
other color. How many yellow leaves, red leaves and green leaves do I
have? Make a model to explain your answer.
Use your strategies to help you solve this problem.
B. Development
As I was walking around the room, I saw some really great thinking!
Before I have some of you share your answers, I want to tell you about
problem solving. Problem solving is the steps you take in order to find a
solution to difficult issues, in our case this word problem.
A word problem is a math problem that uses words to ask you a question. So
instead of saying, 4+5=9, a word problem gives you a short story with
numbers and asks you a question at the end.

 The first thing you need to ask yourself to problem solve is, whats the
most important part of the problem? What do I need to know?
Then we should think about some strategies that we could use to help us. I
noticed that many of you used different strategies to help you solve the
problem. Can you raise your hands and tell me what you did to help you?
(draw a picture, take notes, use number line, make a model...) Why did you
use that to help you?
I think that drawing a picture is a great idea! Its the same thing as looking
in a book to help you understand what the story is about. Pictures can help
you do the same thing in math! You can look at a picture to understand what
is happening in a math problem or draw a picture to show the problem.
Finally, we need to think about our answer. Does it make sense? Go back
and check you work to make sure that you didnt make any silly mistakes.
Now I am going to divide you into groups for your math centers and when
you come to my center, we are going to learn so much more about word
problems! Make sure you bring your worksheet with you. (Divide groups
based on advanced students, on-level students and lower-level students. This
works for guided math.)
Advanced Students: Guided Math
Bring them together in a specific area of the room with their worksheet,
whiteboards, and whiteboard markers.
I want to go over this problem with you a little more. I really wanted to see
how you all got your answers and the strategies that you used.
Go over the problem with the students. Prompt them by asking them
questions as you go through each step to solve the problem.
Now that you have successfully answered that problem, I want to do an
activity with you. In this activity, I am going to give you two dice. You are
going to roll the dice and we are going to use those numbers to create a
word problem together!
Each student will get a turn to roll the dice.
Create a problem for each student and have them answer the problems on
their whiteboards. They need to create a model to show their thinking and
answers. When they have answered the questions, they should hold up their
whiteboards to show the teacher. (Complete one problem at a time.)
Be sure to ask questions like, How did you know that? What clues helped
you to know to take away or add? Why did you do that?
Now I am going to give each of you a new worksheet! On this worksheet
you are going to write your own word problem and solve it! I want you to
roll the dice again and use those two numbers in your problems. Make sure
to create a model to show your answers! Dont be afraid to use color!
Assist the students if they need any help. Collect their word problems after
they have completed them and use a rubric to evaluate their work.

 On-level Students: Guided Math

Bring them together in a specific area of the room with their worksheet,
whiteboards, and whiteboard markers.
Lets go over our first problem together, just to make sure I can see all of
your hard work and that we all came to the same answer.
Go over each step of the problem with the students. Prompt them by asking
them questions like, What should I do next? How did you know to do
that?
Now that you have all done a great job helping me solve that problem, I
want to do an activity with you. This activity is going to help practice
solving more word problems by using our problem solving steps! In this
activity we are going to use dice! Each of you are going to roll two dice. We
are going to use the numbers you rolled to create a word problem together,
and then I need you to solve it on your whiteboards. Dont forget to make a
model!
Give each student a turn to roll the dice. Create a problem for each of them.
When the students are finished have them hold up their answers. Go over
each problem with them step by step and asking questions along the way.
Be sure to ask questions like, How did you know that? What clues helped
you to know to take away or add? Why did you do that?
Now that each of us had a turn to roll the dice and create a word problem, I
am going to give each of you a worksheet to complete. On this worksheet
you can see that there is a word problem given to you, but the numbers are
missing! Use the dice to give you the two numbers. Fill in the blanks using
the numbers and solve it. Remember to make a model to show your answer!
Dont be afraid to use color!
Assist the students if they need help. Collect the worksheets when they are
finished with them and use the rubric to evaluate their work.
Lower-level Students: Guided Math
Bring them together to a specific area in the room with their worksheet,
number lines, whiteboards and markers.
I want to go over this problem with you again, just to make sure we really
understand how to solve this problem. It is very tricky.
Give them a new paper if they need one. Go over the problem step by step.
Explain why you are doing each step and prompt them with questions like,
What is the most important part to know in this problem? What do you
think the next step is?
After going over the problem, have the students put those worksheets aside.
Get out the counting bears and the deck of word problems to go with it.

 Now we are going to use these bears to help us solve word problems! I
have a pile of word problems here and we are going to solve as many as we
can!
Go through each word problem one at a time with the students. Have them
use the counting bears as a visual to help them. The students can also use
their number lines to check their work. The students should write their
answers on their whiteboards and hold it up when they are finished. Go
through each problem step by step with them.
Be sure to ask questions like, How did you know that? What clues helped
you to know to take away or add? Why did you do that?
Now I am going to give you a sheet with similar problems on it. I want you
to do the same thing that weve been doing with the counting bears, drawing
pictures and our number lines to help you solve these problems. Remember
to take your time!
Assist the students if they need help. Collect these worksheets when they are
finished to evaluate their work with a rubric.
C. Closure
Bring the students together as a whole class.
You all did such a great job learning and practicing how to solve word
problems! Now, when you see a word problem remember to think about the
problem solving steps you used to help you. You should also make a model
to show your work and the strategy you used to help you.
D. Accommodations/Differentiation
For students who are struggling, give them extra time to work and prompt
them through each step to help them solve the problem. Also, for the students
that have difficulty staying organized when they are drawing a picture to help
them solve a problem, draw a box on their paper to show that this is the space
where they can draw. Then draw a line on the bottom of the paper to show
where they can put their final answer.
E. Assessment/Evaluation Plan
1. Formative: no formative assessment for this lesson.
2. Summative: collect students worksheets and use rubric to evaluate them.

CII.Resources
Addition and subtraction word problems. (1999, January 1). Retrieved November 12,
2014, from http://www.greatschools.org/worksheets-activities/5402-addition-andsubtraction-word-problems.gs
Geiger, A. (2014, January 1). Fun problem solving activity for kids in 1st & 2nd grade -

The Measured Mom. Retrieved November 12, 2014, from http://

www.themeasuredmom.com/fun-problem-solving-activity-kids-1st-2nd-grade/
Math with Legos: An Activity for Improving Word Problem Skills - Frugal Fun For Boys.
(2013, January 1). Retrieved November 12, 2014, from http://frugalfun4boys.com/
2014/06/02/math-legos-activity-improving-word-problem-skills/
Word Problems Resource Pack: Anchor Charts, Practice, Assessments SAMPLE
FREEBIE. (2014, January 1). Retrieved November 12, 2014, from http://
www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Word-Problems-Resource-Pack-Anchor-ChartsPractice-Assessments-SAMPLE-FREEBIE-1323585

Above Level!
Create Your Own Word Problem!
Name:

Date:

Directions: Use two dice to give you two numbers. Write those two numbers down on the
lines below. Then create your own word problem using those numbers. Create a model to
show your answer!
Number One:

Number Two:

On-Level
Word Problems!
Name:

Date:

Directions: Fill in the blanks using the numbers you rolled on the dice. Then
solve the problem. Draw a model to explain your answer.
Samantha has
books. Evan has
books. How many books do they have
altogether?

Rien gives Brooke

pens. Rien
gives Cameron
pens. How many more pens does
Brooke have than Cameron?

Will had
pieces of cake. He ate
pieces of cake. How many were left?

Kyra had some pencils. She kept

pencils for herself and
pencils to Cecilia. How many pens
did Kyra have in the beginning?

Angel has
stickers. She gives
Sarah
stickers. How many
stickers did she have in the
beginning?

Mr. Abruzzi played his guitar for

minutes. His students asked him
to play for
more minutes. How
long did Mr. Abruzzi play his guitar?

Below Level
Word Problems
Name:
Directions: Use counting bears and a number line to help solve these word problems.
Draw a model to explain your answer.
Daniel has 7 bears in three colors,
red, blue and yellow. 2 are red and 3
are blue. How many bears are yellow?

Amanda has 9 bears. 4 bears are

yellow. There are more green bears
than yellow. How many bears are
green?

Naseer has 6 bears in two colors, red

and green. The number of red and
green bears is the same. What color
are his bears?

Aya has 8 red bears. 6 bears walk

away. How many bears are left?

Zach has 10 bears in two colors,

yellow and green. There are 6 yellow
bears. How many bears are green?

Emily has 2 blue bears. 6 red bears

join them. How many bears are
there now?

Introduction Sheet
Colored Leaves
Name:
Directions: Answer the problem in the box. Make a model to explain your answer.

I have 9 leaves in three colors. Two are yellow. The number of red leaves is
equal to the number of yellow leaves. I have more green leaves than any
other color. How many yellow leaves, red leaves and green leaves do I have?

Word Problems Rubric

Student Name:
Score

Criteria

Exceeded Expectations.
Showed all work.
Correctly used the steps to Problem Solving. (Listen/
Read, Write and Answer)
Answered Problems Correctly.

Showed some work.

Correctly used 2 out the 3 steps to Problem Solving.
(Listen/Read, Write and Answer)
Answered Problems Correctly.

Showed very little work.

Did not use the Problem Solving steps.
Not all of the answers were correct.

Did not show their work.

Answers were not correct.

Not Attempted

Total:
Comments:

/4

Creating Word Problems Rubric

Student Name:
Score

Criteria

Exceeds Expectations.
Used Complete Sentences to create word problem.
Correctly answered the problem.
Showed their work.

Wrote down the problem.

Did not use complete sentences.
Correctly answered the problem.
Showed their work.

Wrote down the problem.

Did not use complete sentences.
Problem was not answered correctly.
Did not show their work.

Did not write down the problem.

Problem was not answered correctly.
Did not show their work.

Not Attempted

Total:
Comments:

/4

This is a picture of the materials I used for the activity with the students. They used
whiteboards, whiteboard markers and dice. They loved doing this!