Practice Activity for Lesson One: Smash it!

Subtraction 9:20 9:45

This is an activity to help students work with and practice their subtraction
facts. We have been learning new facts every few days. This activity is
accompanies a lesson that taught 15-11 and 16-11. Students know who their
math partners are; otherwise you may be the students partner (if only
working with 1 student). Enjoy!
Component 1: Preplanning Tasks
A. Prerequisite skills or knowledge: How to play with playdough
Solving subtraction problems
Working collaboratively with a team
B. Key Vocabulary: difference
C. Long term objective: When given five problems involving subtraction
facts (14-11, 13-11, 15-11, 16-11, 12-11) students will solve 5/5 problems
with 100% accuracy on three consecutive days.
D. Activity description: A partner game that begins with students rolling 10
balls of playdough per partner team. Each partner team uses their flashcards
to solve subtraction problems, they smash the playdough balls according to
the difference. For example: 5-2=3, student smashes 3 playdough balls with
their hand.
E. Activity rationale: This game is intended to provide students a fun way to
practice skills that they learned the previous day. This activity also gives
students opportunities to work collaboratively in a team.
F. Materials: Playdough for each partner team, flashcards.
Component 2: Activity Beginning
A. Setup
1.
2.

Signal for attention: Second graders, give me 5.

Behavior expectations: While I am giving directions, keep your
eyes on me and raise your hands if you want to ask a question.

B. Opening
1.
Review: We have been working on our subtraction facts.
Yesterday, you learned to solve three new facts. Who can tell me what one of
those facts were? (15-11, 16-11, 17-11) Teacher takes hands until all three
facts are shared.
2.
Motivate: Were going to play a game in partners today- Smash
it! Subtraction.
3.
Objective and purpose: This game will help you remember
your subtraction facts. If you can solve these problems, youll
be able to solve more difficult problems later.
Component 3: Activity Middle
A. Post written game directions:

Partner 1 or 2 rolls 10 balls of playdough.

Partner 1 picks subtraction problem for partner 2, partner 2 solves and
smashes that number of playdough balls.
Partner 2 quickly reforms balls and it is partner 1s turn.
Repeat.
B. Pick a student to play one round with and model the directions on the
document camera in front of the whole class. CFU: After each step,
stop and ask a question and request choral response. (What do I do
next? How many balls do I smash?)
C. Play game for approximately 20 minutes. 9:20- 9:45
Component 4: Activity Closing
A. Partner 1, please put your playdough back in the container. Partner 2,
please get a wet wipe and wipe down the desk you were playing on.
Clear your desks and get ready for math stations.
B. Preview: Tomorrow, well do another practice activity to help you
remember how to solve these fraction problems.

Model Assessment:
1. 15 11 =
2. 14 11 =
3. 16 11 =
4. 13 11 =
5. 12 11 =

* Please score the assessment that you give the students

and write percentage correct in the top right hand corner.