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Clarifications
Clarification 1: Instruction includes understanding the context of the problem, as well as the quantities within the problem.Clarification 2: Problems include creating real-world situations based on an equation.
Clarification 3: Addition and subtraction are limited to sums up to 100 and related differences. Refer to Situations Involving Operations with Numbers (Appendix A).
Benchmark Instructional Guide
Connecting Benchmarks/Horizontal Alignment
Terms from the K-12 Glossary
- Associative Property of Addition
- Commutative Property of Addition
- Equation
- Expression
Vertical Alignment
Previous Benchmarks
Next Benchmarks
Purpose and Instructional Strategies
The purpose of this benchmark is to provide opportunities for students to solve various real-world situation types involving addition and subtraction. In grade 1, students solved real-world addition and subtraction problems within 20 (MTR.7.1).- Instruction includes experience with all situation types involving addition and subtraction.
- Mastery of all situation types, as shown in Appendix A, is expected at by the end of this grade level.
- Instruction leads students to focus on context and apply reasoning to determine the appropriate operation.
- Instruction includes the use of number lines, drawings, diagrams or models to represent problem context.
Common Misconceptions or Errors
- Students may have difficulty interpreting the quantities in the context of the problem or misidentifying the operation needed to solve the problem.
- Students may interpret a start or change unknown problem as a result unknown problem.
- Students may look for key words which can lead to the wrong operation and cause students to ignore context and reasoning.
Strategies to Support Tiered Instruction
- Teacher provides a graphic organizer to record information about the problem that focuses on the quantities in context and the operation(s) needed to solve the problem.
- For example, use the following problem to complete the organizer below.
- John collected 23 leaves on his walk on Monday. On Tuesday, he collected 35 leaves on his walk. At the end of his walk on Wednesday, he had collected a total of 97 leaves. How many leaves did he collect on Wednesday?
- What is this problem about? John collected leaves on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
- What do I know? John collected 23 leaves on Monday and 35 leaves on Tuesday. He has a total of 97 leaves.
- What is the problem asking? How many leaves did John collect Wednesday?
- Does this problem have one or two steps? This problem has 2 steps.
- What operation can I use to solve this problem? I can add and subtract.
- How can I model this problem to solve it? Students may use an equation, a drawing, or manipulatives to model their work.
- Teacher provides the chart/organizer below and guides students through determining if the start, change and result are known for each problem.
- Example:
- Instruction provides opportunities to determine the context of numberless word problems with a focus on what is happening in the problem and how to solve it.
- For example, the teacher provides the following word problem to students. Cindy Lou needs ___ cupcakes for the bake sale. She has already made ___ cupcakes. How many cupcakes does she still need to make? Teacher asks: What is this problem about? What is happening in this problem? What information do we know? How do you think you would solve this problem?
Instructional Tasks
Instructional Task 1(MTR.4.1)
A bus leaves Park Elementary School with 27 students. Twelve students get off at stop A and eight more get off at stop B. How many students are on the bus at stop C? [Teacher note: Discussion of student responses should allow the opportunity to make connections between varying strategies and discuss the efficiency of a chosen strategy.]
Instructional Items
Instructional Item 1
Mr. Gene sharpened 17 more pencils than Ms. Smith. Mr. Gene sharpened 32 pencils. How many pencils did Ms. Smith sharpen?
Instructional Item 2
Create a word problem that can be solved using the equation 76 = 11 + 65.
*The strategies, tasks and items included in the B1G-M are examples and should not be considered comprehensive.
Related Courses
Related Access Points
Related Resources
Formative Assessments
Lesson Plans
Problem-Solving Task
Tutorials
STEM Lessons - Model Eliciting Activity
After reading, Officer Buckle and Gloria the students will be given a problem showing different ways safety problems have been solved at area schools. Through ranking, they will have to determine which manner was the most effective.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
Everyone loves donuts. It is the students' task to help the Sweet Donut Shop determine what will be their newest donut shape- square, circle, or triangle. Based on the criteria provided, students will use their mathematical skills to determine what the donut will be.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
The Junior League needs the students' help to determine which table rental company to use for their Charity Auction. With a tight budget, limited time, and a mistake in the order, students must create a procedure for determining the best rental company, write an explanation about their procedure, and present their recommendations to the class.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
MFAS Formative Assessments
Students are asked to solve two word problems: Add To (Start Unknown) and Take From (Start Unknown).
Students are asked to solve a Put Together/Take Apart (Both Addends Unknown) word problem and explain their strategies.
Students are asked to solve two Compare (Bigger Unknown) word problems: one involving the word more and one involving the word fewer.
Students are asked to solve two Compare (Smaller Unknown) word problems: one involving the word more and one involving the word fewer.
Students are asked to solve two Compare (Difference Unknown) word problems: a how many more and a how many fewer variation.
Students are asked to solve three word problems: Put Together (Addend Unknown), Take From (Change Unknown), Add to (Change Unknown).
Students are asked to solve a two-step word problem that combines a Compare (Bigger Unknown) problem and a Compare (Smaller Unknown) problem.
Students are asked to solve a two-step word problem that combines an Add To (Result Unknown) problem and a Compare (Difference Unknown) problem.
Students are asked to solve a two-step word problem that combines a Put Together (Result Unknown) problem and a Take From (Result Unknown) problem.
Students are asked to solve three word problems: Add To (Result Unknown), Take From (Result Unknown), and Put Together/Take Apart (Total Unknown).
Student Resources
Problem-Solving Task
This task could be used for either instructional or assessment purposes, depending on where students are in their understanding of addition and how the teacher supports them. The solution shown is very terse; students' solution strategies are likely to be much more varied.
Type: Problem-Solving Task
Tutorials
In this tutorial you will learn how to solve a word problem by creating a chart and adding the same number many times.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy tutorial, called, "sports on a die" explains the pitfalls of relying on key words in a word problem. Students solve a problem by writing a missing addend addition equation and solve with the standard algorithm for subtracting two digit numbers.
Type: Tutorial
In this tutorial video from Khan Academy, called "Using crayons", explore subtracting within 100 using the standard algorithm, as well as a bar diagram.
Type: Tutorial
In this video tutorial from Khan Academy called "losing tennis balls", explore solving a two-step subtraction word problem using the standard algorithm.
Type: Tutorial
In this tutorial video from Khan Academy, called "Fence posts for horses", explore adding a two digit number to a two digit number using the standard algorithm
Type: Tutorial
In this video tutorial from Khan Academy, explore using a number line solve word problems involving more than two numbers.
Type: Tutorial
Parent Resources
Problem-Solving Task
This task could be used for either instructional or assessment purposes, depending on where students are in their understanding of addition and how the teacher supports them. The solution shown is very terse; students' solution strategies are likely to be much more varied.
Type: Problem-Solving Task
Tutorials
This Khan Academy tutorial, called, "sports on a die" explains the pitfalls of relying on key words in a word problem. Students solve a problem by writing a missing addend addition equation and solve with the standard algorithm for subtracting two digit numbers.
Type: Tutorial
In this tutorial video from Khan Academy, called "Using crayons", explore subtracting within 100 using the standard algorithm, as well as a bar diagram.
Type: Tutorial
In this video tutorial from Khan Academy called "losing tennis balls", explore solving a two-step subtraction word problem using the standard algorithm.
Type: Tutorial
In this tutorial video from Khan Academy, called "Fence posts for horses", explore adding a two digit number to a two digit number using the standard algorithm
Type: Tutorial
In this video tutorial from Khan Academy, explore using a number line solve word problems involving more than two numbers.
Type: Tutorial
