Lesson 5

Story Problems about Shapes

Warm-up: Notice and Wonder: Questionless Story Problem (10 minutes)

Narrative

This warm-up prompts students to make sense of a problem before solving it by familiarizing themselves with a context and the mathematics that might be involved (MP1).

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Display the story.
  • “What do you notice? What do you wonder?”
  • 1 minute: quiet think time

Activity

  • “Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
  • 1 minute: partner discussion
  • Share and record responses.

Student Facing

What do you notice?
What do you wonder?

Elena used 9 pattern blocks to make a train.

Then she took 3 of the pattern blocks off of the train and put them back in the bucket.

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • “This story problem is missing a question. What questions can you ask about the the story?” (How many pattern blocks are left? What kind of pattern blocks did she use?)
  • Share and record responses.

Activity 1: Match Story Problems to Equations (10 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to match story problems to equations (MP2).

MLR8 Discussion Supports. Invite partners to act out the scenario using connecting cubes, two-color counters, or pattern blocks. Listen for and clarify any questions about the context and meaning of words such as “took.”
Advances: Speaking, Representing

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Read the first story problem.
  • “Tell your partner what happened in the story.”
  • Monitor for students who accurately retell the story. Choose at least one student to share with the class.
  • Reread the first story problem.
  • 1 minute: quiet think time

Activity

  • “Show your thinking using objects, drawings, numbers, or words.”
  • 2 minutes: independent work time
  • 2 minutes: partner discussion
  • “Circle the equation that matches the story.”
  • 1 minute: independent work time
  • 1 minute: partner discussion
  • Repeat the steps with the second story problem.

Student Facing

  1. Clare made a shape with 7 pattern blocks.
    Her little brother came and took 3 of the pattern blocks.

    How many pattern blocks does Clare have now?

    \(7 = 4 + 3\)

    \(7 - 3 = 4\)

    \(7 + 3 = 10\)

  2. Kiran put together 2 pattern blocks to make a shape.
    Jada placed 5 more pattern blocks on the shape.

    How many pattern blocks are in Kiran and Jada’s shape?

    \(5 - 2 = 3\)

    \(4 = 2 + 2\)

    \(2 + 5 = 7\)

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • “In the next activity, you will solve story problems and create your own equations to match them.”

Activity 2: Solve Story Problems (10 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to solve Add To, Result Unknown and Take From, Result Unknown story problems. Students fill in an equation, which encourages them to connect the action in the story to the meaning of the \(+\) and \(-\) signs (MP2).

Action and Expression: Internalize Executive Functions. Invite students to plan a strategy, including what drawings, numbers, words, or objects they will use, to answer the question for each story problem.
Supports accessibility for: Conceptual Processing, Organization

Required Materials

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Give students access to connecting cubes or two-color counters, 10-frames, and pattern blocks.
  • Read the first story problem.
  • “Tell your partner what happened in the story.”
  • Monitor for students who accurately retell the story. Choose at least one student to share with the class.

Activity

  • Reread the first story problem.
  • “Show your thinking using objects, drawings, numbers, or words.”
  • 2 minutes: independent work time
  • 2 minutes: partner discussion
  • Display \(8 = \underline{\hspace{1 cm}} + \underline{\hspace{1 cm}}\)
  • “Lin began writing this equation but didn’t finish it. Finish her equation to show what happened in the story problem.”
  • 2 minutes: independent work time
  • Repeat the steps with the second story problem. Display \(9 - 3 = \underline{\hspace{1 cm}}\) for students to complete the equation.

Student Facing

  1. Andre put together 4 pattern blocks to make a shape.
    Then Andre put 4 more pattern blocks on the shape.

    How many pattern blocks are in Andre’s shape?

    _______________

    equation:  \(8 = \underline{\hspace{1.7cm}} + \underline{\hspace{1.7cm}}\)

  2. Elena used 9 pattern blocks to make a train.
    Then she took 3 of the pattern blocks off of the train and put them back in the bucket.

    How many pattern blocks are in Elena's train now?

    _______________

    equation:  \(9 - 3 = \underline{\hspace{1.7cm}}\)

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • Invite a student who drew symbols such as circles for the second story problem to share.
  • “What does 9 mean in the story?” (Elena used 9 pattern blocks to make the train.)
  • “Where do you see 9 in _____’s drawing?” (There are 9 circles altogether, to represent the 9 pattern blocks on the train at the beginning.)
  • “Where do you see subtraction in _____’s drawing?” (There are some circles crossed out, which means the pattern blocks were taken away, or subtracted.)
  • “What does 3 mean in the story?” (Elena put back 3 pattern blocks.)
  • “Where do you see 3 in _____’s drawing?” (There are 3 circles crossed out, which represent the 3 pattern blocks that Elena put away.)
  • “How many pattern blocks does Elena have now? How do you know?” (6. I counted the circles that aren’t crossed out.)
  • Read the equation as 9 minus 3 equals 6.
  • “We can write that as \(9 - 3 = 6\).”

Activity 3: Centers: Choice Time (20 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to choose from activities that offer practice with number and shape concepts.

Students choose from any stage of previously introduced centers.

  • Pattern Blocks
  • Geoblocks
  • Grab and Count
  • Find the Pair

Required Materials

Materials to Gather

Required Preparation

  • Gather materials from: 
    • Pattern Blocks, Stages 1-7
    • Geoblocks, Stages 1 and 2
    • Grab and Count, Stage 1
    • Find the Pair, Stages 1 and 2

Launch

  • “Today we are going to choose from centers we have already learned.”
  • Display the center choices in the student book.
  • “Think about what you would like to do first.”
  • 30 seconds: quiet think time

Activity

  • Invite students to work at the center of their choice. 
  • 8 minutes: center work time
  • “Choose what you would like to do next.”
  • 8 minutes: center work time

Student Facing

Choose a center.

Pattern Blocks

Center Activity. Pattern blocks.

Geoblocks

Grab and Count

Center. Grab and Count.

Find the Pair

Center. Find the pair.

Activity Synthesis

  • “When you work in centers, do you prefer to work by yourself, with a partner, or in a group?”

Lesson Synthesis

Lesson Synthesis

“Today we solved story problems and used equations to show what happened in the story problems.”

“Think of a story that involves subtraction, or taking away. Tell the story to your partner.”

“What equation could you use to show what happens in your story?”

Cool-down: Unit 7, Section A Checkpoint (0 minutes)

Cool-Down

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