Warm-Up: Operation Osprey

Instructions: Read each problem carefully. Circle the word(s) that tell you whether to add or subtract. Then, tell your teacher what operation you would use to solve it.

1. Maya had 15 stickers. Her friend gave her 7 more stickers. How many stickers does Maya have in total?

   Operation:
   
   
   

2. There were 20 birds on a branch. 9 birds flew away. How many birds were left on the branch?

   Operation:
   
   
   

Solving Word Problems Script

Warm-Up: Operation Osprey (2 minutes)

Teacher: "Welcome, Math Detective! Today, we're going on an exciting mission to solve word problems. To get our detective brains warmed up, let's look at a couple of quick cases. Here's your Warm-Up: Operation Osprey sheet."

Teacher: "Read the first problem aloud for me, please."

(Allow student to read.)

Teacher: "Great! Now, what words in that problem give you a clue about whether you should add or subtract? Circle them for me."

(Guide student to circle 'more'. If they struggle, prompt: "Does Maya end up with more stickers or fewer stickers?")

Teacher: "If she gets more, what operation do we use? Add or Subtract?"

Student: (Should say Add)

Teacher: "Excellent! Now, read the second problem."

(Allow student to read.)

Teacher: "What words are clues in this problem? Circle them."

(Guide student to circle 'flew away'. If they struggle, prompt: "Are there more birds left or fewer birds?")

Teacher: "If birds flew away, what operation do we use? Add or Subtract?"

Student: (Should say Subtract)

Teacher: "Fantastic job getting your detective skills ready!"

Introduction: Math Detective Briefing (2 minutes)

Teacher: "Now, let's get ready for our main mission! Today, we'll be solving word problems with bigger numbers, three-digit numbers, but don't worry—our detective skills are still the same. We'll still look for those important keywords to help us crack the case! Take a look at our Slide Deck: Math Detective."

(Advance to Slide 1: Math Detective: Unlocking Word Problems)

Teacher: "See? We're Math Detectives! Our mission today is to unlock the secrets hidden in word problems."

(Advance to Slide 2: Our Mission: 3-Digit Mystery!)

Teacher: "Our specific mission today, as you can see, is to solve one-step addition or subtraction word problems using 3-digit numbers! This is super important because it helps us understand how to use math in real life."

(Advance to Slide 3: Detective Tools: Keywords!)

Teacher: "Remember how we just looked for clues? Here are some of our most important detective tools: our keywords! When we see words like 'total,' 'altogether,' or 'in all,' what do you think that tells us to do?"

Student: (Should say Add)

Teacher: "That's right! And what about words like 'left,' 'flew away,' 'difference,' or 'how many more'?"

Student: (Should say Subtract)

Teacher: "Perfect! Keeping these keywords in mind will make you a super problem solver!"

Guided Practice: Clue Hunt (6 minutes)

(Advance to Slide 4: Case File #1: The Bookshelf Mystery)

Teacher: "Let's try a case together. I'll read it first: 'Sarah has 135 books on her top shelf. She has 243 books on her bottom shelf. How many books does she have in all?'"

Teacher: "What keywords do you hear that tell you what operation we need?"

Student: (Should identify "in all".)

Teacher: "Exactly! 'In all' means we need to combine them. So, what operation is that?"

Student: (Should say Addition.)

Teacher: "That's right, addition! Can you show me how you would set up that addition problem to solve it?"

(Guide the student to write 135 + 243 vertically. Provide support with carrying if needed.)

Teacher: "Great! Let's solve it together. What's 5 + 3? What's 30 + 40? And what's 100 + 200? So, how many books does Sarah have in all?"

Student: (Should arrive at 378.)

Teacher: "Fantastic work, Detective! Let's move to our next case."

(Advance to Slide 5: Case File #2: The Bird Count)

Teacher: "Here's Case File #2: 'There were 458 birds in the park. 126 birds flew away. How many birds are left in the park?'"

Teacher: "What important clues do you notice in this problem? Which words tell you what to do?"

Student: (Should identify "flew away".)

Teacher: "Yes, 'flew away'! When birds fly away, does the total number of birds get bigger or smaller?"

Student: (Should say Smaller.)

Teacher: "So, what operation helps us find how many are left when numbers get smaller?"

Student: (Should say Subtraction.)

Teacher: "You got it! Subtraction! Can you set up the problem for us?"

(Guide the student to write 458 - 126 vertically. Provide support with borrowing if needed.)

Teacher: "Excellent setup! Let's solve it. What's 8 - 6? What's 50 - 20? And what's 400 - 100? What's our final answer? How many birds are left?"

Student: (Should arrive at 332.)

Teacher: "Brilliant deduction, Detective! You're really good at this. One more guided case!"

(Advance to Slide 6: Case File #3: The Carnival Crowd)

Teacher: "Our last guided case for today: '217 people were at the carnival in the morning. 361 more people came in the afternoon. How many people were at the carnival in total?'"

Teacher: "What clues do you see in this problem that point us to the right operation?"

Student: (Should identify "more people" or "in total".)

Teacher: "Great catch! 'More people' and 'in total' both tell us what?"

Student: (Should say Addition.)

Teacher: "Spot on! It's addition. Go ahead and set up this problem."

(Guide the student to write 217 + 361 vertically.)

Teacher: "Perfect! Let's solve it. What's 7 + 1? What's 10 + 60? And what's 200 + 300? So, what's the total number of people at the carnival?"

Student: (Should arrive at 578.)

Teacher: "Outstanding work on all these cases! You've really mastered finding those keywords and choosing the right operation."

Independent Practice: Code Breaker Word Problems (3 minutes)

(Advance to Slide 7: You're Ready, Detective!)

Teacher: "You've practiced your detective skills so well, you're ready to tackle some new cases on your own! Here is your Worksheet: Code Breaker Word Problems."

Teacher: "Remember our detective steps: First, read carefully. Then, look for those important keywords. After that, decide if you need to Add or Subtract. And finally, solve the problem! I'll be right here if you have any questions."

(Allow student to work independently, providing gentle reminders of strategies if they get stuck, but avoid giving direct answers.)

Cool-Down: Problem-Solving Passport (2 minutes)

Teacher: "Alright, Math Detective, time to wrap up our mission for today! You did a fantastic job. Now, I have one final task for your Cool-Down: Problem-Solving Passport."

Teacher: "On this passport, I'd like you to tell me one strategy you learned today that helped you solve a word problem, or one thing you found a little tricky. This helps me know what we might work on next time."

(Collect the cool-down after the student completes it.)

Teacher: "Thank you for being such a great Math Detective today! You worked hard, and I'm proud of your effort!"

Code Breaker Word Problems

Instructions: Read each word problem carefully. Be a Math Detective and look for clues! Decide if you need to add or subtract, then show your work and write your answer.

Case #1

There were 345 red balloons and 212 blue balloons at the fair. How many balloons were there altogether?

Show your work:

Answer:

Case #2

A baker made 579 cookies. He sold 325 cookies. How many cookies does the baker have left?

Show your work:

Answer:

Case #3

Farmer McGregor picked 187 apples in the morning. In the afternoon, he picked 402 more apples. What is the total number of apples he picked?

Show your work:

Answer:

Case #4

The school library has 680 books. Students checked out 250 books. How many books are remaining in the library?

Show your work:

Answer:

Answer Key: Code Breaker Word Problems

Case #1

There were 345 red balloons and 212 blue balloons at the fair. How many balloons were there altogether?

• Keyword Analysis: The word "altogether" indicates that we need to combine the numbers, meaning addition.
• Operation: Addition
• Setup:

    345
  + 212
  -----
  

• Solution:
  • 5 + 2 = 7 (ones place)
  • 4 + 1 = 5 (tens place)
  • 3 + 2 = 5 (hundreds place)

    345
  + 212
  -----
    557
  

• Answer: There were 557 balloons altogether.

Case #2

A baker made 579 cookies. He sold 325 cookies. How many cookies does the baker have left?

• Keyword Analysis: The words "sold" and "left" indicate that some items were taken away, meaning subtraction.
• Operation: Subtraction
• Setup:

    579
  - 325
  -----
  

• Solution:
  • 9 - 5 = 4 (ones place)
  • 7 - 2 = 5 (tens place)
  • 5 - 3 = 2 (hundreds place)

    579
  - 325
  -----
    254
  

• Answer: The baker has 254 cookies left.

Case #3

Farmer McGregor picked 187 apples in the morning. In the afternoon, he picked 402 more apples. What is the total number of apples he picked?

• Keyword Analysis: The words "more" and "total" indicate that we are adding to a previous amount to find the sum.
• Operation: Addition
• Setup:

    187
  + 402
  -----
  

• Solution:
  • 7 + 2 = 9 (ones place)
  • 8 + 0 = 8 (tens place)
  • 1 + 4 = 5 (hundreds place)

    187
  + 402
  -----
    589
  

• Answer: Farmer McGregor picked a total of 589 apples.

Case #4

The school library has 680 books. Students checked out 250 books. How many books are remaining in the library?

• Keyword Analysis: The words "checked out" and "remaining" indicate that some items were removed, meaning subtraction.
• Operation: Subtraction
• Setup:

    680
  - 250
  -----
  

• Solution:
  • 0 - 0 = 0 (ones place)
  • 8 - 5 = 3 (tens place)
  • 6 - 2 = 4 (hundreds place)

    680
  - 250
  -----
    430
  

• Answer: There are 430 books remaining in the library.

Cool-Down: Problem-Solving Passport

Instructions: Before your mission is complete, fill out your Problem-Solving Passport!

1. One new strategy I learned today to solve word problems is:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. One thing I still find a little tricky about word problems is: