Teacher Script: Numbers Tell Tales!

Warm-Up: What's Your Story? (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning, math detectives! Today, we're going to become experts at reading stories that numbers tell. But first, I want to hear your stories! Has anyone ever told a story using numbers? Maybe a story about how many toys you have, or how many cookies you ate?"

(Give students a moment to think. Encourage a few students to share a very simple number story. For example, 'I had 3 apples, and I ate 1, so I had 2 left.')

Teacher: "Great job! You just told number stories! Numbers are all around us, and they often help us understand situations better. Today, we're going to learn how to solve these kinds of stories."

(Transition to the Numbers Tell Tales Slide Deck, Slide 1)

Introducing Number Stories (10 minutes)

Teacher: "Look at our first slide: 'Numbers Tell Tales!' That's exactly what we're doing today. We're going to be storytellers AND story-solvers when it comes to numbers."

(Move to Numbers Tell Tales Slide Deck, Slide 2)

Teacher: "So, what exactly is a number story? Read along with me. A number story is a word problem that uses numbers to tell you a situation and asks you to solve it! It's like a puzzle where the words give you clues about the numbers to use, and what to do with them – like add or subtract!"

Teacher: "Just like reading a regular story, we need to pay close attention to the words. Certain words are like secret codes that tell us what math operation to use."

(Move to Numbers Tell Tales Slide Deck, Slide 3)

Teacher: "Let's look at our 'Clues for Adding' slide. When you see words like altogether, in all, total, sum, and, more, plus, or join, these are strong hints that you need to add the numbers together! These words usually mean things are coming together, getting bigger, or combining."

Teacher: "Let's read the example: 'Sarah had 3 red balloons and 2 blue balloons. How many balloons did she have altogether?' What's our clue word here?"

(Wait for students to respond: "altogether")

Teacher: "Exactly! 'Altogether' tells us to add. So, we'd do 3 + 2, which equals 5. Sarah had 5 balloons altogether!"

(Move to Numbers Tell Tales Slide Deck, Slide 4)

Teacher: "Now for 'Clues for Subtracting.' When you see words like left, how many more, take away, difference, fewer, minus, or remain, these words tell you it's time to subtract! These words usually mean something is being removed, or we're finding the difference between two amounts."

Teacher: "Let's read this example: 'David had 7 cookies. He ate 3 cookies. How many cookies did David have left?' What's the important clue word in this story?"

(Wait for students to respond: "left")

Teacher: "You got it! 'Left' tells us to subtract. So, we'd do 7 - 3, which equals 4. David had 4 cookies left!"

Guided Practice: Solving Together (10 minutes)

(Move to Numbers Tell Tales Slide Deck, Slide 5)

Teacher: "Okay, math detectives, let's solve a number story together! I'll read it, and then we'll go through the steps."

Teacher: "'Lisa had 5 stickers. Her friend gave her 3 more stickers. How many stickers does Lisa have in all?'"

Teacher: "Step 1: What are the numbers in this story?"

(Wait for responses: "5 and 3")

Teacher: "Good! Step 2: What is our clue word that tells us what to do?"

(Wait for responses: "in all")

Teacher: "Excellent! 'In all.' Step 3: Does 'in all' mean we should add or subtract?"

(Wait for responses: "Add!")

Teacher: "That's right, we're adding! Lisa is getting more stickers, so her total will be bigger. Step 4: What's the number sentence?"

(Wait for responses: "5 + 3")

Teacher: "Perfect! And Step 5: What's the answer to 5 + 3?"

(Wait for responses: "8!")

Teacher: "Fantastic! Lisa has 8 stickers in all. You are doing great!"

(Move to Numbers Tell Tales Slide Deck, Slide 6)

Teacher: "Let's try one more together. 'There were 9 birds on a branch. 4 birds flew away. How many birds are left on the branch?'"

Teacher: "Step 1: What are the numbers?"

(Wait for responses: "9 and 4")

Teacher: "You got it! Step 2: What's the clue word?"

(Wait for responses: "left")

Teacher: "Very good! Step 3: Does 'left' tell us to add or subtract?"

(Wait for responses: "Subtract!")

Teacher: "Yes, if birds flew away, the number gets smaller, so we subtract! Step 4: What's the number sentence?"

(Wait for responses: "9 - 4")

Teacher: "Excellent! And Step 5: What's the answer to 9 - 4?"

(Wait for responses: "5!")

Teacher: "Amazing! There are 5 birds left on the branch."

Independent Practice & Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

(Move to Numbers Tell Tales Slide Deck, Slide 7)

Teacher: "You've all done a wonderful job understanding how numbers tell tales! Now it's your turn to be true number story detectives on your own."

Teacher: "I'm going to hand out the Numbers Tell Tales Worksheet. Your job is to read each story carefully, find the numbers, spot the clue words, decide if you need to add or subtract, and then solve the problem."

*(Distribute the Numbers Tell Tales Worksheet.)

Teacher: "Try to complete the first one or two problems on your own. If you finish those, you can continue with the rest of the worksheet. We'll quickly review the first problem if we have time, or you can finish the rest for homework."

(Monitor students as they begin the worksheet. Provide individual support as needed.)

Teacher: "Great work today, everyone! Before we finish, can someone tell me one new thing they learned about solving number stories?"

(Listen to a few student responses.)

Teacher: "Excellent! Keep practicing your number story detective skills, and you'll be solving all sorts of math puzzles in no time!"

Numbers Tell Tales Worksheet

Name: _____________________________

Directions: Read each number story carefully. Find the important numbers and clue words. Decide if you need to add (+) or subtract (-). Write a number sentence and then solve the problem.

1. Maria had 7 colorful pens. Her brother gave her 3 more pens. How many pens does Maria have in all?

   Numbers: __________ and __________

   Clue Word(s): ____________________

   Add or Subtract? __________________

   Number Sentence: __________________

   Answer: __________________

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. There were 10 juicy apples in a basket. Mom used 4 apples to make a pie. How many apples are left in the basket?

   Numbers: __________ and __________

   Clue Word(s): ____________________

   Add or Subtract? __________________

   Number Sentence: __________________

   Answer: __________________

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. Tom collected 6 shiny rocks. He found 5 more rocks at the park. What is the total number of rocks Tom has?

   Numbers: __________ and __________

   Clue Word(s): ____________________

   Add or Subtract? __________________

   Number Sentence: __________________

   Answer: __________________

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. A cat had 8 fish. She ate 2 fish for dinner. How many fish does the cat have remain?

   Numbers: __________ and __________

   Clue Word(s): ____________________

   Add or Subtract? __________________

   Number Sentence: __________________

   Answer: __________________

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

5. There are 12 students in the classroom. 5 students went to the library. How many students are still in the classroom?

   Numbers: __________ and __________

   Clue Word(s): ____________________

   Add or Subtract? __________________

   Number Sentence: __________________

   Answer: __________________

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Numbers Tell Tales Answer Key

Directions: Review the answers and reasoning for each number story.

1. Maria had 7 colorful pens. Her brother gave her 3 more pens. How many pens does Maria have in all?

   Numbers: 7 and 3

   Clue Word(s): in all

   Add or Subtract? Add

   Number Sentence: 7 + 3 = ?

   Answer: 10 pens

   Thought Process: The phrase "in all" indicates that we need to combine the number of pens Maria already had with the pens her brother gave her. This is an addition problem.

2. There were 10 juicy apples in a basket. Mom used 4 apples to make a pie. How many apples are left in the basket?

   Numbers: 10 and 4

   Clue Word(s): left

   Add or Subtract? Subtract

   Number Sentence: 10 - 4 = ?

   Answer: 6 apples

   Thought Process: The word "left" suggests that some apples were taken away, and we need to find the remaining amount. This is a subtraction problem.

3. Tom collected 6 shiny rocks. He found 5 more rocks at the park. What is the total number of rocks Tom has?

   Numbers: 6 and 5

   Clue Word(s): more, total

   Add or Subtract? Add

   Number Sentence: 6 + 5 = ?

   Answer: 11 rocks

   Thought Process: The keywords "more" and "total" both indicate that Tom's collection is increasing, and we need to find the sum of his rocks. This is an addition problem.

4. A cat had 8 fish. She ate 2 fish for dinner. How many fish does the cat have remain?

   Numbers: 8 and 2

   Clue Word(s): remain

   Add or Subtract? Subtract

   Number Sentence: 8 - 2 = ?

   Answer: 6 fish

   Thought Process: The word "remain" implies that some fish were consumed, and we need to determine how many are still there. This is a subtraction problem.

5. There are 12 students in the classroom. 5 students went to the library. How many students are still in the classroom?

   Numbers: 12 and 5

   Clue Word(s): still in the classroom (implies remaining)

   Add or Subtract? Subtract

   Number Sentence: 12 - 5 = ?

   Answer: 7 students

   Thought Process: The phrase "still in the classroom" tells us that some students left, and we need to find out how many are left behind. This is a subtraction problem.