Warm Up: Number Detectives

Hello, amazing Math Detectives! Let's warm up our brains with some mystery numbers.

Listen carefully to my clues and tell me what the mystery number is!

Mystery Number 1:
I am more than 4, but less than 6. What number am I?

Mystery Number 2:
If you have 2 apples and I give you 3 more, you will have me! What number am I?

Mystery Number 3:
I am the number you get when you take away 1 from 10. What number am I?

Story Problem Worksheet: Detective's Case File

Name: ________________________

Hello, Math Detective! Read each story problem carefully. Use your detective tools: draw a picture or use your math helpers, and then write your number sentence and answer.

Case 1: The Playful Pups

There were 4 puppies playing in the park. 2 more puppies came to join them. How many puppies are playing altogether?

Draw your picture here:

Number Sentence: ________________________

Answer: ________________________ puppies

Case 2: The Toy Car Collection

Ben had 6 toy cars. He gave 3 of his cars to his friend. How many toy cars does Ben have left?

Draw your picture here:

Number Sentence: ________________________

Answer: ________________________ toy cars

Case 3: The Fruit Bowl

Mom put 5 red apples in a fruit bowl. Dad added 4 green apples to the bowl. How many apples are there in all?

Draw your picture here:

Number Sentence: ________________________

Answer: ________________________ apples

Case 4: Birds in the Tree

There were 8 birds sitting on a tree branch. 3 birds flew away. How many birds are still on the branch?

Draw your picture here:

Number Sentence: ________________________

Answer: ________________________ birds

Story Problem Answer Key: Detective's Solutions

Here are the solutions for the Story Problem Worksheet. Remember to check not just the answer, but also the student's process, drawings, and number sentences.

Case 1: The Playful Pups

Problem: There were 4 puppies playing in the park. 2 more puppies came to join them. How many puppies are playing altogether?

Thought Process:

1. Read: The story is about puppies playing and more puppies joining. The question asks "how many puppies altogether," which means we need to add.
2. Keywords: "2 more," "altogether."
3. Operation: Addition.
4. Number Sentence: 4 + 2 = ?
5. Solution: 4 + 2 = 6
   Answer: 6 puppies

Case 2: The Toy Car Collection

Problem: Ben had 6 toy cars. He gave 3 of his cars to his friend. How many toy cars does Ben have left?

Thought Process:

1. Read: Ben had cars, and he gave some away. The question asks "how many left," which means we need to subtract.
2. Keywords: "gave 3," "left."
3. Operation: Subtraction.
4. Number Sentence: 6 - 3 = ?
5. Solution: 6 - 3 = 3
   Answer: 3 toy cars

Case 3: The Fruit Bowl

Problem: Mom put 5 red apples in a fruit bowl. Dad added 4 green apples to the bowl. How many apples are there in all?

Thought Process:

1. Read: Mom put apples, and Dad added more apples. The question asks "how many in all," which means we need to add.
2. Keywords: "added 4," "in all."
3. Operation: Addition.
4. Number Sentence: 5 + 4 = ?
5. Solution: 5 + 4 = 9
   Answer: 9 apples

Case 4: Birds in the Tree

Problem: There were 8 birds sitting on a tree branch. 3 birds flew away. How many birds are still on the branch?

Thought Process:

1. Read: Birds were on a branch, and some flew away. The question asks "how many still on the branch," which means we need to subtract.
2. Keywords: "flew away," "still on the branch."
3. Operation: Subtraction.
4. Number Sentence: 8 - 3 = ?
5. Solution: 8 - 3 = 5
   Answer: 5 birds

Story Problem Script: Guiding the Investigation

Introduction (Connecting to Warm-Up & Introducing Story Problems)

"Good morning, my incredible Math Detectives! You did an amazing job finding those mystery numbers in our warm-up. Your brains are already super-powered for today's mission!

Today, we're going to use those super math brains to solve a new kind of mystery: Story Problems! Has anyone heard of a story problem before? What do you think it might be?"

"That's right! A story problem is like a little story that has a math question hidden inside. It uses words to tell us about something happening, and then it asks us to use our math skills to find the answer. It's like being a detective, but instead of looking for clues to solve a mystery in a book, we're looking for math clues in a story!"

(Transition to Story Problem Slides - Slide 2: What's a Story Problem?)

"Look at our slide. It says a story problem tells us a story with words, and then asks a math question. We need to be clue finders!"

Our Detective Tools (Steps to Solve)

"Every great detective has a special toolkit, right? Well, we have our own special Math Detective Tools to help us solve story problems! Let's look at them together."

(Transition to Story Problem Slides - Slide 3: Our Detective Tools)

"Our first tool is Read the Story. This means we listen very carefully, or read the words, to understand what is happening in the story."

"Our second tool is Find the Clues. This is super important! The words in the story will give us clues about whether we need to add (put numbers together) or subtract (take numbers away). What are some words that might tell us to ADD? (e.g., altogether, in all, both, total, more). What about SUBTRACT? (e.g., left, flew away, how many more, difference)."

"The third tool is Show Your Work. This is where we can draw a picture of the story, or use our math helpers like counting bears or blocks, to act out the problem. This helps us see the math!"

"Our fourth tool is Write the Equation. This means writing down the number sentence, like '3 + 2 = ?' or '7 - 3 = ?'."

"And finally, our last tool is Solve It! After all that detective work, we find the answer and write it down. Easy peasy, right?"

Guided Practice: Case Files

"Let's try solving some cases together using our new detective tools!"

(Transition to Story Problem Slides - Slide 4: Case 1: The Busy Bees)

"Here's our first case: 'There were 3 bees flying around a flower. Then, 2 more bees came to join them. How many bees are there altogether?'"

"Step 1: Read the Story. We just read it. What's happening in this story? (Bees are flying, more bees are coming.)"

"Step 2: Find the Clues. What words here tell us if we are adding or subtracting? '2 more' and 'altogether' are great clues! They tell us we need to ADD!"

"Step 3: Show Your Work. Let's use our counting bears! (Give 3 bears to each student, then 2 more.) Now, let's draw it on our whiteboard. (Draw 3 bees, then 2 more.)"

"Step 4: Write the Equation. If we have 3 bees and 2 more join, what number sentence can we write? (Guide students to write '3 + 2 = ?')"

"Step 5: Solve It! Count all the bees you have or all the bees in your drawing. What's the answer? (5 bees!) So, 3 + 2 = 5."

(Transition to Story Problem Slides - Slide 5: Case 2: The Missing Cookies)

"Great job, detectives! Let's try another one. Here's Case 2: 'Sarah had 7 yummy cookies. She ate 3 of them for a snack. How many cookies does Sarah have left?'"

"Step 1: Read the Story. What's happening in this story? (Sarah had cookies, then she ate some.)"

"Step 2: Find the Clues. What words tell us if we are adding or subtracting? 'Ate 3' and 'how many left' are big clues that we need to SUBTRACT!"

"Step 3: Show Your Work. Let's use our manipulatives again. (Give 7 bears to each student, then have them remove 3.) Now, let's draw it. (Draw 7 cookies, then cross out 3.)"

"Step 4: Write the Equation. If Sarah had 7 cookies and ate 3, what number sentence can we write? (Guide students to write '7 - 3 = ?')"

"Step 5: Solve It! Count how many cookies are left. What's the answer? (4 cookies!) So, 7 - 3 = 4."

Independent Practice (Transition to Worksheet)

(Transition to Story Problem Slides - Slide 6: Your Turn, Detectives!)

"You are becoming super-duper Math Detectives! Now, it's time for you to work on your own 'case file.' I'm going to give you a worksheet with more story problems to solve. Remember to use all your detective tools: Read, Find Clues, Show Your Work (draw or use helpers), Write the Equation, and Solve It! I'll be walking around to help anyone who needs a super-sleuth partner."

(Distribute Story Problem Worksheet and provide individual support as students work.)

Teacher prompts during independent practice:

• "What is this story about?"
• "Can you point to the words that tell us if we're adding or subtracting?"
• "How can you show me this problem using your drawing or manipulatives?"
• "What number sentence matches your picture?"
• "Does your answer make sense? Why?"

Cool Down (Checking for Understanding)

"Alright, Math Detectives, bring it in! Time for one last quick mission. We've solved so many mysteries today!"

(Transition to Cool Down: Solve It! activity.)

"Can you tell me one thing you learned today about solving story problems? Or one detective tool you found most helpful?"

"Fantastic work today, everyone! You are all amazing Math Detectives. Keep practicing those problem-solving skills, and you'll be solving even bigger mysteries in no time!"

Cool Down: Solve It!

Name: ________________________

Great job, Math Detectives! For our last mission today, solve this quick story problem. Show your work!

The Butterflies

There were 5 butterflies flying near a flower. 1 butterfly flew away. How many butterflies are left?

Draw your picture or write your number sentence here:

Answer: ________________________ butterflies

Reflection (Optional):

What was one thing you learned today about solving story problems, or one strategy you used that helped you?