Problem Solving Lesson Plans

Students use a problem solving process to solve a math problem. Students work as a whole group to complete the steps. The students read the problem and underline key words. The students then use those words to generate questions. The students estimate the answer, and then plan and solve the problem.

First graders observe and demonstrate a variety of problem solving strategies to solve a problem involving a class snack and calculating the correct amount of crackers and cheese for the children in the class. They solve the problem step-by-step with the teacher, and independently fill in a pattern by skip counting by ten's.

First graders observe and demonstrate a variety of problem solving strategies to solve problems involving one-to-one correspondence and whole numbers to 100. They discuss the steps of the problem solving process, and solve a word problem step-by-step with the teacher.

Second graders observe and demonstrate a variety of problem solving strategies using basic addition and subtraction facts. They work through the steps of the problem solving process together with the teacher, then independently solve a similar problem.

Second graders observe and demonstrate a variety of problem solving strategies to solve math word problems containing comparison words such as "more than" and "less than." They solve a problem step-by-step along with the teacher, and draw and label a picture illustrating the problem.

Second graders observe and demonstrate a variety of problem solving strategies to solve word problems with fractions. They work through a problem step-by-step along with the teacher, then independently complete a mystery number rule problem.

Second graders observe and demonstrate a variety of problem solving strategies to solve math word problems involving fractions. In pairs, they work through a problem step-by-step along with the teacher, then solve a mystery number rule problem.

Fifth graders observe and demonstrate a variety of problem solving strategies to solve math word problems. They read and discuss the steps of the problem solving process, work through a problem with the teacher step-by-step, and in small groups solve a problem and check off the steps of the process on a check-off sheet.

Fifth graders observe and demonstrate a variety of problem solving strategies to solve math problems involving symmetry. They work through a problem step-by-step with the teacher, and independently create a tessellation using a shape that has at least one line of symmetry.

Fifth graders observe and demonstrate a variety of problem solving strategies to solve word problems involving earning a specific amount of money in a six month period of time and creating a graph to illustrate the problem. They work through the problem with the teacher step-by-step, and independently solve a similar problem using the problem solving process.