Division can be seen in two ways; as splitting a whole into a certain number of pieces, or splitting it into pieces of a certain size. Help your class reach this understanding with these two simple word problems. Encourage the use of...

Learners sometimes have difficulty making sense of a word problem. In a guided learning activity, pupils are asked to think about how to find an answer and explain their thinking, rather than finding the answer. It allows them to...

Ali has more marbles than Maria in some of these word problems, while in others Maria has more marbles than Ali. First graders are tasked to read each word problem and solve how many marbles each girl has.

There are many ways to approach finding the rational approximation of an unknown square root. Here is a problem that will help math learners make a connection between square roots and their order on a number line. As usual, determine two...

Given a certain amount of boys and certain amount of girls, how many children are there total in the class? Assess learners' ability to use addition and subtraction strategies when solving word problems.

Let your first graders translate these word problems into subtraction sentences. Some of the equations involve finding the answer after Char gives some of her markers away, while others require finding the amount of markers Char started...

Designed as a follow-up to the lesson plan titled Watch Out for Parenthesis 1, this activity asks young learners to write an equation for the calculation described with words rather than numbers and symbols. The treasure that 5th...

Let's build a castle! Dennis and Cody have big plans, but do they have enough blocks between the two of them to accomplish their goal? A great context that requires students to add and compare mixed numbers. Encourage the use of pictures...

A great subtraction and division discovery opportunity for young mathematicians, this learning task involves seven word problems that require multiple steps. Learners use a math table to persevere in solving problems that are...

No calculators! Assure your learners that they can find the square root of a large number. All they need are two known squares close by and a table. Come up with an additional practice and your number crunchers will have it mastered in...

Don't lose your marbles! This simple story problem helps make teaching division with fractions much easier. Work on this problem along with the lesson titled, How Many Servings of Oatmeal? to highlight the difference between...

Introduce young mathematicians to concepts of financial literacy with this open-ended word problem. With seven dollars to spend during field day and given a list of available items and their prices, children must determine how they want...

By using language like "half of the stamps," children are exposed to patterns in arithmetic that requires solving a two-step word problem. This type of language opens a new door for transitioning learners toward understanding fractions...

Mrs. Moore's class is trying to earn money for a trip to the science museum, but how much more do they need? Solve this problem with your own class as they develop their ability to model real-life situations algebraically. As an added...

Daily routines not only help to manage classrooms, they can also provide students with rich opportunities for learning. This activity supports young learners in developing their number sense by counting up the school days on a class...

How many days will it take Louis to save enough money for school supplies and new pair of shoes? Focus on Common Core math standards with a two-part task that involves a word problem and counting manipulatives.

Twenty-three divided by five can have a different value depending on the unit of measurement being asked. Learners problem solve 23 divided by 5 in a series of five word problems.

If ten $10s make $100, then how much money do twenty $10s make? Young bankers find the number of bills required to make base ten amounts in three different word problems.

Pia is putting stickers into party bags. She starts by putting 10 stickers in each bag, and over the course of a week she adds several bundles of ten stickers to each bag, as well as making more bags. Second graders must find the number...

Young mathematicians compare the growth of two snake lengths in feet over one year in a straightforward word-problem task.

Let's use math to solve an argument. Jon and Charlie are debating about who can run farther, but who is right? That's what your class will figure out as they apply their understanding of fractions to this real-life situation. A simple,...

Here is an activity that incorporates subtraction in word problems. Youngsters are provided with six word problems that essentially deal with the same numbers in each problem, yet use different comparison language. These problems are...

Composed of three word problems, this math activity exposes young mathematicians to relationships present in multiplication and division. The first problem is most useful with a tape diagram in which learners are working with equal-sized...

Second graders take a trip to the arcade in an activity that engages them in problem solving with money. Composed of three word problems, youngsters are instructed to determine various combinations to represent a given value by using...