Grades 46

by Bob Krech and Joan Novelli

ALGEBRA
50 Fill-in Math Word Problems: Algebra 2009 Bob Krech & Joan Novelli, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Thanks to Andrew and Faith for laughing
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Editor: Joan Novelli
Cover design by Jason Robinson
Interior design by Holly Grundon
Interior illustrations by Mike Moran
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-07487-2
ISBN-10: 0-545-07487-8
Copyright 2009 by Bob Krech and Joan Novelli.
Illustrations 2009 by Scholastic Inc.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the U.S.A.
Published by Scholastic Inc.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 40 15 14 13 12 11 10 09
50 Fill-in Math Word Problems: Algebra 2009 Bob Krech & Joan Novelli, Scholastic Teaching Resources
About This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Teaching With Fill-In Math Word Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Review of Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Teaching Problem-Solving Skills: The Fantastic Five-Step Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Meeting the Math Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Vocabulary-Building Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Word Choice Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Graphic Organizer: The Fantastic Five-Step Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Ccntents
PII-In Noth Wcrd PrcbIems
Repeating Patterns
Old Fairy Tale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Songwriter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Exercise Routine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Mysterious Border . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Working Hard at the Hotel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The Big Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Fashion Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Coin Exhibit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Growing Patterns
Hit Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Lemonade Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Concert Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
My New Pet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Leaves, Leaves, Leaves! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Snowy Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Too Much Homework! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Skyscraper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Drawing or Graphing Patterns
Undersea Creature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Super Salesman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Using Variables
Bargain Hunter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Space Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Sales Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
The Cup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Monster Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
She Loves Cats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
The Longest Beard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Chocolate Lovers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Expressions and Formulas
Mail Carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Fishing Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Comic Book Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
The Donut Hike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Onion Cooking Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Tale of the Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Reading Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Party Planner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Weight-Lifting Competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Concert Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Clubhouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Island Visit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Socks for the Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Tickets for the Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Gold Mine! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Drive-In Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Equations and Properties
Pet Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Earning a Bike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Fantastic Pudding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
New Playground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Candy-Making Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Hat Collector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Hall of Fame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Classroom Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
50 Fill-in Math Word Problems: Algebra 2009 Bob Krech & Joan Novelli, Scholastic Teaching Resources
4
W
hen we learn to read, we learn to recognize the letters of the alphabet, we practice
letter-sound relationships, and we learn punctuation, but what its all about is
eventually being able to read text. A similar situation exists in math. We learn how to recognize
and write numerals, what the symbols mean, numerical order, and operations like multiplication
and division, but what its all about is what you can do with these skillsapplying what you
know to solve problems. 50 Fill-In Math Word Problems: Algebra provides lots of funny stories to ll
inand some very interesting problems to solve.
Whot Are PII-In Noth Wcrd PrcbIems7
A ll-in math word problem is a funny story with a math problem waiting to happen. Most of the
word problem is already supplied except for a few key words and numbers that have been removed
and replaced with blanks. Its up to the students to ll in those blanks with missing nouns, verbs,
adjectives, and other types of wordsjust like in some other popular word games. The difference is
that this game is missing some numbers as well. When your students supply the missing numbers
along with the words, they suddenly have a wacky, math word problem thats fun to read and solve!
Why Use PII-In Noth Wcrd PrcbIems7
Traditional math word problems can provide a meaningful context for students to apply their
skills, but sometimes the problems can be a bit boring. Remember trying to gure out when the
two trains would pass each other? That wont happen with 50 Fill-In Math Word Problems. Students
help create these wacky word problems, which provide for plenty of good problem-solving
practice with grade-appropriate math skills and concepts. Have fun while doing math? Absolutely!
Teochng Wth PII-In Noth Wcrd PrcbIems
T
he stories in this book are organized by skills, beginning with those that provide practice
with repeating patterns. You can choose a ll-in story to use with the entire class, or select
as many as needed to match different ability levels of students. For instance, you might have some
students who would benet from practice with repeating patterns, while others may be ready
for problems that require working with variables. (For connections to the math standards, see
Meeting the Math Standards, page 12.) Whatever the need, there is a set of ll-in stories to support
it. Following is the order of stories by skill area.
Repeating Patterns
Growing Patterns
Drawing or Graphing Patterns

Abcut Ths Bcck

Using Variables
Expressions and Formulas
Equations and Properties

50 Fill-in Math Word Problems: Algebra 2009 Bob Krech & Joan Novelli, Scholastic Teaching Resources
5
Teochng Tps
When teaching with the stories in this book, be sure to review and reinforce the following
strategies with students.
Identifying patterns helps us make predictions about what comes next. When working
on problems that involve patterns and algebra, lists and tables are useful for organizing
information.
Organize numbers in rows, columns, or streams that are near one another so that you
can easily detect relationships among the numbers. For example, lets say you make three
two-point baskets in your rst basketball game of the season, and double that number in
the next game. In each of the next three games, you
double the number of baskets from the previous
game. How many points will you have scored after
ve games? To gure out the answer, you could
organize the data in columns (see right).
If someone asks how many points you might
score in game 6, we could answer 192 because
weve seen the relationship between the number of
baskets and the number of points. This is a growing
pattern, where the numbers increase.
A table or chart is also helpful for arranging and
keeping track of information about patterns that
repeat, such as the teacher who wears blue sneakers
on odd days and red sneakers on even days. To nd
out what color sneakers this teacher will be wearing
on Thursday, if Monday is March 10, you might make
a chart (see right).
NcdeIng the Prccess
Before expecting students to complete stories on their own, model the process of lling in the
blanks for a story and solving the problem. Use an overhead to project the story so students
can follow along. Invite a student to help you out, and follow these steps:
Starting at the beginning of the story, read the prompts for the ll-insfor
example, plural noun. Write in the noun your helper suggestsfor example,
basketballs.

1.
Game Baskets Points
1
2
3
4
5
3
6
12
24
48
6
12
24
48
96
Date Color
Mon. 3/10 red
Tues. 3/11 blue
Wed. 3/12 red
Thurs. 3/13 blue
(Answer = blue, because Thursday would be
March 13, which is an odd-numbered day.)
50 Fill-in Math Word Problems: Algebra 2009 Bob Krech & Joan Novelli, Scholastic Teaching Resources
6
When you have lled in all of the blanks, read aloud the story, beginning
with the title.
Read aloud the problem in Solve This! and think aloud as you use
information from the story to solve the problem. (This is a good time to model
how to use the Fantastic Five-Step Process. See page 9 for more information.)
Hcw tc PII n the BIonks
Each ll-in math word problem requires students to ll in a set of words and numbers to
complete the story. They will then use some of the information they provide to solve the
problem. Following is more detailed information about how to ll in the blanks.
Choosing Words
From singular and plural nouns to verbs and adjectives, different
kinds of words are required to ll in the blanks of the stories.
Review each type of word with students, using the Word Choice
Chart (page 13) as a guide. To help students create their own handy
references, have them complete the third column of their chart with
additional examples of each type of ll-in. They can refer to this when
completing stories as a reminder of what kinds of words they can use.
You might also consider transferring the descriptions and examples to
a wall chart for easy reference.
Note that, at times, students will also have to ll in some other types of words, such as the
name of a girl, boy, or famous person, a type of animal, or a color. These are not included in
the chart as they are already specic enough to support students in their word choice. When
you introduce any new story to students, just take a moment to review all of the types of words
they may need to use.
Choosing Numbers
Some stories specify a range for numbersfor example, The Big Test (page 20) invites
students to choose a number from 1 to 100. Others, such as Concert Tour (page 25), ask for
more specic numbers, in this case triple-digit number ending with 4. You may choose to
let students ll in numbers according to the directions in the stories as is, or you can modify
the parameters to provide for differentiation of instruction, individualizing the problems for
students by using the number ranges that make sense for them. If you do change the ll-in
prompts in this way, be sure to check for other numbers in the story that may also need to be
changed. However, keep in mind that leaving the number size open-ended to some extent is
an interesting option and will provide information as to students ability to work with
different-size numbers.
2.
3.
50 Fill-in Math Word Problems: Algebra 2009 Bob Krech & Joan Novelli, Scholastic Teaching Resources
7
Lesscn Pcrmots
There are many ways to use the stories in 50 Fill-In Math Word Problems in your classroom.
Suggested lesson formats follow.
1. Problem-Solving Partners
Have students pair up. Make copies of a ll-in story and distribute to one student in each
pair. These students are the Readers. Without revealing the title (or any parts) of the story,
Readers ask their partners for the missing words and numbers in order (present-tense verb,
color, single-digit number greater than 1, and so on) and ll in the appropriate blanks with
their partners responses. When all the blanks are lled in, the Reader reads the completed
story. The resulting silly story now contains a math word problem! Partners solve the problem
(together or independently), sharing strategies and checking their answers.
2. Class Stories
Choose a story and let students take turns supplying words and numbers to ll in the blanks
(again, just read the ll-in prompts in turn, but do not reveal the story at this point). When
the story is complete, read it to the class. Have students take notes on the numbers in the
story and the problem they need to solve. (Or write this information on chart paper for
them.) Students can work together as a class, with a partner, or independently to solve the
problem. As a follow-up, let students share answers and discuss problem-solving strategies.
3. Story Switcheroo
After students ll in the blanks for a story with a partner, make copies and distribute to the
class for extra practice or homework. Twenty different versions of one story mean 20 different
problems to solve! And students will love seeing their work used as a teaching tool!
4. Math Practice Pages
Invite pairs of students to create stories for a binder full of practice pages. They ll in the
stories as described in Problem-Solving Partners (see above), but solve the problem and write
an explanation on the back of the paper. For extra practice, students can take a story from the
binder, solve the problem (on a separate sheet of paper), and check their answer on the back.
They can then return the story to the binder.
5. Create New Stories
Creating new ll-in stories is another option for practicing math skillsand a motivating way to
connect writing and math. Using the stories in this book as models, invite students to write their
own wacky, fill-in math stories. With students permission, copy the stories and distribute to
the class for homework (or in-class practice). On the following page youll nd tips to share with
students as they plan and write their stories.
50 Fill-in Math Word Problems: Algebra 2009 Bob Krech & Joan Novelli, Scholastic Teaching Resources
8
Tips for creating ll-in math stories:
Identify a skill area and write this at the top of the paper. You may choose to specify a skill
area for students, such as Growing Patterns, or leave this up to students to decide.
Brainstorm story ideas. Everyday events, such as playing kickball or going shopping, can
make for very funny stories. Think about how algebra might t into the story. For example,
anytime something is purchased in a quantity, there is probably going to be a relationship
or pattern. If theres a special at the pet store on your cats favorite food, with a savings of
$0.75 per can, it might pay to stock up. You can begin to think algebraically when you
consider that N x $0.75 = amount you will save, when N represents the number of cans of
cat food you purchase.
Write a draft of your story. Do not try to make your story funny. Just write about the
event as if you were telling someone else about it. When youre nished, underline some
of the verbs, adjectives, and nouns, then erase the original word. Label the type of word or
number beneath each blank. Be sure to set up a math problem in the story.
Write the problem to be solved in the space labeled Solve This! Solve the problem
yourself to make sure it works.
Draw a picture to illustrate the story.

Review of Terminology
Before using the stories in this book, review the following terms, and make sure students understand them as
they relate to completing the stories and solving the math problems.
Core of a Pattern: The core is the part that repeats again
and againfor example, in the pattern green, green,
yellow, red, green, green, yellow, red, green, green, yellow,
red, the core of the pattern is green, green, yellow, red.
Element in a Pattern: Elements of a pattern are the
individual pieces. So green is an element of the pattern
above. So is yellow and so is red.
Expression: An expression is a variable or combination
of variables, numbers, and symbols that represents
a mathematical relationship. For example, if we are
calculating the cost of the school lunch for the entire
class, we could say N = the number of students in the
class and W = the cost of the lunch, so N x W would
give you the total cost of all the lunches.
Formula: This is an equation that states a rule or fact.
A formula is more formal than a rule and includes
an equal sign. An example of a formula is
Output = Input + 10.
Function: This is a relation where elements of one set are
associated with elements of another set. For example, if
you have boxes of pencils and each box has 12 pencils in
it, we know that the total number of pencils is a function
of the number of boxes.
Growing Patterns: These are patterns that dont just
repeat. Instead they grow. For example 2, 6, 10, 14, 18 is
a growing pattern. It keeps growing by 4.
Recurring or Repeating Patterns: The elements of
the pattern repeat. For example, AABCAABCAABC
AABCAABC is a repeating pattern.
Rule in a Pattern: Growing patterns have rules that tell
us how they grow. For example for the pattern 2, 6, 10, 14,
18, the rule is +4 because the pattern keeps growing by 4.
Variables: Sometimes we use a letter or symbol to stand
for a quantity. For example, we could say x 10 = 10.
We know that the value of x would be 100. Any letter can
be used as a variable.
50 Fill-in Math Word Problems: Algebra 2009 Bob Krech & Joan Novelli, Scholastic Teaching Resources
9
P
roblem solving is the rst process standard listed in the National
Council of Teachers Mathematics (NCTM) Principles and Standards
for Mathematics. The accompanying statement reads, Problem solving is
an integral part of all mathematics learning. In everyday life and in the
workplace, being able to solve problems can lead to great advantages.
However, solving problems is not only a goal of learning mathematics but also a major means of
doing so. Problem solving should not be an isolated part of the curriculum but should involve all
Content Standards. In other words, in mathematics, problem solving is what its all about!
What do you do when you rst encounter a math word problem? This is what we need to help
students deal with. We need to help them develop a process that they can use effectively to solve
any type of math word problem. Word problems often intimidate students because there may be
a lot of information, the information is embedded in text, and unlike a regular equation, it is not
always clear exactly what you are supposed to do. When using these ll-in math word problems,
you may want to take some time to teach (and subsequently review) the Fantastic Five-Step
Process for problem solving.
The Fantastic Five-Step Process helps students approach problem solving in a logical, systematic
way. No matter what type of problem students encounter, these ve steps will help them through
it. Learning and using the ve steps will help students organize their interpretation and thinking
about the problem. This is the key to good problem solvingorganizing for action. The best way
to help students understand the process is to demonstrate it as you work through a problem on the
whiteboard or overhead. Make a copy of the graphic organizer on page 14. You can enlarge this to
poster size or provide students with individual copies to follow along as you take them through an
introductory lesson.
Step 1: What Do I Know?
Begin by writing a problem on the board or overheadfor example:
Hit singer Fiona Arizona is unstoppable! She sold 1.5 million copies of her rst
album, which she recorded when she was just 15-years old. She was 16 when she
came out with her next album, and that sold 3 million copies! She took the next
year off to nish high school, then recorded her third album, which sold a record
6 million copies. Everyone is already predicting sales for her next album, due out
next year. If the pattern continues, how many of this album will she sell?
Teaching Problem-Solving Skills:
The Pontostc
Pve-Step Prccess
50 Fill-in Math Word Problems: Algebra 2009 Bob Krech & Joan Novelli, Scholastic Teaching Resources
10
Read the problem carefully. What are the facts? Have students volunteer these orally. Write
them on the board:
Fiona made her rst album when she was 15. First album sold 1.5 million
copies. Released second album at age 16. The second album sold 3 million
copies. Took a year off to nish school, then recorded third album.
Third album sold 6 million copies.
Encourage students to write down the facts, too. This will help them focus on whats important
while looking for ways to put it in a more accessible form. Can we arrange the facts in a way
that will help us understand the problem situation? For example, maybe it would be good
to draw what we know, or put it in a list, or make a table. Sometimes its helpful to arrange
numbers from lower to higher or higher to lower. In the case of Fiona Arizona, it might be
helpful to organize the information in a chart.
Step 2: What Do I Want to Know?
What is the question in the problem? What are we trying to nd out? Its a good idea to have
students state the question and also determine how the answer will be labeled. For example, if
the answer is 100, 100 what? 100 hot dogs? 100 hit songs?
For this problem, we want to know one thing: How many copies of her fourth album
can Fiona Arizona expect to sell? The answer will be labeled albums.
Step 3: What Can I Eliminate?
Once we know what we are trying to nd out, we can decide what is unimportant. You may
need all the information, but often enough there is extra information that can be put aside to
help focus on the facts. We can eliminate the facts related to Fionas age, when each album
came out, and what she did in between albums. That information is not needed to answer the
question. Were left with the following:
First album: 1.5 million copies
Second album: 3 million copies
Third album: 6 million copies
First Album Second Album Third Album Fourth Album
15 years old
Sold 1.5 million
copies.
16 years old
Sold 3 million
copies.
Took a year off to
nish high school.
Sold 6 million
copies.
Due out in a year.
50 Fill-in Math Word Problems: Algebra 2009 Bob Krech & Joan Novelli, Scholastic Teaching Resources