Math Word Problem Solving Lesson Plan

Math Word Problem Solving Lesson Plan:
Objective: Given a problem-solving structure,

students will solve 3 multiplication word problems
with 67% accuracy.
Materials:
-
Subject: 5th grade math word problem solving with

multiplication, special education pull out
Post-its
Problem-Solving Structure Chart on board
Multiplication anchor chart
Word problem worksheets (2 versions;
differentiated by problem difficulty)
Hook:
-
Have students show you the parts of a multiplication equation with their arms.
o Multiplication sign (students cross their arms in front of them)
o Equal sign (students put arms into equal sign)
Write multiplication equation on the board (6 x 3 = _____) with a multiplication sign and equal
sign.
Ask students to read the multiplication equation 2 different ways that we have previously learned
o Six times three
o Six groups of three
Have a student come up and illustrate how they would draw this picture on the board (previously
learned skill):
o Exemplar drawing:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Body of Lesson:
-
Have students read the definition of multiplication on the anchor chart:

o Multiplication is the operation that finds the total number of items in equal groups.
Place each paper up on the board (circle labeled with groups, star for number of items in each
group, and triangle for total number of items.
Ask a student to read the word problem aloud:
o There are 7 tricycles. Each has 3 wheels. How many wheels are there in all?
Model a think-aloud for students:
o I know my multiplication equation needs 3 parts. It has the groups of a number of items in
each group. The answer, or the triangle, shows the total number of items.
o When I read my word problem, I can tell that I can solve it with multiplication because
there are 7 tricycles. Each of the 7 tricycles has 3 wheels. Im thinking that the tricycle
must be a group, because it has 3 wheels inside of it. If I can count up how many wheels
there are in all, I will find the total number of wheels.
o Have students come up and put the post-its of 7 on groups, and 3 on items in the
group. Label each piece of the equation as tricycles or wheels

Next, draw a picture of the tricycles and the wheels on each. Ask students:
o Does tricycles stand for the groups, or the number of items in each group?
o Are the wheels the groups, or the number of items in each group?
o How many wheels are in all? How did you find that answer?
Guided Practice:
-
Hand out worksheet.

Have students complete the first question through guided questions.
o #1: There are 4 bicycles. Each have 2 wheels. How many wheels are in all?
Ask students: what are the 3 parts of my multiplication equation?
o What are the pieces of information in my word problem that I can use to solve? [4
bicycles, 2 wheels, how many wheels in all?]
o Does tricycles stand for the groups, or the number of items in each group?
o Are the wheels the groups, or the number of items in each group?
o How many wheels are in all? How did you find that answer?
Ask a student to come up and draw a picture model of the problem on the board.
Independent Practice:
-
Hand out worksheet.

Students complete the rest of the problems independently. It is an option to work in pairs.
Walk around and monitor students for understanding. Ensure that they understand why they chose
a particular value to represent a group or a number of items in a group.
Make sure to address any misconceptions that you are seeing by pausing independent work time
and discussing particular topics up on the board.
Closing/Assessment:
-
Review a question that many students had misconceptions/errors with during the process. Use
student-led explanations or guided questions to solve.
Informal Assessments: Check-ins with students asking questions during independent practice:
o Where did you get this number? What does it stand for? Why did you know that it
represented groups? Why did you decide that the number of ____ is the number of items
in a group?
Lesson Resources:
-
Current Practice Alerts: Strategy Instruction That Primes Problem Structure

o COMPS (Conceptually Based Model of Problem Solving)
o URL: http://s3.amazonaws.com/cmi-teachingld/alerts/26/uploaded_files/original_DLD_Alert22_rev2.pdf?1429566239
Scholastics Do the Math Curriculum: Multiplication A
Instructional Practice: Assisting students in monitoring and reflecting on the problem-solving
process, What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guide:
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/practice_guides/mps_pg_052212.pdf
Reflection on Teaching:
I taught this lesson on solving multiplication word problems to nine 5th graders who
receive pull-out math special education services. Most of these students have learning
disabilities. The lesson I wrote is based upon a lesson from Scholastics Do the Math that
teaches solving multiplication word problems.
A few instructional practices that I found online during my Instruction and Intervention
Investigation were included in my lesson. I utilized the strategy of Conceptually Based
Model of Problem Solving (COMPS), which teaches students to identify word problem
structures by looking for key pieces of information in a problem. I believed COMPS would
assist my students in recognizing which information they need to solve word problems, and
later assist them in identifying which operations are necessary to solve individual word
problems. Word problem solving is an area of difficulty for my students, and I wanted them
to have a concrete strategy to help them. In addition, I used the instructional practice of
assisting my students in monitoring and reflecting upon their problem-solving process by
modeling the problem solving process myself. Research has illustrated that this assists
students with reflecting upon their own problem solving strategies.
If I had not learned about COMPS and strategies from WWCs Practice Guides, I would
have taught the lesson by looking at the word problems with students, and practicing a thinkaloud by underlining key pieces of information in the word problem as I solved. My students
would not have benefited less from this strategy, as I do not believe it makes a clear
connection between the information in the word problem and how that relates to the numbers
in the equation.
My students were particularly successful with drawing models of the multiplication facts
in order to solve. They were able to write the multiplication equations and find the products
correctly. However, my students were not able to verbalize why they chose particular pieces
of information as the groups, or number of items in the group. About half of my students
were able to label their answers correctly as total number of wheels, but others were not
able to identify what they were being asked to find.
My TFA mentor, Natalie, was able to observe my lesson. We discussed the COMPS
model, and how it had successfully assisted my students in writing multiplication equations.
However, she pointed out that the students were not able to identify which piece of the
problem illustrate the number of items in a group because the number of groups in each
problem always came first. Every problem was set up as follows: There are 6 cars. There are
4 wheels on each car. How many wheels are in all? She suggested switching this structure
for a few problems, in order to force students to think critically about the information
presented. If students read the problem, There are 3 pencils in each box. There are 5 boxes
of pencils. How many pencils are in all?, they will have to defend their answers about why 5
is the number of groups, but 3 in the number of pencils in each group. The next time I teach
this lesson, I am going to challenge my students to defend their answers, and model
defending my own answers.
If I were to teach this lesson again, I would write a few types of word problems that do
not all follow the same structure. There would be time set aside within the lesson where
students could discuss why they believed particular pieces of the word problem represented
groups or number of items in a group. In addition, I would utilize models to discuss why
pieces of the word problem represent groups or number of items in the group. My
students strengths are drawing models, so I will ask them to make sure their drawings match
the number of groups, and the number of items in each group. They are familiar with drawing
circles as groups, and stars for the number of items in each group. For a problem like the
following: There are 3 pencils in each box. There are 5 boxes of pencils. How many pencils
are in all?, students would have to draw 5 groups for the 5 boxes, and 3 stars in each. If
students visually see the number of groups and items in each, they will be better able to write
multiplication equations. Finally, in order to solidify their understanding that the information
they use to solve the problem must come from the word problem itself, I will model drawing
the shape itself around the information in the word problem.
Example:
There are 3 pencils in each box. There are 5 boxes of pencils. How many pencils are in all?

Math Word Problem Solving Lesson Plan

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Math Word Problem Solving Lesson Plan

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Math Word Problem Solving Lesson Plan

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Math Word Problem Solving Lesson Plan:

Objective: Given a problem-solving structure,

Subject: 5th grade math word problem solving with

Have students read the definition of multiplication on the anchor chart:

group. Label each piece of the equation as tricycles or wheels

Hand out worksheet.

Hand out worksheet.

Current Practice Alerts: Strategy Instruction That Primes Problem Structure

You might also like