Lesson Plan #: 6- Work Backwards

6
Lesson Overview: Students will use a Start, Change and Result strategy, and
Lesson
inverse operations to help them work backwards to find the unknown in a multi-

step word problem.

Resources or Materials Needed

ActiveInspire Lesson 6

Problem Solving Concept map Create a table or chart

Whats in the box worksheet

Document Camera

Scale and Tracking Sheet

Performance Objective:

Students will correctly set up mathematical equations base on the information provided in

the problem 2 out of 3 times.

Time

This lesson should take one 60 minute math period.

PRE-
INSTRUCTIONAL
ACTIVITIES
Gain Attention:

Open up the Lesson 6 ActiveInspire lesson. Click on the sound link on the first page showing

the lesson target. You will click on the right arrow on the ActiveInspire lesson to move through

the lesson. Each page will have the lesson steps embedded into the flipchart. Todays lesson on

the screen has the template Whats in my box on the board. Ask students if they know whats

in the box?
Informing learners of the Objective:

When we work with word problems, we use problem solving strategies. Today, we will work

on the problem solving strategy of working backwards, but will start off learning this strategy

with a game!

I will be able to work backwards to solve word problems.

CONTENT
PR E SENTATION

Connect prior knowledge

Ask students if they can figure out what numbers would be in the boxes. (they are all blank)

Write a 38 in the upper right hand corner. What if I put in this number? Write the number 47

in the middle box. Use what you know about patterns and see if you can fill in the puzzle.

Give students a minute to figure it out and then ask a student to go up to the ActiveBoard and fill

out the boxes.

Discuss what patterns students notice. It should be a group discussion. In the next set of boxes,

write the number 82. Ask students to write in the number on their copy of Whats in the box?

Whats would be above the 82? What would be below the 82? Ask students how they are

figuring out the numbers. What numbers are we counting by to figure it out?

Write the number 99 in one of the boxes, 13 in another and ask students to choose one to practice

on their own. Have students trade their work and check each others answers.

Presenting the Stimulus

Have students come up and sit together. Hey...I am thinking of a number. I added 3 and

subtracted 12 and my result is 22. Whats my number? Give students time to think about it and

then discuss the strategy. How about if we think this through and solve it Draw an equation

and recant what was said step by step. How do we solve it?

Write down the words INVERSE OPERATION. Review fact families and use the new

vocabulary word. Ask students what would happen is we completely reversed the process, and

used inverse operations, couldnt we figure out the word problem and figure out the number?

Complete the process together as a class. My "Start" will now be 22 and I need to begin to

reverse the whole process by using the inverse. The inverse of subtracting 12 would be adding

12...our first change this time. Then I would subtract 3 for the second change. My result would

be????

Solve several more as a group until students notice the process and are excited to try their own.

LEARNER
PAR TI C I PATI O N

Providing Learner Guidance

Students will move back to their desks and will be given a problem solving concept map.

Students will use what they just learned in small group and apply it to an actual word problem.

As students reach a stopping point (not necessarily completed, but settled into a particular

strategy), have the class come back together. Each group will bring up their problem solving

concept map. The class as a whole will look at and discuss the groups strategies.

Eliciting Performance
Each large group, then shares what they see in the charts that are similar and discuss why they

may be different.

ASSESSMENT
Assessing Performance

The rubric for scoring the problem concept map will be shown on the ActiveBoard. If students

struggle with the problem, the teacher will meet with these students independently to go over the

strategy.

FOLLOW-THROUGH
ACTIVITIES

Enhancing Retention and Transfer

Students will get out their computer and login to Khan Academy. Students will work on the

assigned lesson of working backwards.

Assessment

After completing the Khan Academy lesson, students will need to look at and mark their grade

for todays lesson on the tracking sheet, looking at the scale for reference.