Standard Mathematical Practice 2

I can think about a numbers in many ways

Age group: 5

Materials: 6 small counter bears

Activity title: Story problem

Choose a child to act out this story problem using counter bears.

There are 4 animals on the table and 2 more animals join them. How many animals are there in

all?

1. Ask children what they need to find out. (How many animals there are in all)

2. Then ask what numbers are in the story problem. (4,2) Help children say the addition

sentence that will help them find the sum. (4+2=6)

3. Invite children to use the bears to act out other story problems.
For each story problem, ask: What should you do to solve the problem? (Write a number

sentence.) Why is writing a number sentence helpful when you are trying to solve the problem?

(It tells the number in each group and the sum.)

The reasoning in this set of problems illustrates what it can mean to “abstract a given situation

and represent it symbolically and manipulate the representing symbols as if they have a life of

their own, without necessarily attending to their referents.” In this case, reasoning that since the

problem represents 4 added by 2 respectively, one can solve the problem using the mathematical

properties of addition which the problem solve is 6.

Standard Mathematical Practice 7

I can use what I know to solve new problems

Age group: 5

Activity Title: Cars in garages

Objectives: Give many names for the same number by drawing a picture, using equipment or

acting it out. Use a mental image of 5 to work out the missing number in the number pair.

The problem:

I own 5 cars and a very large garage.

1. If I can see 2 cars parked outside the garage, how many are inside?

2. How many different ways can I park my cars inside and outside the garage?

This problem is all about how numbers are made up of other, smaller numbers, an essential

concept basic addition and subtraction. The problem helps develop two ideas: first, that there is a
finite set of whole number pairs for a given number (for example, 5 can be thought of as 0 and 5,

1 and 4, 2 and 3, and no other pairs can be found) the second, that numbers are uniquely paired

(if 2 is one of the parts of 5, the other part must be 3). Students need to investigate these

relationships many times. Until students believe that 2 and 3 is always 5, they see no reason to

remember it.
Standard Mathematical Practice 8

I can solve problems by looking for rules and patterns

Age group: 5

Activity Title: Counting in tens

Use an example of a number sequence forwards and backwards that the children have been

practicing. Using a puppet, ask the children to close their eyes and listen to the puppet saying a

number sequence where it misses out one or two numbers. Ask children to use their books to

record the missing numbers in order.

Does this pattern continue forwards and backwards?

Ask the children to listen again. This time include a deliberate mistake in the sequence (repeating

numbers, reversed numbers, missing numbers), e.g. 10, 20, 30, 50, 40, 60, 70.
 1. What is wrong with this pattern of numbers?

Ask the children to work in pairs to write their own sequences of numbers with one deliberate

mistake. They should ask another pair to spot the mistake.

It is helpful for children to link their work on patterns with counting in particular step sizes, so

that they see this is one particular kind of pattern.