Design for Learning

Instructor: Rachel Cason

Lesson Title: Word Problems Around the World
Curriculum Area: Math

Ability Level: 4th grade

Date: December 2, 2014
Estimated Time: 40 minutes

State Standard and IEP Goals

[4-OA3] Solve multistep word problems posed with whole numbers and having whole-number
answers using the four operations, including problems in which remainders must be interpreted.
Represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity. Assess
the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies including
rounding.
IEP Goals:
Student B: Solve two word problems requiring any of the four basic operations correctly with
80% accuracy in 4/5 opportunities.
Student A: Solve a two-step word problem that requires addition, subtraction, and/or
multiplication independently in 8/10 opportunities.
Student G: Solve a two-step word problem that requires addition, subtraction, and/or
multiplication independently in 8/10 opportunities.
Student H: Use addition, subtraction, and multiplication to set up expressions and solve multistep word problems independently in 4/5 opportunities.
Learning Objective(s)
The students will be able to:
1. Match key words to the operations they indicate.
2. Solve word problems using these operations.
3. Describe elements of another cultures Thanksgiving celebration.
Evaluation of Learning Objective(s)
The students will:
1. Correctly circle the key words in a word problem and write the matching operation in at
least 4/5 problems.
2. Correctly solve at least 4/5 word problems.
3. Write one interesting fact about Thanksgiving in another country.

Engagement
The teacher will use a literary exercise to introduce the idea of key words. She will present a
story using story strips that the students will have to put in order based on the key words. She
will then tell them that this skill can apply to math, too, in word problems.
Good morning, everyone! Were going to start by taking a look at a story. (Set out the story
strips.) This is a story I made up, so I know you havent heard it before. It is about a student like
yourself who wants to learn more about a certain holiday. What holiday did we just celebrate?
(Call on a student.) Yes, Thanksgiving! Were going to be talking about a lot of Thanksgiving
traditions today. The problem in this story is that all the events are out of order! However, there
are clue words within the story that can help you figure out what order they go in. Im going to
give you a minute to put it in order using the clue words. Do you think you can do that? (Answer
questions as necessary.) Great! Go ahead and get started! (Allow 1-2 minutes for students to put
the story in order.)
Did you figure it out? (Hold up the strip that comes first.) Someone tell me why you decided to
put this one first. (Call on a student.) Good thinking! This one says the word first, so we know
that means it happened before anything else. (Hold up the next strip.) Why did you pick this one
to go next? (Call on a student.) Right! This one says then, so we know it happened after the
first thing. Okay, what about the next one? (Call on a student.) Very good! This one says third,
which means that it had to happen third. Now for our last one: why is this one last? (Call on a
student.) Nice work! It says finally, which tells us this one happened last.
Do you see how important it is for us to pay attention to the key words in each sentence? Would
this activity have been harder or easier without the words like then and finally? Why?
(Allow students to respond.) Right! The key words helped guide us in the right direction so we
knew what to do. I know you probably do activities like this in reading, but you can also use this
skill in math. Today were going to look at some word problems and find the key words that will
tell us what to do to solve the problem.
Learning Design Outline
I. Teaching
The teacher will lead the students in creating a chart in which they will place key words in three
categories: addition, subtraction, and multiplication. They will look in a variety of word
problems to find these key words. The word problems will involve different Thanksgiving
traditions around the world, which will give the students a multicultural understanding of the
holiday.
As I mentioned, were going to be looking at key words in our word problems today. First I want
to go over a vocabulary word with you, which is operation. Does anyone know what an
operation is? (Call on a few students.) Good! We can use operation in several ways, but were
going to use the math version. Math operations are addition, subtraction, multiplication, and
division. Today were going to focus on key words for addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
Well find key words for each and put them in this chart. (Set out chart and word sort strips.)

Lets start by looking at a word problem. All of our word problems today will teach us a little bit
about how people in different cultures celebrate Thanksgiving. Our first problem talks about the
Chung Chui festival in China, where they celebrate the harvest moon and the harvest season
that is coming. (Hold up a map.) Can anyone show me where China is? (Call on a student.) Yes!
Thats China, where they celebrate the harvest moon. Lets take a look at our first word problem.
(Ask a student to read the problem aloud.) Does anyone know which operation we should use to
solve this problem? (Call on a student.) Good! We should use addition. How did you know that?
(Call on a student.) Great! You used the key words in all to know that you needed to add. Lets
go ahead and find the answer to this problem. (Allow students to work the problem and share the
answer.) Now that weve found one key word for addition, lets find some others to add to our
chart. (Spread out word sort strips.) If you see any addition key words, put them in the addition
column. (Work with students to sort out the addition words.)
Great! Now were familiar with some key words for addition. Lets take a look at our next
problem. Notice that this one is very similar to the last one we did, so be careful! This one is still
about moon cakes, and is uses the same numbers. But just because a problem uses the same
numbers, that doesnt mean you can always do the same thing to solve it. Does that make sense?
(Answer questions as necessary.) Who would like to read this problem for us? (Call on a student
to read the problem.) Does anyone know what operation we should use to solve this one? (Call
on a student.) Good! We need to subtract. How did you know that? (Call on a student.) Right.
How many are left is a key phrase that tells us we need to subtract. Go ahead and find the
answer to this problem. (Allow students to work the problem and share their answers.) Now lets
find some more key words to add to our chart. (Work with students to sort out the subtraction
words.)
Now were moving on to our last problem. This problem is about Thanksgiving in Canada, which
is very similar to Thanksgiving in America. Does anyone know what a cornucopia is? (Call on a
student.) Right! You see cornucopias on the table sometimes to hold fruit and other food. In
Canada, they decorate churches with them. Can anyone point to Canada on our map? (Call on a
student.) Great! Now Id like someone to read this problem for us. (Call on a student.) Does
anyone know which operation we would use to solve this problem? (Call on a student.) Very
good! We would use multiplication. How did you know that? (Call on a student.) Right. It says
they need twice as many, and we know that twice means to multiply by two. Lets solve this
problem, and then well put the multiplication words on the chart. (Allow students to solve the
problem and share their answers. Then add the multiplication words to the chart.)
II. Opportunity for Practice
The teacher will lead the students in a game called Flash and Find. This game will also help
reinforce multiplication facts in the 1-5 times tables. The students will be given word problems
with the numbers missing. Each student will draw a multiplication flash card, tell the answer, and
add it to the word problem to fill in one of the blanks. Then the teacher and students will work
together to find the key words and solve the problems. These problems will also incorporate
Thanksgiving traditions from a variety of cultures.

Now that weve discussed key words, lets try a few more problems to practice. These will also
help us learn about Thanksgiving in other cultures. Were going to make this into a game, sort of
like the Roll, Write, Solve game we played last time. This one is called Flash and Find. To
fill in the blanks, you will draw a multiplication flash card and tell us the answer. Then youll
find the key words, decide which operation to use, and solve the problem. Do you think you can
do that? (Answer questions as necessary.) Great! Lets get started.
Our first problem is about Malaysia, where their Thanksgiving celebration focuses on rice
instead of turkey like we do. Can anyone find Malaysia on our map? (Call on a student.) Yes,
thats Malaysia! Now lets draw multiplication cards to fill in the blanks for this problem. (Have
students answer the questions on the flash cards to fill in the numbers.) Great! Raise your hand
if you see a key word that will help us solve this problem. (Call on a student.) Good! The word
difference tells us that we need to subtract. Please circle the word difference so youll
remember. Now Ill give you all a minute to solve the problem. Give me a thumbs-up when youre
finished. (Give students time to solve the problem, and then discuss the answer.)
Great work! The next problem is about Vietnam, where children dress up and dance for their
Mid-Autumn Festival. Can anyone find Vietnam on our map? (Call on a student.) Yes, thats
Vietnam! Now lets draw multiplication cards to fill in the blanks for this problem. (Have
students answer the questions on the flash cards to fill in the numbers.) Great! Raise your hand
if you see a key word that will help us solve this problem. (Call on a student.) Good! The words
in all tells us that we need to add. Please circle the words in all so youll remember. Now
Ill give you all a minute to solve the problem. Give me a thumbs-up when youre finished. (Give
students time to solve the problem, and then discuss the answer.)
Heres our last problem. This one is about Ghana, and they celebrate a Homowo festival by
singing and playing drums. Can anyone find Ghana on our map? (Call on a student.) Yes, thats
Ghana! Now lets draw multiplication cards to fill in the blanks for this problem. (Have students
answer the questions on the flash cards to fill in the numbers.) Great! Raise your hand if you see
a key word that will help us solve this problem. (Call on a student.) Good! The word times
tells us that we need to multiply. Please circle the word times so youll remember. Now Ill
give you all a minute to solve the problem. Give me a thumbs-up when youre finished. (Give
students time to solve the problem, and then discuss the answer.) Great job finding the key
words!
III. Assessment
The students will complete an assessment sheet. They will be asked to circle the key word, write
which operation they will use, and solve each problem.
Now that youve had some practice, Im going to ask each of you to complete this sheet on your
own so that I can see what youve learned. (Show assessment sheet.) On this sheet, there are five
word problems for you to solve. Since weve been working on finding the key words, the first
thing I want you to do for each problem is circle the key word that tells you what to do. Then I
want you to find the blank that says Operation, and I want you to write add, subtract, or
multiply, to tell me how youre going to solve the problem. Then show me your work and write

your answer in the blank where it says Answer. I would also like you to write something that
you learned about Thanksgiving in another country. Just put down one interesting fact that you
remember. Does that make sense, or do you have any questions? (Answer questions as
necessary.) Ill pass out your sheets, and dont forget to put your name on the top. You have
about ten minutes to work. (Pass out the assessment sheets. Allow 10 minutes for students to
complete the assessment, and then take it up.)
IV. Closure
The teacher will review commonly used key words by asking students to identify the operation
that would go with each one. She will then thank the students for their hard work.
Great work today, everyone! Were going to do a quick review before we leave. Ill give you a
key word or phrase, and Ill call on one of you to tell me which operation to use. If my key word
is difference, what would I do? (Call on a student.) Great! I would subtract. What if my key
word is product? (Call on a student.) Very good. I would multiply for this problem. What
about in all? What operation would I use? (Call on a student.) Yes, I would use addition.
Heres our last one: what if the key word is fewer? (Call on a student.) Right! You would
subtract for this one. It sounds like you all have a good understanding of key words and how
they help us with word problems. Thank you for all your hard work today!
Resources and Materials
Story strips
Key word chart
Map of the world with countries labeled
Sample word problems
Multiplication flash cards (tables 1-5)
Assessment sheets
Plans for Individual Learners and Differentiation Strategies
Student B: Because this student is talkative and easily distracted, I will seat her next to me so
that I can keep her focused. I will also make sure she understands that she must raise her hand
instead of shouting out answers. For the assessment, if she has trouble concentrating, I will take
her to a separate table where she can work alone.
Student A: This student is quiet and reserved, so I will call on her specifically if she does not
volunteer to answer questions. I will also walk her through carrying and borrowing if she needs
extra assistance on those problems.
Student G: I will be sure that this student has comfortable seating and plenty of space at the table
to accommodate for her physical limitations. She does not like to speak up, so I will be sure to
call on her even if she does not raise her hand.

Student H: For any subtraction problems that involve regrouping, I will walk the student through
this process step-by-step. I will also make sure he feels included by seating him in the middle of
the group, rather than on one end.

Data Analysis
Student
A
G
B
H

% Accuracy Identifying
Operation
100%
80%
80%
80%

% Accuracy Solving
Problem
100%
80%
40%
40%

Identified Cultural
Element
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Based on the results of the assessment, all four students met the goal of 80% accuracy on
identifying the correct operation to use in solving a word problem. However, only two of them
met the goal of 80% accuracy on solving the problems correctly. The two students who did not
meet this goal probably missed questions because of careless errors (for example, one student
wrote 3 x 4 = 16) or because of misinterpreting the problem (for example, when asked to find
twice, the student multiplied 25 x 25 instead of 25 x 2).
Reflection
After reviewing the students work and conferencing with my supervisor, I feel that this lesson
went very well. The students demonstrated that they understood how to find the key words in a
word problem, and they seemed to have a good grasp on what those key words might be for
addition and multiplication, especially. Subtraction, though, may be an area of weakness that I
would focus on in the future if I had more time. The students had more trouble identifying key
words for subtraction, and they made more errors on the subtraction problems than the others.
Addition, though, was clearly a strength for all four students. My next step might be to focus on
the steps of working out subtraction and multiplication problems. Even though all the students
met the goal for choosing the correct operation, they had trouble when it came to actually
working out the problem. More practice with basic multi-digit subtraction and multiplication
problems could help them be more effective in applying the problem-solving methods I taught
them.
The multicultural aspect of the lesson seemed to be engaging and interesting for the students. I
was surprised to discover that they were very familiar with where the countries were located on a
map. During and after the lesson, they made connections to American Thanksgiving celebrations
and how the other countries traditions differed. One thing they found especially interesting is
that the Malaysians eat rice instead of turkey for their Thanksgiving celebration. Because I
included these multicultural elements, I was able to incorporate literacy and social studies skills
into the math lesson, which was a great way for me to practice cross-curricular teaching.
One suggestion I received from my supervisor is that I prepare a warm-up activity for the

students to start on as they arrive for the lesson. One of my students arrived much earlier than the
others, and I talked to him while we waited. However, I know that he is still trying to memorize
his multiplication facts. Since I had multiplication flash cards, I could have gone over them with
him while we waited for the others to arrive. This would have helped him review his facts while
also preparing him to participate in the lesson later on. When I teach lessons in the future, I want
to be sure I have warm-up activities planned so that I can take advantage of every spare minute I
have to teach. I was also advised to praise specific behaviors, such as waiting quietly, raising a
hand instead of yelling out, and staying in the correct seat. I typically praise good work, but I
need to remember to praise students for their behavior as well. In future lessons, I want to give
students clear behavioral expectations at the beginning of the lesson and then praise them
throughout the lesson when I see them following instructions.

Story Strips
Today I decided I wanted to learn more about Thanksgiving
traditions in other countries. First, I researched China. They
celebrate the harvest moon.
Then I looked up Korea. The children dance in a circle to
remember their ancestors before they eat the Thanksgiving meal.
Third, I learned about the United Kingdom. They have a Fruit
and Vegetable Competition and celebrate in October.
Finally, I thought about the first American Thanksgiving. We
celebrated because we were thankful for the Native Americans
help and a good harvest when we got to America.

Lesson Word Problems

In China, a woman made 15 moon cakes for her family. Her sister
brought 24 more to the festival. How many moon cakes were there in
all?
In China, a woman brought 24 moon cakes to the festival. By the time
the festival was over, the children had eaten 15 of them. How many
moon cakes were left?
In a town in Canada, there were 7 churches that needed to be decorated
with cornucopias. Then they decided they needed twice as many
cornucopias at each church. How many cornucopias will you need now?

Word Sort
In all
Total
Sum
Altogether
Combined
Difference
How many more
Fewer
Less than
Take away
Double
Times
Twice
Product
Triple

Flash and Find Word Problems

For the rice festival in Malaysia, one family decided to make _______
bowls of rice. Another family brought ________ bowls of rice. What is
the difference between the number of bowls each family brought?

In Vietnam, _______ children dressed up as lion dancers for the MidAutumn Festival. __________ children lit lanterns at the festival. How
many children participated in the festival in all?

In Ghana, ________ people signed up to play drums for the Homowo

festival. They need _________ times as many people to sing as they
need to play drums. How many people will they need to sing?

Word Problems Around the World

Name: __________________________________________________________
Directions: Read each word problem carefully.
Circle the key word or words in each problem.
Write the operation you will use on the Operation line.
Solve the problem, and write your answer on the Answer line.

1. My mom is making 3 pumpkin pies for our familys Thanksgiving celebration. We will
need 4 times as many pies for our schools Thanksgiving party. How many pies will we
need to make for school?
Operation:_________________

Answer: __________________
2. I have 25 family members who will visit me for Thanksgiving. My best friend has 17
family members who will visit her. How many family members do we have total?
Operation:_________________

Answer: __________________
3. My favorite football team scored 31 points this weekend. My dads favorite team scored
56 points. How many more points did my dads team score?
Operation:_________________

Answer: __________________

4. My sister planned to spend about $25 when she went shopping for Black Friday.
However, she ended up spending twice as much. How much money did my sister spend?
Operation: ________________

Answer: ___________________
5. I wrote down 32 things I am thankful for. My brother wrote down 34 things he is thankful
for. How many things are we thankful for altogether?
Operation: ________________

Answer: ___________________

6. Write one interesting fact that you learned about Thanksgiving in another country.