I Think

This protocol can be used to launch lessons and/or present story

problems by offering all students access to the problem. This
can be especially supportive as students develop habits of mind
around critical thinking skills as a way to begin analyzing multistep problems. Students are asked to elaborate on mathematical
ideas as they consider possibilities. Academic language can be
introduced and modeled by the teacher as follow up questions are
used.

Choosing Problems for I think

The problem(s) should come from a word problem or a problem where a given mathematical scenario can
be explored.
The problem(s) must be ones that can be read or revealed one sentence or piece at a time, so there is at
least on point for students to make predictions about what may come next in the problem. Think
purposefully about where to pause.
Anticipate student thoughts prior to the experience and plan questions to ask around these thoughts.
Getting Started with I think
I think begins with introducing an initial phrase of a given word problem and asking students what
important information, if any, has been provided for solving the problem. Then a few students make
predictions about what may come next in the problem. After a thought is given, follow-up questions
about that thought are asked to help students make sense of the new mathematical information and what
it might mean for solving the problem. This sequence of providing the rest of the phrases of the word
problem and allowing students to make or adjust their predictions after each phrase are continued.
The main idea of I think is to help students read and make sense of problems with an emphasis on
predicting what will come next as they read, thinking especially about how the word problem tells them
what numbers and operations will be involved in solving the problem.

Supports that Help

Some possible follow-up questions to ask after a thought include:
? What new math information do we know about the problem?
? Do we know what we might do with that information?
? Why do you think we might ________ (add/subtract/multiple/divide)? What about the new
information makes you think we might do that?
? Given that thought what do you think the question is going to be?

Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment

September 2014

I Think

Examples below are read by the teacher, which serves as a

scaffold for ELs or young students.

Table Talk Reflections:

How did engaging in I Think
change the way you experienced
and thought about word problems?

Problem 1:
In the first week of July, Lime Berry sold 11,385
frozen yogurts.
The second week, they sold 1,126 fewer frozen
yogurts than the first week.

How might this strategy prepare

students to engage in mathematics
discourse around the task?

The third week, they sold 3 thousand more than the

first week.
The fourth week, they sold 3 thousand fewer frozen
yogurts than the first week.

Where can I find problems?

How many yogurts did they sell in all in July?

The following resources are linked in the math

units of study on page 2/Lesson Planning and
page 3/Web-based Go-To sites.

Problem 2
Billy had 506 balloons.
He gave 95 balloons to children at the park.

ENY: Problem Sets, Homework

He gave 276 balloons to children at the zoo.

How many more balloons did he give away at the zoo
than at the park?

ENY Application problems

Illustrative Mathematics
NRICH

Problem 3:

HCPSS Math Wiki K-5

There are 38 pieces of fruit in the basket.

Learn Zillion

16 are apples.

Illuminations

12 are oranges.
The rest are bananas.
How many bananas are in the basket?
Other possibilities for young mathematicians early in
the year.
Predicting sequencing This could also be done with
shapes.
1
2
3
4
5

Combinations
2
+
3
=
?

Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment

Combinations
5
=
1
+
?

Combinations
1
=
1
+
2
+
?
September 2014

I Think