The purpose of this activity is for students to match story problems to equations (MP2).

• “In the next activity, you will solve story problems and create your own equations to match them.”

The purpose of this activity is for students to solve Add To, Result Unknown and Take From, Result Unknown story problems. Students fill in an equation, which encourages them to connect the action in the story to the meaning of the and signs (MP2).

• Invite a student who drew symbols, such as circles, for the second story problem to share.
• “What does 9 mean in the story?” (The 9 pattern blocks Elena used to make the train.)
• “Where do you see 9 in _____’s drawing?” (There are 9 circles altogether, to represent the 9 pattern blocks on the train at the beginning.)
• “Where do you see subtraction in _____’s drawing?” (There are some circles crossed out, which means the pattern blocks were taken away, or subtracted.)
• “What does 3 mean in the story?” (Elena took away 3 pattern blocks.)
• “Where do you see 3 in _____’s drawing?” (There are 3 circles crossed out, which represent the 3 pattern blocks that Elena took away.)
• “How many pattern blocks does Elena have now? How do you know?” (6, I counted the circles that aren’t crossed out.)
• Read the equation as “9 minus 3 equals 6.”
• “We can write that as .”

The purpose of this activity is for students to choose from activities that offer practice with number and shape concepts.

Students choose any previously introduced stage from these centers:

• Pattern Blocks
• Geoblocks
• Grab and Count
• Find the Pair

• “When you work in centers, do you prefer to work by yourself, with a partner, or in a group?”