Authors:  Heather Yarborough and Emily Nielsen

 Grade:  5^th                       Integrated Disciplines:  Math and Technology

 Standards:

·         8.2.2  By the end of eighth grade, students will identify the appropriate operation

                 and do the correct calculations when solving word problems.

 Objectives:

·        Students will do word problems using Alpha Smarts

·        Students will make up own word problems on the Alpha Smarts

·        Students will work out each other’s problems

 Assessment:

·        Teacher will observe students working to see if problems are being answered correctly.

·        Teacher will read made-up word problems to see if they are true word problems.

 Provision for Special Needs:

·        Teachers will help read words student may not know.

·        Teachers will define words not understood by students

·        Teachers will help with spelling when needed

 Materials:

·        Alpha Smarts

·        Math Curse by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

·        Bulletin board with word problems

·        Pencils

·        Paper

 Vocabulary:

·        Word problem:  Math problems in story form.

·        Alpha Smart:  Portable Word document

Procedures:

 Anticipatory Set:

            When the students first come in, have a problem typed up on the Alpha Smarts for the students to work out right away.  Tell them what you will be doing and let them work out the word problem using pencils and paper if needed.

 Activities:

            When the students finish the word problems on the Alpha Smarts ask what they think about word problems.  Then read the book Math Curse by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith.  When you’re done reading ask how the story is related to word problems and if it changed anyone’s opinion about word problems.  Then ask if they can think of anything that happened to them that could be put into word problem form.  When they are done coming up with ideas have them each create their own word problem on the Alpha Smarts.  They are then going to exchange and work someone else’s problem out.  Once the students are done working out the problems they are to discuss how they came up with their word problems and how they thought it should be solved.  Then let them discuss how they solved the problem they worked on and compare it to how the creator of the problem thought it should be worked out.  Discuss any reasons for differences or similarities.

Closure:

            Use the word problems on the bulletin board to solve as a class.  Teacher will read out the problem and give students a minute or two to work out.  When there is an answer have students come up to the bulleting board and place the correct answer under the corresponding problem.

 Reflection:

            The students seemed to really enjoy using the Alpha Smarts to solve the word problems and thought the book was funny.  Everyone paid attention to the book which you could tell by the laughter and the comments.  They also kept trying to solve the problems in the book.  If we changed anything it would be the time allowed because we ran short, but that isn’t something we control because they were a little late today.  They really enjoyed taking the time to do their own problems, but next time we would probably have some ground rules because one of them put down extremely large numbers.

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