Name: ______Date: ______
Grade 1, Unit 4 - Problem Solving Task
Teacher directions: Students should be provided with the problem solving task, poster board, and any other materials they may need in order to complete the task.
Student Directions:
  1. Write your name on your paper.
  2. Listen as the problem is read aloud to you.
  3. Solve the problems using words, pictures, and/or numbers.
  4. Write a number sentence to match your problem.
  5. Write your answer in a sentence under work.
Problem:
The holidays are here. That means it is time to find presents for all of your family and friends. You have $19.00 to spend on presents. You need to buy a present for your mom, dad, sister, and best friend. Look at the presents and prices below. Select 4 presents to buy. Show which presents you choose by circling them.
  1. Select the presents you will buy by circling the pictures of them.

  1. Fill out the chart showing what present you bought for each person and how much the item cost.

  1. How much money did you spend total?
  • Write your total in the box. Show your work and write an equation to show what you did in the next box.

  1. How much money to you still have?
  • Write your answer in the box. Show your work and write and equation to show what you did in the next box.

  1. Can you buy anymore presents?
  • Write yes or no on the line.
Why or why not?
  • Write your reason why you can or cannot buy any more presents.
If yes, which presents can you still buy?
  • Write what addition presents you could buy on the lines.

Name ______Date ______

Unit 4 Problem Solving Task

The holidays are here. That means it is time to find presents for all of your family and friends. You have $19.00 to spend on presents. You need to buy a present for your mom, dad, sister, and best friend. Look at the presents and prices below. Select 4 presents to buy. Show which presents you choose by circling them.

Item / Price
Football / $4.00
book / $3.00
Teddy bear / $6.00
Bath gel / $8.00
headphones / $10.00
pajamas / $5.00
Candy canes / $1.00

What did you buy for the following people? How much was it?

Who / Item / Price
Mom
Dad
Sister
Best friend

How much money did you spend total?

Write your answer here… / Show your work and write an equation here…

How much money do you still have?

Write your answer here… / Show your work and write an equation here…

Can you buy any more presents? ______

Why or why not? ______

______

______

If yes, which presents can you still buy? ______

Reflection – Think about these questions as they relate to the problem-based task. Answer them thoughtfully to be sure that you have developed the best possible task.
  1. Does this problem promote application of the mathematical ideas presented in the current instructional focus or unit of study?
1.OA.4 - Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Understand and apply properties of operations and the relationship between addition and subtraction.
Understand subtraction as an unknown-addend problem. For example, subtract 10 – 8 by finding the number that makes 10 when added to 8. (Students can add and subtract to find the total spent on gifts and if they are able to buy more presents)
1.OA.5 - Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Add and subtract within 20.
Relate counting to addition and subtraction (e.g., by counting on 2 to add 2). (Students can use counting as a strategy to solve problems)
1.OA.7 - Operations & Algebraic Thinking
Work with addition and subtraction equations
Understand the meaning of the equal sign, and determine if equations involving addition and subtraction are true or false. For example, which of the following equations are true and which are false? 6 = 6, 7 = 8 – 1, 5 + 2 = 2 + 5, 4 + 1 = 5 + 2. (Students will demonstrate their understanding of the equal sign by writing equations to show their math thinking/problem solving)
1.OA.6 - Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Add and subtract within 20.
Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10. Use strategies such as counting on; making ten (e.g., 8 + 6 = 8 + 2 + 4 = 10 + 4 = 14); decomposing a number leading to a ten (e.g., 13 – 4 = 13 – 3 – 1 = 10 – 1 = 9); using the relationship between addition and subtraction (e.g., knowing that 8 + 4 = 12, one knows 12 – 8 = 4); and creating equivalent but easier or known sums (e.g., adding 6 + 7 by creating the known equivalent 6 + 6 + 1 = 12 + 1 = 13).
(Level 1, 2)(Students must add and subtract within 20 in order to solve the problem and determine which gifts they will buy for their family and friends.)
1.OA.1 - Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction.
Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem. (The initial problem is a word problem that requires addition and subtraction in order to solve it.)
1.OA.8 - Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Work with addition and subtraction equations.
Determine the unknown whole number in an addition or subtraction equation relating three whole numbers. For example, determine the unknown number that makes the equation true in each of the equations 8 + ? = 11, 5 = _ – 3, 6 + 6 = _. (Students have to solve a problem by adding and subtracting 4 addends.)
  1. Does this problem match students’ current instructional level?
Yes, all the questions are based on the standards outline within the unit.
  1. Is this problem accessible to all students? Explain.
Students have had practice within the unit adding and subtracting with word problems. Students should also be able to use any of the strategies that were learned and practiced during the unit to help them to solve the problems outline here.
  1. Is the problem relevant and engaging to students? Explain
It is relevant because it is the holiday season. This will be engaging because many students are thinking about presents during the holiday season.
  1. Does this problem require students to “stretch” their mathematical reasoning abilities? Explain.
By requiring different presents to be bought with different amounts, students are analyzing and synthesizing the information from the unit.
  1. Is there more than one way to solve the problem?
Student might be able to use more than one strategy to solve the problem and there are a variety of combinations that can be used to correctly solve the problem by staying within the $19.00 allotted to spend.
  1. Could the problem be extended or enriched? Explain.
Students can be given different requirements that are more enriching. They can also write to explain how they selected the presents they will be buying.
  1. Which Standards of Mathematical Practice are addressed when students solve this problem-solving based task?
Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
□Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
□Model with mathematics.
Use appropriate tools strategically.
Attend to precision.
□Look for and make use of structure.
□Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Problem-Solving Task Rubric
Exemplary:
  • Student completed all parts of the task by themselves. Student selected 4 items that totaled $19.00 or less. They were able to then find 4 different items that would work and answer all additional questions.

Proficient:
  • Student completed the task with little, if any help. Student selected 4 items that totaled $19.00 or less. They were able to show their work and write an equation showing how they solved the problem.

Progressing:
  • Student may not have selected 4 items that totaled $19.00 or less. They were unable to show their work and write an equation to show how they solved the problem.

Beginning:
  • Student selected items without using the criterion.

Self-Evaluation:
I think my score is ______because
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Teacher Evaluation ______
Comments: