Math Expressions Journal Prompts - Grade 4
Unit 1 – Lesson 1 – Math Expressions
Unit 1 – Lesson 1 Tier 2
Write the greatest number possible, using the digits 6, 1, and 4. Make a place value drawing for your number.
Unit 1 – Lesson 1 Tier 1
Is it likely that the Shoe Shop will have more customers than the Card Store every month? Explain your reasoning.
Unit 1 – Lesson 1 Challenge
Elaina wrote 12 hundreds + 14 tens as 1,214. Is she correct? Explain your answer.
Journal Prompts
Unit 1 – Lesson 2 Math Expressions
Unit 1 Lesson 2 Tier 2
Write the place names for each digit of the number 3,214 and tell the value of each digit.
Unit 1 Lesson 2 Tier 1
Explain how to write the expanded form of 7,264.
Unit 1 Lesson 2 Challenge
Explain why the expanded form of a number represents the same number as the standard form. Give an example.
Journal Prompts
Unit 1 - Lesson 3 – Math Expressions
Unit 1 Lesson 3 Tier 2
Make a list of ten numbers that round to 600 when rounding to the nearest hundred. Include five numbers that are less than 600 and five numbers that are greater than 600.
Unit 1 Lesson 3 Tier 1
Explain how to round a four-digit number to the nearest thousand, and give an example.
Unit 1 Lesson 3 Challenge
Suppose Arthur needs 1,488 tiles for a design. He knows that he can return a full, unopened box for a refund. Why might he decide to buy 16 boxes instead of 15 boxes?
Journal prompts
Unit 1 – Lesson 4 – Math Expressions
Unit 1 Lesson 4 Tier 2
If you have two different numbers, does the greater number always have the longer word name? Explain.
Unit 1 Lesson 4 Tier 1
Describe how understanding group names and commas can help you write the word form of a number.
Unit 1 Lesson 4 Challenge
Explain why writing a number in short word from might help you to write it in standard form.
Journal Prompt
Unit 1 – Lesson 5 – Math Expressions
Unit 1 Lesson 5 Tier 2
How can you use any six digits to make the greatest possible whole number?
Unit 1 Lesson 5 Tier 1
Explain how you can round a six-digit number to any place value, and give an example.
Unit 1 Lesson 5 Challenge
Write a six-digit number that, when rounded to the nearest hundred thousand, it less than the rounded number when rounded to the nearest ten thousand. Explain your answer.
Journal Prompt
Unit 1-Lesson 6-Math Expressions
Unit 1 Lesson 6 Tier 2
Draw a picture that shows 150 + 162.
Unit 1 Lesson 6 Tier 1
Choose your favorite method of addition and explain why it is your favorite.
Unit 1 Lesson 6 Challenge
Write an addition word problem that would require more than one new tens group and more than one new hundreds group.
Unit 1-Lesson 7- Math Expressions
Unit 1 Lesson 7 Tier 2
Explain how you can tell that you will need to make a new ten when you add two numbers.
Unit 1 Lesson 7 Tier 1
Write a word problem that requires adding two five-digit numbers and has a six-digit answer. Explain how you chose your numbers.
Unit 1 Lesson 7 Challenge
If you add two different five-digit numbers, what is the greatest possible total? What is the least possible total? Explain your answers.
Unit 1- Lesson 8-Math Expressions
Unit 1 Lesson 8 Tier 2
How can you solve 12 + 15 + 13 by making tens? Make a drawing to show how.
Unit 1 Lesson 8 Tier 1
Explain how you can solve this addition problem by using mental math: 102 + 126 +98 + 74.
Unit 1 Lesson 8 Challenge
Explain the difference between rounding 1,389 to the nearest ten and rounding to the greatest place.
Unit 1-Lesson 9-Math Expressions
Unit 1 Lesson 9 Tier 2
Which problem requires more steps to model with base ten blocks: 6,000 – 560 or 6,000 – 2,476? Explain your answer with a drawing.
Unit 1 Lesson 9 Tier 1
Write about one thing you need to remember when subtracting from numbers that have one or more zeros.
Unit 1 Lesson 9 Challenge
Suppose you need to subtract a five-digit number that has no zeros from 40,000. What numbers will appear at the tops of all the columns after you ungroup? Explain.
Unit 1-Lesson 10-Math Expressions
Unit 1 Lesson 10 Tier 2
Explain how to make a break-apart drawing by using 7, 13, and 20. Make a drawing to illustrate your explanation.
Unit 1 Lesson 10 Tier 1
Explain why the three numbers in a break-apart drawing can be used in either an addition or a subtraction equation.
Unit 1 Lesson 10 Challenge
In your own words, explain how the operations of subtraction and addition are related.
Unit 1-Lesson 11-Math Expressions
Unit 1 Lesson 11 Tier 2
Break the word ungroup into “un” and “group.” Define each part of the word. Give another example of a word that starts with un- and define it.
Unit 1 Lesson 11 Tier 1
Explain how subtracting 56,000 from 84,000 is similar to subtracting 56 from 84. Compare the answers.
Unit 1 Lesson 11 Challenge
You buy four items at a store, but the receipt is smudged and you cannot read the cost of one item. Explain how you can find the missing cost.
Unit 1 – Lesson 12 – Math Expressions
Unit 1 Lesson 12 Tier 2
Write a two-step word problem, using addition and/or subtraction. Exchange papers with a partner, and solve each other’s problems.
Unit 1 Lesson 12 Tier 1
Are addition and subtraction the only operations you can use in a two-step problem? Give an example.
Unit 1 Lesson 12 Challenge
Explain how you know when a problem requires more than one step to solve.
Unit 1 – Lesson 13 – Math Expressions
Unit 1 Lesson 13 Tier 2
Draw a diagram to show an addition or subtraction problem. Explain how the picture shows the problem.
Unit 1 Lesson 13 Tier 1
Make a math drawing or write a situation equation. Then write a problem for the drawing or equation.
Unit 1 Lesson 13 Challenge
Explain subtraction, using the term break-apart or ungrouping. Then explain it without these words.
Unit 1 – Lesson 14 – Math Expressions
Unit 1 Lesson 14 Tier 2
Explain how to use subtraction to check the answer to an addition problem.
Unit 1 Lesson 14 Tier 1
Explain to a friend how to subtract 2,907 from 4,006.
Unit 1 Lesson 14 Challenge
Write a problem that involves subtracting 2 six-digit numbers that requires you to group only from the tens place, the thousands place, and the hundred thousands place.
Journal Prompts
Unit 2 Lesson 1 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 1 Tier 2
Draw a model that shows 3 x 30. Then write the multiplication equation.
Unit 2 Lesson 1 Tier 1
How can you be sure that you have found all the rectangles for a number?
Unit 2 Lesson 1 Challenge
Do any numbers have an odd number of rectangular arrays? Explain.
Unit 2 Lesson 2 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 2 Tier 2
Explain why 20 x 40 is the same as 40 x 20. Draw models if needed.
Unit 2 Lesson 2 Tier 1
Explain whether or not multiplication is commutative. Give an example to support your answer.
Unit 2 Lesson 2 Challenge
Explain how you can use the relationship between place value and multiplication to know how many hundreds 10 x 23 gives you.
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Tier 2
Describe how the products 2 x 4 and 20 x 4 are alike and how they are different.
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Tier 1
Explain how you could use the factor 10 to multiply 70 x 80 mentally.
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Challenge
Explain how you can rewrite the number 40,000 as a product of factors that include 10; 100; or 1,000. Explain a strategy for finding five different ways of doing this.
Unit 2 Lesson 4 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 4 Tier 2
Explain how 3 x 47 + 47 + 47 are related.
Unit 2 Lesson 4 Tier 1
Write a multiplication word problem for 2 x 45. Show a way to find the product. Use pictures, words, or symbols to explain your answer.
Unit 2 Lesson 4 Challenge
Suppose you know that 7 x 34 = 238. How does that help you to find 14 x 34? Explain your thinking.
Unit 2 Lesson 5 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 5 Tier 2
Would 40 x 7 or 50 x 7 give you a better estimate of 47 x 7? Explain your answer.
Unit 2 Lesson 5 Tier 1
There are 128 students who each need 4 books. Estimate how many books are needed. Explain whether your estimate is too high or too low.
Unit 2 Lesson 5 Challenge
Write a word problem with an answer that could be estimated as 40 x 6.
Unit 2 Lesson 6 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 6 Tier 2
Draw an area model that represents the Expanded Notation Method of finding 2 x 86.
Unit 2 Lesson 6 Tier 1
Explain how to use the Place Value Sections Method to find 8 x 23.
Unit 2 Lesson 6 Challenge
Describe the similarities and differences between the Expanded Notation Method and the Place Value Sections Method.
Unit 2 Lesson 7 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 7 Tier 2
Draw an area model that represents the Algebraic Notation Method of finding 3 x 61.
Unit 2 Lesson 7 Tier 1
Explain how to use the Algebraic Notation Method to find 7 x 52.
Unit 2 Lesson 7 Challenge
Describe the similarities and differences between the Expanded Notation Method and the Algebraic Notation Method.
Unit 2 Lesson 8 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 8 Tier 2
Explain how to use the Expanded Notation Method to solve 3 x 27.
Unit 2 Lesson 8 Tier 1
Draw an area model that represents the Algebraic Notation Method of finding 3 x 42.
Unit 2 Lesson 8 Challenge
Describe the similarities and differences between the Expanded Notation Method and the Algebraic Notation Method.
Unit 2 Lesson 9 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 9 Tier 2
If you could use one method for multiplying one-digit numbers by two-digit numbers, which method would you choose? Explain.
Unit 2 Lesson 9 Tier 1
Explain to another student how to use the Shortcut Method to solve 8 x 93.
Unit 2 Lesson 9 Challenge
Why is it helpful to learn several different methods for multiplying?
Unit 2 Lesson 10 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 10 Tier 2
Use place value language to explain why 458 and 584 represent different numbers even though they have the same digits.
Unit 2 Lesson 10 Tier 1
Write a word problem for 4 x 372. Explain how to find the answer.
Unit 2 Lesson 10 Challenge
Explain why 4. (300 + 20 + 5) is the same as (4.300) + (4. 20) + (4 .5).
Unit 2 Lesson 11 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 11 Tier 2
Is it easier to recognize that you do not have enough information to solve a word problem or to eliminate extra information? Explain.
Unit 2 Lesson 11 Tier 1
How do you determine if a word problem has all the necessary information?
Unit 2 Lesson 11 Challenge
Write an equation that involves four different operations. Then write a word problem for it.
Unit 2 Lesson 12 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 12 Tier 2
Explain how to use an area model to find the product of 40 and 20.
Unit 2 Lesson 12 Tier 1
Explain how to find the area of each section of a rectangle model for the product of 2 two-digit numbers.
Unit 2 Lesson 12 Challenge
Describe the differences between a dot drawing and an area model. Explain which method you prefer and why.
Unit 2 Lesson 13 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 13 Tier 2
Explain how finding 28 x 63 with the Expanded Notation Method involves finding four products.
Unit 2 Lesson 13 Tier 1
Write an equal-groups word problem for 27 x 32. Explain how you would solve the problem.
Unit 2 Lesson 13 Challenge
Write a word problem that requires multiplication of two-digit numbers and has an answer of 375 flowers.
Unit 2 Lesson 14 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 14 Tier 2
Describe a situation in which you would need to estimate a product.
Unit 2 Lesson 14 Tier 1
Describe a situation in which you would need to overestimate a product.
Unit 2 Lesson 14 Challenge
Describe a situation in which you would need to underestimate a product.
Unit 2 Lesson 15 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 15 Tier 2
Explain how some of the steps in the Expanded Notation Method can be done mentally.
Unit 2 Lesson 15 Tier 1
Some students write small numbers above the tens column in multiplication. Write a problem where this occurs and explain what these numbers mean.
Unit 2 Lesson 15 Challenge
Describe one advantage of finding products using an area model and one advantage of finding products using the Shortcut Method.
Unit 2 Lesson 16 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 16 Tier 2
Explain how the products of 5 x 40, 5 x 400, and 5 x 4,000 are related.
Unit 2 Lesson 16 Tier 1
Explain how the product 6 x 400 can be used to solve the problem 6 x 4,000.
Unit 2 Lesson 16 Challenge
Write and solve a word problem that can be solved with the product 7 x 6,000.
Unit 2 Lesson 17 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 17 Tier 2
Explain how to determine whether to round the number 6,819 up to 7,000 or down to 6,000.
Unit 2 Lesson 17 Tier 1
Describe the multiplication method that makes the most sense to you. Explain why.
Unit 17 Challenge
Explain why the digit 2 might be written above the tens column in a multiplication problem.
Unit 2 Lesson 18 Math Expressions
Unit 2 Lesson 18 Tier 2
Describe a real world situation in which you would need to multiply multidigit numbers.
Unit 2 Lesson 18 Tier 1