Journal Prompts
Unit 2 – Lesson 1 – Math Expressions
Tier 2
Create your own story about cats. Draw the story. Write the partners and total. How does drawing a picture help you find the total?
Tier 1
There are 4 birds in a nest. Then 1 more bird flies into the nest. How many birds are in the nest now? Is this story about adding? Write or draw how you know.
Challenge
Write an addition story about 6 dogs. Draw a picture that shows the partners in the story.
Journal Prompts
Unit 2 – Lesson 2 -Math Expressions
Tier 2
Make a circle drawing for the partners 3 and 5. What totals does the drawing show? Do the two partners together equal the same as the total? Draw or write how you know.
Tier 1
Write a story problem for the partners 4 and 5. Change papers with a friend. Then make a circle drawing for your friend’s story.
Challenge
Choose a set of partners for 8 and write a story problem about them. Solve the problem by drawing the objects in the story or making a circle drawing. Which way did you choose and why?
Journal Prompts
Unit 2 – Lesson 3 - Math Expressions
Tier 2
Two addition equations show a total of 10. Can they have different partners? Write or draw your answer.
Tier 1
A circle drawing has 3 circles in the first part and 5 circles in the second part. Write an addition equation for the drawing.
Challenge
An addition equation shows a total of 4. Is there more than one way to write the equation? Draw or write how you know.
Journal Prompts
Unit 2 – Lesson 4 -Math Expressions
Tier 2
Taby has 2 hats. Then she gets 4 more. Now, Taby has 6 hats. Write an equation for this addition story. Explain why you think your equation is right.
Tier 1
Jan has 3 fish. Then he catches 5 more fish. Now Tan has 8 fish in all. Is this total correct? Write the equation for the story. Then explain why you think the total is correct or not?
Challenge
Write an addition equation. Then write or draw a story for the equation. Explain why the total is a reasonable answer.
Journal Prompts
Unit 2 – Lesson 5 -Math Expressions
Tier 2
Use the partners 5 and 2 to write an addition equation. Show two ways to find the total.
Tier 1
Draw dots to show 5 + 3 = ______. Count all the dots to find the total. Explain whether counting all or counting on is faster.
Challenge
Add the numbers 4 and 5. Draw a dot picture and count on to find the total. Change the order of the numbers and draw a different dot picture. Count on to find the total. Which way was easier to count and why?
Journal Prompts
Unit 2 – Lesson 6 - Math Expressions
Tier 2
Write the equation 4 + 3= ______and solve it. Then explain to a classmate how you found the total.
Tier 1
Write an addition equation that shows doubles. Count on with dots or fingers to find the total. What if you switch the partners and count on? Tell what you think will happen.
Challenge
Write an addition equation that shows a total less than 5. Write another equation that shows a total greater than 8. Tell how you did it.
Journal Prompts
Unit 2 – Lesson 7 - Math Expressions
Tier 2
Write a number on the first line that is less than 5. Now count on to find the total. Explain how you counted on.
______+ 4 = ______
Tier 1
Write an addition equation. Solve the equation with a calculator. Does it matter which number you enter first on the calculator? Explain.
Challenge
Write and solve an addition equation. Then write a story problem that has the same total but uses different partners. Show how to solve the problem.
Journal Prompts
Unit 2 – Lesson 8 - Math Expressions
Tier 2
Write two different equations that show the total of 5. How did you find the equations? Draw or write to explain.
Tier 1
Choose a number 5 – 10. Write as many addition equations as you can for that total. Use counters if needed.
Challenge
Jana says 3 + 4 = 7 is a true equation. Do you agree? Tell why or why not.
Journal Prompts
Unit 2 – Lesson 9 - Math Expressions
Tier 2
Look at this equation: 3 + 4 = _____. Copy the equation. Find the total. Write and solve another addition equation that has the same total.
Tier 1
Choose a number up to 10. Write 3 equations that have the same answer of 10. Make circle drawings to check your answer.
Challenge
Write your age on the paper. Count on 2. Write the addition equation. Solve the equation. The total is how old you will be in 2 years.
Journal Prompts
Unit 2 – Lesson 10 - Math Expressions
Tier 2
5 children are at the park. Then 2 go home. Write an equation for the story. Show how to solve it.
Tier 1
Write a subtraction story problem and draw a picture to solve it. Then write the equation. Explain how you know your answer makes sense.
Challenge
Write six subtraction equations. The answer to each equation should be 3. Explain your thinking.
Journal Prompts
Unit 2 – Lesson 11 - Math Expressions
Tier 2
Draw 6 circles. Cross out 5 of them. What subtraction equation does the drawing show? Explain how you know.
Tier 1
8 monkeys are in a tree. 3 jump down. Make a circle drawing and write a subtraction equation for this story.
Challenge
Solve each equation.
5 + 3 = ______
5 – 3 = ______
Tell what is the same and what is different.
Journal Prompts
Unit 2 – Lesson 12 - Math Expressions
Tier 2
A drawing has 8 circles, with the first 3 circles crossed out. Write a subtraction equation for this drawing. Explain how you decided where to write the numbers and the signs in the equation.
Tier 1
Nick picks 6 apples. He gives Lynne 2 apples. Nick has 4 apples left. Write an equation for this story. What signs would you use? Explain your thinking.
Challenge
Write a subtraction equation that is false. Tell how you know it is false. Then change it to make it a true equation.
Journal Prompts
Unit 2 – Lesson 13 - Math Expressions
Tier 2
Write an equation for this subtraction problem: I have 5 stamps. Then I use 2 stamps. How many stamps do I have left? Explain how you wrote the equation.
Tier 1
Tina picks 10 flowers. She gives 8 flowers to her mother. Tina says she has 6 flowers left. Is this reasonable? Explain your thinking.
Challenge
Write a story that could be represented by the equation
10 – 4 = 6.
Journal Prompts
Unit 2 – Lesson 14 - Math Expressions
Tier 2
Write an addition equation. Write a related subtraction equation. Label the total in both the addition and the subtraction equation with a small T.
Tier 1
Write the equation 4 + 2 = 6. Now write the equation 6 – 2 = 4. How are the two equations the same? How are they different?
Challenge
Write an equation to solve 6 plus 3. Write the related subtraction. Did you write the subtraction as an equation or a vertical form? Why?
Journal Prompts
Unit 2 – Lesson 15 - Math Expressions
Tier 2
Write and solve an equation and a vertical form for the numbers 4 + 5. Tell how they are the same and different.
Tier 1
Lily has 9 oranges and she gives 3 away. Do you need to add or subtract to figure out how many oranges Lily has left? Tell how you know.
Challenge
Write a story problem for the equation 10 – 3 = 7. Then write the vertical form.
Journal Prompts
Unit 2 – Lesson 16 - Math Expressions
Tier 2
Make up your own math story about animals you have seen or read about. How can counters or drawings help you solve the problem?
Tier 1
Write addition and subtraction equations using the numbers 10, 6, and 4. Then tell how to check that the equations are true.
Challenge
Write an addition and subtraction story problem about animals.