1. What are the steps in the Four Step Plan to solve math problems?
Miss Hartgrove
Hanes Middle School
Work System:
-- Instruction
--Practice as a whole class
--Small Group Blue Folder (word problem graphic organizer for independent work)
--Small Group Green Folder (cut and paste homework to put the 4 steps in order)
--Small Group Yellow Folder (matching activity – if time allows)
Preview vocabulary

2. Lesson Outline Today we are going to…
Talk about what it means to solve problems.
Learn the best way to solve math problems.
Use our new problem solving plan to solve math problems.

3. What do you already know about problem solving?

4. What do you want to learn about problem solving?
Model: “I would like to be able to answer the question: “How do I know which math operation I need to do in order to solve the math problem?”.
Have the students share what they would like to learn or what questions they have about problem solving. Write their responses on individual post-it notes to be placed on the KWL chart.
Go over Math Detectives PowerPoint!

5. The Four Step Plan to Solving Math Problems
To help us solve math problems that we encounter in class, we are going to use a problem solving plan.
This plan gives you a step-by-step guide to solving any math problem.
If you use this plan, I can guarantee that you will be able to solve math problems!

6. Step One: Explore
In Step One you should identify the following information.
Read the problem
What do you know?
What do you need to find out?

7. Step Two: Plan
In Step Two you should identify the following information:
How can you solve the problem?
Estimate an answer.

8. Step Three: Solve
In Step Three you should identify the following information:
Solve the problem. What strategy did you use?
What is the solution?

9. Step Four: Examine
In Step Four you should identify the following information:
Re-read the problem.
Does the answer make sense?
Check your answer
Make a new plan if needed!

10. Let’s Practice with an Example:
Using the example word problem on the board, I am going to show you how we use the Four Step Plan. After this example, you will help me to solve a word problem using our checklist.

11. Example:
John collects toy trains. He already has 10 trains in his collection. For his birthday, his parents gave him 5 more trains. John also gets 3 trains from his aunt. While playing with the trains, 2 of them break. How many unbroken trains does John have?

12. Step One: Explore Read the problem What do you know? He has 10 trains
His parents gave him 5 trains
His aunt gave him 3 trains
2 trains broke
What do you need to find out?
How many trains does he have that are unbroken.

13. Step Two: Plan How can you solve the problem?
Add up the trains he has and that he was given. Subtract the 2 trains that broke from that total.

14. Step Three: Solve Solve the problem. What strategy did you use?
= 18 (total number given)
18 – 2 = 16

15. Step Four: Examine Re-read the problem. Does the answer make sense?
Yes, the answer make sense.
Check your answer.
= 18
18 – 5 – 3 = 10 (The answer is correct because the number equals the number of trains he had originally.)

16. Let’s Practice!
Use the example problem below to help me complete the graphic organizer and solve the problem. Billy read 3 books over the summer. Each book took him 3 weeks to read. How many weeks did it take Billy to read all 3 books?

17. Step One: Explore Read the problem What do you know?
What do you need to find out?

18. Step Two: Plan
How can you solve the problem?

19. Step Three: Solve
Solve the problem.

20. Step Four: Examine Re-read the problem. Does the answer make sense?
Check your answer.

21. Independent Practice
Work with your small group to solve the problem below. Use the graphic organizer in your blue folder to solve the problem. Susan babysits for her neighbors. She earns $10.00 for each hour she works. If Susan worked 3 hours, how much money did she make?

22. Step One: Explore Read the problem What do you know?
What do you need to find out?

23. Step Two: Plan
How can you solve the problem?

24. Step Three: Solve
Solve the problem.

25. Step Four: Examine Re-read the problem. Does the answer make sense?
Check your answer.