INQUIRY PROJECT:

Making & Solving

Math Problems
(Grade 2)

#1 - Finding real life math

problems!
Students were asked to find
math problems in every day
life (outside of school) and
bring them to class to share
with us.

#1 - Finding real life math

problems!
There were 3 pets and 3 people
living in my house. We lost 1 pet
and got 1 pet. How many people
and pets living in my house now?
by Lexie

#1 - Finding real life math

problems!
I was eating noodles and it was
4:45 after school. I needed to
wait for the noodles to sit for 5
minutes. I had to watch the
clock but I didnt know what
time to wait for! (Dont worry. I
figured it out.) What time were
my noodles ready?
by Kaci

#2 What makes a math

problem?
We examined the problems
students brought in as well
as problems from our math
book to figure out the
important parts of a good
math problem.

#3 Awesome or awful?
Next, we created a rubric for
making good math problems,
using a smiley face for
awesome and sad face for
awful. We wrote the
descriptors together, but then
had a less wordy version for
student use.

#3 Awesome or awful?
Problem
Numbers
Meaning
Topic

Problem
Numbers
Meaning
Topic

Understandin Understandin
g
g

Sentences Sentences

#4 Lets make some

problems!
Students had opportunity to
create their own math
problems. They were given
the topic of zoo animals.
We discussed what type of
math problems might need
to dealt with at the zoo.

#4 Lets make some

problems!
There were 100 llamas, 100 pumas,
and 100 tigers. How many animals
together?
by Marc

#4 Lets make some

problems!
There are 20 sandcats. 9 are hungry.
How many sandcats are not hungry?
by Luke

#4 Lets make some

problems!
Students worked in small
groups to assess another
students zoo problem
using a rubric that they
copied from the board.

#4 Lets make some

problems!

#4 Lets make some

problems!
We reviewed several of
these assessments as a
class, having scanned the
problems written by the
students so they could be
shown on the
SmartBoard.

#4 Lets make some

problems!

#4 Lets make some

problems!
Students were given
another chance to create
their own problems, this
time given the topic of
sports. There was time for
discussion and then
students were partnered
up for feedback using the

#4 Lets make some

problems!

#5 Be the teacher!
(beginning our final task)

It was explained to the class

that each student would be
choosing a math problem
they created for other
students to try just like the
teacher chooses math
problems for students to try!

#5 Be the teacher!
(beginning our final task)

This meant that we had to

have really good problems
that other students would
understand. We wanted
them to look neat, so we
went to the computer lab to
type up our problems!

#5 Be the teacher!
(beginning our final task)

#6 Lets ask an expert!

We had an expert at solving math
problems come to our class our
school secretary. She solves many
math problems every day and she
could explain to our class the
importance of showing and
saving your thinking, rather than
just recording the final answer!

#6 Lets ask an expert!

I knew that our guest would be
showing us a program on the
computer that she uses to keep track
of money. We had been collecting
coins in our class to raise money to
provide people with clean water
part of our science unit so I had the
students count the coins to be
prepared for our guest.

#6 Lets ask an expert!

#6 Lets ask an expert!

#7 Is there only one way?

Our next focus is how to show
good answers or solutions to
math problems. All the
students tried the same
math problem and the
answers were scanned and
shown on the SmartBoard.

#7 Is there only one way?

#7 Is there only one way?

From looking at the many
different answers, we
discussed the variety of
strategies used to solve
the problem and we gave
names to those strategies.

#7 Is there only one way?

ANSWER STRATEGIES:
number sentences
drawing pictures
skip counting
showing steps
writing words

#8 Try something
different!
Students were challenged to
solve a problem two times
using a different strategy
each time. They needed to
show their thinking so that
the class would understand
their strategies.

#8 Try something
different!
I sailed 12 boats and my two brothers
sailed 4 boats altogether. Oh no! No
more boats! They broke so we crumpled
them up. How many boats did my
brothers and I sail?
by
Janae
We found at least eleven
different
strategies/combinations of
strategies/versions of
showing strategies when
our class tried to solve this
one problem. They all
lead to the same answer!

#8 I cant read your mind!

Following a this study about
solutions to math problems,
we created a rubric for good
answers, using the smiley
face and the sad face. We
have yet to practice with this
rubric.

#8 I cant read your mind!

Thinking Thinking
Solution Solution
Number Number
Sentence Sentence
Neatness Neatness

#9 Be the teacher!
(finishing our final task)

Students were required to create

an answer key for their typed
up math problems and they
had to show their thinking! It
was explained that teachers
usually create and use an
answer key to help them when
they mark.

#9 Be the teacher!
(finishing our final task)

We gave our questions to another

grade 2 class from another school.
After some more practice and
feedback with the answer rubric,
students will be ready to mark
these, using their knowledge that
not everyones thinking will look
the same, and thats okay!