Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 31344
Amazing Animal Athletes (Addition and Subtraction Story
Problems)
In this lesson, students will be able to solve one and two step word problems using addition and subtraction to compare human and animal athletic
abilities. This lesson focuses on identifying the information given, comparing numbers, and identifying the missing information needed to solve the
word problem using either addition or subtraction.
Subject(s): Mathematics
Grade Level(s): 2
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter,
Microsoft Office
Instructional Time: 59 Minute(s)
Resource supports reading in content area: Yes
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: addition, subtraction, word problems
Instructional Design Framework(s): Cooperative Learning
Resource Collection: CPALMS Lesson Plan Development Initiative
ATTACHMENTS
Amazing_Animal_Athletes_Presentation.pptx
Amazing_Animal_Athletes_Worksheet.docx
Amazing_Animal_Athletes_Bar_Graph.xlsx
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
The students will be able to solve one and two step word problems using addition and subtraction. This lesson focuses on identifying the information given, comparing
numbers, and identifying the missing information needed to solve the word problem using either addition or subtraction.
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
This activity requires the students to be able to fluently add and subtract two digit numbers, write a number sentence, compare numbers, and understand ordering
numbers from greatest to least.
This lesson will focus on determining important information in a word problem which requires one or two steps, using addition and subtraction.
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
1. What information do you know to help you solve the problem?
2. What information are you asked to find?
3. Should you use addition or subtraction to solve the problem? How do you know?
4. Can you write a number sentence to reflect your answer?
5. Does a slower speed mean less or more speed? How do you know?
6. Does a faster speed mean less or more speed? Explain.
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
page 1 of 3 1. Introduce excitement for the lesson by reading the picture book Which Animals Are the Best Athletes? (I like Reading about Animals!) By Faith Hickman Brynie.
2. Following a brief discussion about the book, bring the class focus back to math and using addition and subtraction to compare animal athletes to human athletes in
the Amazing Animal Athletes PowerPoint presentation. (attached to this lesson)
3. Read the first slide, "How many seconds after the cheetah would the girl cross the finish line? The girl says, 'It takes me 10 seconds to run the 100 yard dash.' The
cheetah says, 'It takes me 3 seconds to run the 100 yard dash.'"
4. Ask the class, "What information do we have and what information are we asked to find?"
5. Model for the class through thinking aloud, express, "I know the girl will finish the 100 yard dash in ten seconds, and the cheetah will finish the same race in three
seconds."
Write on the board: Girl – 10 seconds; Cheetah – 3 seconds
Continue thinking aloud, "This is what I know. I need to know how many seconds after the cheetah the girl will finish. If I compare the number I know that 10 is
larger than 3, so it will take the girl longer to finish the race. I want to find the difference so would subtract the numbers."
Write 10 – 3 = ___
State, "Using subtraction I can solve this problem. Since 10 minus 3 equals 7, I know the girl will finish the 100 yard dash 7 seconds after the cheetah."
Write the number 7 in the number sentence.
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
1. Continue to slide two, read the information. "How many seconds before the man will the whale finish the race? The whale says, 'It takes me 14 seconds to swim
100 yards.' The man says, 'It takes me 40 seconds to swim 100 yards.'"
2. Ask the class to restate the problem and identify what information they know and what information they are asked to find.
3. Have students work in partners or cooperative groups to solve the problem, the calculations can be done on white boards, scrap paper, or in math journals.
4. Randomly select an individual through Popsicle Sticks or Numbered Heads to share his/her answer and show their work to the class explaining their reasoning for
choosing addition or subtraction.
5. Continue the PowerPoint presentation while the students work cooperatively in partners or groups, and discuss their answers whole group. (see Feedback to
Students section to support students as they work)
Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
1. Pass out the worksheet, Amazing Animal Athletes Worksheet Word Document (attached to this lesson), to each student.
2. The student can continue to work in partners, or cooperative learning groups, to solve for the speed of each animal on the worksheet.
3. Continue to circulate and ask Feedback to Students questions:
What information do you know to help you solve the problem?
What information are you asked to find?
Should you use addition or subtraction to solve the problem?
Can you write a number sentence to reflect your answer?
Does a slower speed mean less or more speed?
Does a faster speed mean less or more speed?
4. Once students have found the speed of all ten animals they should rank the animals from fastest speed to slowest speed on a separate piece of paper, in their math
journal, or on a white board.
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
1. Number the board 1 through 10.
2. After students have completed their worksheet, and ranking of animals, ask students to share their rankings to compile a whole class list.
3. Randomly select an individual through Popsicle Sticks or Numbered Heads to share which animal was the fastest, and what was that animal's speed.
4. Write this animal name at #1 followed by the speed.
5. Ask the class if they agree by showing thumbs up. If a student disagrees, ask him/her to explain which animal they believe should be listed in this position of the
listing.
6. Continue to complete the list of animals and their speeds from fastest to slowest.
7. Now have the class establish where the man would fit on this list to determine how many animals are slower than the man, and how many animals are faster than
the man.
8. Ask the students if they were in a race with animals, which animal would they want to race against.
9. Have the students write the following sentence and corresponding number sentence in their math journal.
I can run 27 miles per hour. The ____________________ can run ____________ animal speed miles per hour. ______________ would win the race.
Example answer: I can run 27 miles per hour. The mouse can run 8 miles per hour. I would win the race. 27 – 8 = 19
Summative Assessment
Read aloud a simple subtraction word problem.
A rabbit can run 35 miles per hour; a coyote runs 43 miles per hour. How much slower is the rabbit than the coyote?
Instruct the students to identify the information they know from this problem, the information they need to find, and write and solve a number sentence for this
problem.
Students can write their response in their math journal or on an exit card to be handed in.
The teacher can use this response in combination with the independent work to determine if students have mastered the concepts in this lesson.
Formative Assessment
Read aloud a simple subtraction word problem.
A rabbit can run 35 miles per hour; a pig is 24 miles per hour slower than the rabbit, how fast can the pig run.
Write on the board, Rabbit runs 35 mph - Pig is 24 mph slower.
Inform the students this is the information we know.
Instruct the students to solve the problem to determine the speed of the pig. This can be done in math journals or on individual white boards.
Check student responses for accuracy and determine if the students are ready to continue with this lesson.
Feedback to Students
As the class works in partners or cooperative groups on the problems introduced in the Amazing Animal Athletes PowerPoint presentation (attached), observe
students work, listen to their reasoning, and check for accuracy.
Ask questions such as:
What information do you know to help you solve the problem?
page 2 of 3 What information are you asked to find?
Should you use addition or subtraction to solve the problem?
Can you write a number sentence to reflect your answer?
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations:
Give counters to students who struggle with subtraction to model their answers, comparing the two amounts to see that one group of counters is more or less than
the other.
Create partners and cooperative groups to match students to support each other, matching stronger students with those who many need additional support.
Print PowerPoint in Handout form for students who struggle with reading from the presentation or become distracted by looking at a presentation and then their
work area.
If students have a difficult time completing assignments within the lesson time frame, reduce the amount of items the students have to complete.
Extensions:
Have students choose another athletic event, possibly swimming, jumping, weightlifting, or similar measurable event and have them create their own word problem
and illustration to share as a class, display on bulletin board, or bind in project book.
The teacher may want to utilize a bar graph to show the animal speeds alone with the listing of speeds to illustrate the differences in speed visually.
Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter, Microsoft Office
Special Materials Needed:
Secure a copy of Which Animals Are the Best Athletes? (I like Reading about Animals!) By Faith Hickman Brynie
Download Amazing Animal Athletes PowerPoint presentation Print and Copy Amazing Animal Athletes Worksheet Word Document (attached) for each student
White board/markers, separate paper, or journals for each student to record answers
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
Lesson is based on an idea from Play Ball, Sports Math (I Love Math) by Time Life for Children.
Images for Worksheet and PowerPoint taken from Microsoft Office Clip Art archive.
Speed of animals from http://www.speedofanimals.com/
Data used in PowerPoint is fictitious and only for the purpose of creating math problems, not to give accurate representations of the abilities of humans or animals.
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Judith Scapecchi
Name of Author/Source: Judith Scapecchi
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Seminole
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
MAFS.2.OA.1.1:
Description
Use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one- and two-step word problems involving situations of adding to,
taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using drawings and
equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.
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