Center
Math Stories (K–2)
Stage 1: How Many?
Narrative
Students ask and answer “how many” questions about pictures and represent the quantity with a number.
Variation:
Pages of picture books can also be offered to help students generate stories.
Stage 2: Act It Out
Narrative
One student uses the background mat to tell a story that includes a question. The other student uses counters or connecting cubes to act out the story and answer the question. Both students draw a picture and write the answer to the story problem on their recording sheet.
Stage 3: How Many of Each?
Narrative
One student tells a story based on a picture. The other student uses objects or drawings to represent the story. Then students switch roles and use the same picture to tell a different story. After telling two stories about the same picture, students choose another picture and repeat.
Stage 4: Add and Subtract
Narrative
Students pose and solve addition and subtraction story problems about pictures. Students write an equation to represent their story problem.
Variation:
Pages of picture books can also be offered to help students generate stories.
Stage 5: Tape Diagrams
Narrative
Students pose and solve addition and subtraction story problems about tape diagrams.