In this lesson plan, your learner will engage with First Then Now addition stories, providing a structured approach to understanding and solving addition problems. Starting with concrete objects and progressing to abstract representations, your learner will explore the connection between story problems and equations, enhancing their understanding of addition concepts.
Before beginning the lesson, your learner should be familiar with writing equations.
Types of Addition Problems
In previous lessons, your learner has worked with part-part-whole problems. Here are a few concepts that are helpful to know about part-part-whole and first-then-now addition.
First-Then-Now Addition: First-then-now addition problems describe a sequence of actions where an initial quantity is joined to or combined with another quantity. For example: First, there were 5 students in the classroom. Then, 2 more students arrived. Now, there are 7 students in the classroom. The equation can be written as 5 + 2 = 7.
Part-Part-Whole Addition: On the other hand, part-part-whole addition problems describe the part-part-whole relationships between quantities. For example: A basket contains 7 apples where 4 are red and 3 are green. This equation can be written as 7 = 4 + 3.
Writing Addition Equations
During the lesson, your learner will practice writing equations that represent the story problems.
While addition equations can be written in multiple ways due to the commutative property (where the order of addends does not change the sum), it's important to align the structure of addition equations with the specific sequence of events in first-then-now stories.
For example, if the story states "First, 4 children were playing. Then, 2 more children joined them. Now, there are 6 children playing", the corresponding addition equation should be written as 4 + 2 = 6 to reflect the sequence of events.
Teaching Plan
The following activities will help your learner become confident in understanding and solving first-then-now addition stories. Be sure to work at a pace that is comfortable for your learner.
Examples and visuals to support the lesson:
1. Introducing First Then Now Stories
To start, introduce your learner to the structure of first-then-now stories.
Provide your learner with a variety of addition stories in the format of "first-then-now." Encourage your learner to act out the story using concrete objects.
For example: First, four children were sitting on the bus. Then, three more children got on the bus. Now, seven children are sitting on the bus.
Once your learner is confident with modeling the stories with objects, introduce picture representations. Present the pictures alongside the story while labeling each part of the picture to correspond with the story. Discuss the connections between the story and the picture, focusing on the value by which the first element is increased.
Skill Check
I can act out first-then-now stories with objects and pictures.
2. Equations for First Then Now Addition
Next, introduce abstract representations with the pictures. Include numbers and symbols to represent each step of the story.
Using the example of children on the bus, you can label the first step as "4," the second step as "+ 3," and the last step as "7." Then show the complete equation as 4 + 3 = 7.
Ask your learner to describe how each numeral and symbol relates to each part of the story. Encourage them to use complete sentences such as "The four represents the number of children on the bus at the start." Emphasize the connection between the addition sign and the increase in the number of children during the "then" step.
Continue to practice with additional stories, including examples that involve zero as an added.
Skill Check
I can describe how equations represent first-then-now stories.
3. Modeling with Story Mats
This activity will introduce your learner to representing first-then-now stories with story mats. This will strengthen the connection between the story problem and abstract representations.
Provide your learner with a first-then-now story along with ten counters and a story mat. The story mat can include three large boxes to represent each step of the story. Under the boxes, provide spaces for your learner to write the numerals and form a complete equation.
Use an example to demonstrate how to use the story mat. Here is an example: First, three children were sitting on the carpet. (Place three counters in the first box and write 3 underneath.) Then, two more children sit on the carpet. (Move the three counters to the second box and add two more. Write +2 underneath.) Now, there are five children on the carpet. (Move all five counters to the last box and write 5 underneath.) Then write the complete equation as 3 + 2 = 5.
Have your learner practice using the counters and story mats to record several stories. When they are comfortable with using the story mat, encourage your learner to make up their own story and record it on a story mat.
As they are using the story mat, ask your learner questions to check their understanding. For example, point at the first box and ask, "how many were there at the beginning?" Or point to the second box and ask, "How did the number change?"
Skill Check
I can represent first-then-now stories with story mats.
4. Using Various Visual Aids
Next, have your learner explore other visual aids to represent the story problems.
Provide your learner with counters and a ten frame. Place counters on the ten frame to show the first step of the story. Make sure that the counters show the same color. Then add counters in a different color to show the second step of the story.
Once your learner is comfortable with modeling stories on ten frames, encourage them to use other visual aids such as bar models and number lines.
For a bar model, you can use grid paper and shade in the squares to represent the steps of the story. To show 4 + 2 = 6, you can color in 4 squares, then color in 2 more squares. Emphasize that the final result shows a total of four.
On a number line, addition is demonstrated as counting forward from a starting point. To show 2 + 3 = 5, start at 2 on the number line and count forward (or "jump") three spaces to land on 5. Emphasize that where we land on the number line shows the final result of the story.
Skill Check
I can use different math tools to represent first-then-now stories.
5. Checking Understanding
Provide your learner with a variety of tasks to encourage deeper thinking and to assess your learner's understanding of the lesson.
Present your learner with a story and a list of equations. Ask your learner to pick the equation that matches the story. Have them explain why the equation matches the story and why the others do not.
Similarly, you can provide them with an equation and a list of story problems. Have them choose the story that matches the equation. Then ask them why that story matches the equation and why the others do not.
Next, provide them with a story and have them write an equation to match them. Or provide them with an equation and have them draw a story that matches it.
Skill Check
I can match first-then-now stories with addition equations.
Through this lesson plan, your learner has engaged in a progressive exploration of addition stories using the "first-then-now" format. Beginning with concrete objects and advancing to abstract representations, they have deepened their understanding of addition concepts setting the stage for further exploration of math operations including subtraction.
With over 12 years of experience as a classroom teacher, tutor, and homeschool parent, my specialty is easing math anxiety for students of all ages. I'm committed to empowering parents to confidently support their children in math!
Skill Check