standard_description: Solve two-step word problems using the four operations. Represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies including rounding. (This standard is limited to problems posed with whole numbers and having whole number answers; students should know how to perform operations in the conventional order when there are no parentheses to specify a particular order (Order of Operations).)
problem_activity: Narrative
In this task, students create their own word problems that must have a specific answer and follow additional constraints involving the type of operations that could be used to solve the problem or the size of the numbers they can use (MP2, MP4).
Launch
Groups of 2
Activity
5 minutes: independent work time
10 minutes: partner work time
Student Facing
Elena, Noah, and Han each created a problem with an answer of 1,564.
Elena used multiplication.
Noah used multi-digit numbers and addition only.
Han used multiplication and subtraction.
Write a problem that each student could have written. Show that the answer to the question is 1,564.
Elena‘s problem:
Solution:
Noah‘s problem:
Solution:
Han‘s problem:
Solution:
Student Response
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Activity Synthesis
Select 1
–2 students to share the problem they created for each constraint.
Consider asking:
“How did you start?”
“How did you make sure 1,564 would be the answer? How did you make sure your problem would match what each student used?”


aligns: no