standard_description: Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.
problem_activity: Narrative
The purpose of this Number Talk is to elicit strategies and understandings students have for the structure of adding within 20. These understandings help students develop fluency and will be helpful later in this lesson when students use relationships between addends to make equivalent expressions to find sums.
Launch
Display one expression.
“Give me a signal when you have an answer and can explain how you got it.”
1 minute: quiet think time
Activity
Record answers and strategy.
Keep expressions and work displayed.
Repeat with each expression.
Student Facing
Find the value of each expression mentally.
\(5 + 8\)
\(6 + 7\)
\(8 + 7\)
\(6 + 9\)
Student Response
Teachers with a valid work email address can
click here to register or sign in
for free access to Student Response.
Activity Synthesis
“Who can restate _____'s reasoning in a different way?”


aligns: no