Story Problems for End-of-Year Exploration

Guest blogger, Shelly Scheafer, teaches 1st grade in the Bend-LaPine School District, Oregon. Here she suggests a wonderful idea to complete the year. It could be modified to fit a variety of grade levels and mathematical content.

It's the end of the year. What will you do with the Math Story Problems the students created?

Whether I've saved the children's picture problems as work samples or compiled them into class books, at the end of the year I like to return the work to students. I put each child's collection together into his or her own book of math stories. At the back of the book I staple a simple "Answers" page. Then on one of the last days of school, I give the students their books and have them write answers for their math stories. I run several extra copies back-to-front so students can trade books with each other and solve these problems as well. Since the students are able to do this on their own, I am free to finish end of the year assessments or other needed tasks.

I provide simple stamps and clipart for students to use when creating their problems. This is a real time-saver and helps keep students focused on the math. During Unit 5 (grade 1), I have students create a composite shape picture using the paper pattern block shapes and write a math problem to accompany this picture.