Word Problems: The Problem with Keywords

• Discuss the pitfalls of teaching students to identify keywords in word problems

• Examine strategies for launching a word problem

Schedule:

5 minutes –     Settle in, take attendance, Intro question: What are the key concepts you aim for your students to grasp when solving word/application problems in math?

10-15 minutes –     Participants’ implementation share-out

3-5 minutes –     Transition into current module, connection between concepts: How can the concept of representations help students understand the context of word problems?

Workbook reflection: the workbook area for this module is minimal.

25-40 minutes –     Application discussion prompts: 

1. How can we shift the focus from teaching students to merely identify key words in math word problems to fostering a deeper understanding of the problem context and underlying mathematical concepts? 

2. Which routines stand out to you as ones you like to use? Why?  What would that look like in your upcoming lesson?

3. What can you do to try to use more routines in your classroom?  Is there a point where you could use too many routines?

4. In what ways do your current word problem launches help your students gain a robust understanding of the problem context and underlying math concepts? 

5. What challenges do your students express with word problems?  How could the topics of this module help to address some of those challenges?

5-10 minutes -     Wrap up: Each individual brainstorms "What can you do between now and our next meeting to incorporate or emphasize this topic more in your classroom?" and a few participants volunteer for the next session’s implementation share-out