Pigeon Math Story Problems-FREEBIE

I am all about themed story problem units!  They engage students and keep them invested in the story being told.  So when I read Pigeon Math by Asia Citro, I knew that it was a great springboard for a new themed unit.

The book introduces story problems by adding and subtracting pigeons in and out of the story.  The characters have silly faces and funny situations, so it will get students invested and interested.  Once this is read, I would dive right into students solving problems with birds on and off a telephone wire.



Story mats are a great way to get started.  This one can be printed off and laminated.  Or you can have students make their own.

Next up...manipulatives.  Using bird manipulatives (provided in the free product), students then solve the problems being read aloud by me.  I prefer to do this in a small group format so that I can monitor the process that they are using.  But the concrete materials are imperative when following the model:

The story problems are written out in categories.  You can create more as you determine the skills that are most challenging for your groups of students.  The wide variety also allows you to differentiate the skills taught within your small groups.

Once students have worked with concrete materials, I like to combine the representational models with the concrete.  I might ask them to solve it with concrete materials and then show that thinking on a dry erase board.  Or I may show it for them, modeling what they did with concrete materials in a written way.  Once they are ready, we will take the manipulatives away and I will ask them to only show it on paper.

The final stage is for them to solve the problems in the most abstract way...equations.

If you have not tried using themed story problems, give it a try and let me know!  There are so many possibilities out there and this is just one of them.  Click on the product below to try it out for free.  Or pin it for later.