Holiday Math Magic: Adding and Subtracting to 1,000

Lesson Introduction:

Holiday Brainstorm: Begin by having students brainstorm a list of winter holidays celebrated in the US. Discuss some of the traditions and activities associated with each holiday.

Math Connection: Explain to students that math is all around us, even during the holidays! We can use addition and subtraction to solve real-world problems related to holiday shopping, cooking, decorating, and more.

Direct Instruction:

One-Step Problems: Start by reviewing simple one-step addition and subtraction problems. Use holiday-themed examples to keep students engaged.

Example 1: For Hanukkah, Sarah received 245 chocolate coins (gelt) from her family. Her friend gave her 135 more chocolate coins. How many chocolate coins does Sarah have now?

Example 2:  A Christmas tree had 350 ornaments.  The cat knocked off 25 ornaments. How many ornaments are left on the tree?

Two-Step Problems: Introduce two-step problems by breaking them down into smaller parts. Model how to solve the first step, then the second step.

Example 1:  A Kwanzaa feast has 120 servings of jerk chicken, 75 servings of fried plantains, and 50 servings of collard greens. How many total servings of food are there? If 30 people attend the feast, how many servings will be leftover?

Example 2:  For Diwali, a family put up 250 string lights outside and 125 lights inside. If 50 lights break, how many lights are still working?

Guided Practice:

Worksheet Activity: Provide students with a worksheet containing a variety of one- and two-step word problems related to winter holidays.

Partner Work: Have students work in pairs to solve the odd problems. Encourage them to discuss their strategies and check each other's work.

Independent Practice:

Holiday Story Problems: Have students complete the even problems independently.

Assessment:

Observe students' participation in class discussions and group activities.
Collect and assess students' completed worksheets.
Review students' self-created word problems for understanding of the concepts.

extension: Have students conduct a holiday-themed survey and graph the results.
differentiation: Provide struggling students with manipulatives or visual aids to help them solve the problems. Offer simplified word problems with smaller numbers.

Use the student worksheet linked in the resources tab to assess student learning outcomes.