Solving Multi-step
Word Problems
Fourth Grade
Math Night
October 8, 2014
Fourth Grade Common Core
4.OA: Use the four operations with whole numbers to
solve problems.
• 3) Solve multistep word problems posed with whole
numbers and having whole-number answers using the
four operations, including problems in which
remainders must be interpreted. Represent these
problems using equations with a letter standing for the
unknown quantity. Assess the reasonableness of
answers using mental computation and estimation
strategies including rounding.
Word Problems
THEN
The city flower shop
sold12,398 pink roses on
Valentine’s Day. They sold
16,707 red roses. How
many pink and red roses
did the city flower shop sell
altogether on Valentine’s
Day?
NOW
The city flower shop sold
12,398 pink roses on
Valentine’s Day. They sold
4,309 more red roses than
pink roses. How many pink
and red roses did the city
flower shop sell altogether
on Valentine’s Day?
Our Problem Solving Process
1. First Read: Underline the question, label units for the
answer, envision the problem
2. Second Read: Find and circle information you need to
solve the problem
3. Make a sketch, table, or diagram if you need to
4. Third Read: Identify each step and its equation
5. Carefully solve each step and answer the problem. Ask
yourself, “Does my solution answer the questions?”
How do we incorporate problem
solving into our daily routines?
• Morning Messages
• Problem Solver
• Daily math lessons have a word problem associated
with the concept being taught
• Performance Tasks
Let’s try it out…
Part A: A grocery store had cans of soup on 7 different
shelves. The bottom 4 shelves each had 29 cans. The
top 3 shelves each had 42 cans. What was the total
number of cans on the shelves?
Part B: After 56 cans of soup were sold, the clerk
moved the remaining cans to a display case. The
display case had shelves that could each hold 9 cans.
How many shelves were needed to fit all the
remaining cans?
Potential challenges for our
students…
• More than one equation
• More than one operation
• Understanding that one equation builds on another
• Knowing which operations match the problem
• Understanding what the answer really is after
solving multiple equations