Adding Three Numbers With SeeSaw

Students will:

• Be able to explain their thought process of solving a three number story problem and post their explanation to SeeSaw.

Vocabulary Words:

1. Story problem: A story problem is also known as word problems, which require you to read a problem and decide which operation to perform in order to get the answer.

To prepare for this lesson:

Before the lesson, teachers must set up SeeSaw accounts for their classes and invite parents to join.

• Please view the TEACHER video on using SeeSaw in the classroom. 

• Students should also know the basic features of SeeSaw.

  • Please view the following videos to decide how your students will access SeeSaw.  Students can access it with email, a class code, or a QR code. 

    •  Student sign-in using email

    • Get Students Started on Seesaw: Sign in with a code

• Here is a student video on how to use SeeSaw. 

• The SeeSaw app needs to be downloaded on student devices or bookmarked on computers. 

• Teachers will need to have math manipulatives available for counting.

Note: SeeSaw has many other tutorials on their website and Help Center. 

See the Accommodations Page and Charts on the 21things4students website in the Teacher Resources. 

Directions for this activity:

1. Students have been adding three numbers together in story problems before this lesson. Today, they will read a story problem with three numbers and explain their thinking while recording on SeeSaw.

2. Explain to students that sometimes, we need to add more than two numbers together when working with a story problem. The teacher then shows an example problem with pictures and/or math manipulatives.

   Example: The brown dog has 3 bones, the gray dog has 10 bones, and the spotted dog has 7 bones. How many bones do all the dogs have together?
   

3. As you count the bones, model how to explain your thinking. You might say, “I need to tell you what I’m thinking. I’m going to count each of the bones the dogs have to know how many bones there are all together. As I count, I’m going to cross out each bone so I know I already counted it. Let’s count together…. 1, 2, 3….”
   

4. Once you have finished counting all the bones, model answering the question in a full sentence. You might say, “the dogs have 20 bones all together.”

5. Independent Work: Students take what they have learned about 3 number addition and draw their problem or use manipulatives to explain their thinking. Tip: Students might want to draw or take a picture first before recording. Then, talk about their problem while using the annotate and record function of SeeSaw.

6. Students open the SeeSaw app and press the “+” sign, then select the camera icon to take a photo.

7. Next, students select the draw tool to label their picture.

8. After labeling their picture, students tap the microphone and explain their thinking.

9. When finished, students select the green check to add it to their journal.

Note: Here is a photo of the steps to add and explain a photo in SeeSaw:

Different options for assessing the students:

• Observations
• Check for understanding
• Teachers can see what students have posted to their journal from the Teacher side of SeeSaw. They are able to leave feedback for students and intervene with any students who does not get the pattern concept.