Number Detective: Uncover the Missing Number

Contributor: Laquita Collins. Lesson ID: 14098

Get ready to embark on a thrilling detective mission! Grab your detective hats and dive into the mystery of the missing number. Uncover hidden clues and discover secret addends to solve the case!

30To1Hour
categories

Elementary

subject
Math
learning style
Auditory, Visual
personality style
Otter, Beaver
Grade Level
Primary (K-2)
Lesson Type
Skill Sharpener

Lesson Plan - Get It!

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Welcome, Young Detective!

  • Are you ready for a super cool adventure?

Imagine you're a real detective on a thrilling mission. Your job is to crack the secret codes hidden in math problems!

Here's the twist: There’s a mysterious missing number, and only you can find it!

Grab your detective gear and get set to uncover clues, solve tricky puzzles, and crack the case. The adventure starts now!

  • Are you ready to become a Number Detective and uncover the hidden secrets of word problems?

Dive in and solve the mystery!

Today, you're on a special mission to find hidden numbers and solve word problems!

  • Are you ready for your first case?

Imagine you’re a detective with a big box of crayons. You invited your friends over to color together.

You started with 5 crayons in your box.

Then, your friend gives you 3 more crayons.

Now, here's the mystery!

  • How many crayons do you have in your box now?

Take a look at the clues.

Clue 1: You started with 5 crayons.

Clue 2: You got 3 more crayons from your friend.

To solve the mystery, picture the 5 crayons you started with. You can use your fingers or draw a picture to help you see.

hand showing five fingers

Now, add 3 more fingers. count them up.

hand showing three fingers

  • How many crayons do you have in total now?

Awesome work! You have 8 crayons in your box.

Fantastic! You found out you have 8 crayons in your box.

Congratulations, Detective! You solved the mystery by breaking the problem into smaller steps.

Check out this video to learn another fun way to break down word problems by drawing.

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Great job! You learned how to use drawings to help solve word problems.

  • Are you ready to practice?

Fantastic!

You can use your fingers as secret counting tools or draw pictures to help you solve the problem.

boy with 4 balloons and a girl with 1 balloon

A brother has 4 balloons, and his sister gives him 1 more balloon.

  • How many balloons does he have in total?

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  • Did you get the correct answer?

Wow! You're a super smart Number Detective!

Solving word problems is like piecing together a puzzle. You must understand what the problem is asking, use the numbers as clues, and find the missing number.

Just like when you solved the mystery of the crayons.

Check out this video to learn more about finding the missing number!

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Awesome job on learning how to break down word problems!

  • Did you know that finding the missing numbers happens all the time in real life?

It’s like figuring out how many more toys you need to fill your toy box or how many more plates you need for dinner.

  • Ready for more practice?

Remember to use your fingers as your secret counting tool or draw a picture to help guide you.

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  • Did you get them all right?

Yay!

Great job solving word problems by breaking them down to find the missing number!

Go to the Got It? section to show off your detective skills!

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