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Write equations from stories

A learner translates a short story situation into an addition or subtraction equation, identifying the quantities, their relationship, and the unknown—whether it is the result, a change, or a starting or part quantity—and representing the unknown with a box, blank, or letter. The learner interprets the equal sign as stating that two quantities have the same value and can represent one- or two-step situations with numbers generally within 100; formal symbolic algebra, generalized variables, and more complex operations are beyond this scope.

Detailed Explanation: Write equations from stories

To write an equation from a story:

  1. Find the quantities you know.
  2. Decide what is happening: are you joining, separating, or comparing?
  3. Find what is unknown.
  4. Use a box for the unknown.

Example

Mia has 27 stickers. She gives 9 stickers to her friend. How many stickers does Mia have left?

  • Mia starts with (27)(27) stickers.
  • She gives away 99, so the number gets smaller.
  • The unknown is how many stickers are left.
  • Use subtraction:
27−9=□27 - 9 = \square

The box stands for the number of stickers left. The equal sign means that (27−9)(27 - 9) and the number in the box have the same value.

Solving the equation:

27−9=1827 - 9 = 18

So, Mia has (18)(18) stickers left.

Learn by doing: Write equations from stories

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    Algebraic Equation from Sentence - Addition and Subtraction

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