Vegetables * Freight * Livestock Each train always has 18 cars. There are never more than 10 cars of one kind. Freight cars that are the same are always connected together.

K-W-C K---what do you know for sure? W---what are you trying to find out? C---are there any special conditions? Special rules? Tricks to watch out for? Things to remember?

K-W-C The Freight Trains At the train station there are many different freight trains. They carry 3 kinds of freight across the United States: lumber livestock, and vegetables. Each train has some lumber cars, some livestock cars, and some vegetables cars. Each train always has 18 freight cars. There are never more than 10 cars of one kind. Freight cars that are the same are always connected together. How many different ways of making trains with 18 cars can you find? Students have to talk to solve these types of problems. That is where the language comes in. A problem like this requires more thinking than a simple computation problem. And of course it’s a math problem. Students record information for problem like this on a K W C chart. The use of manipulatives help students to visualize solving the problem.

K-W-C The Freight Trains

Participant Involvement The teachers will work collaboratively to complete the KWC chart. We will discuss. Likely some bits of information could appear in two different columns. Discuss how this conversation-debate is good for the students. Ask what grade level(s) they think this problem would work with.

Freight Trains Problem Discuss our use of the problem with grade 2 students. Discuss ideas and rationale for and benefits of using the problem during the first week of school for grades 3-5. Discuss that tasks such as the freight trains problem are desirable – refer to the tasks and resources for VDOE Math Institutes from 2012 & 2013. Share my version of the task. (Pets at a friends house.)

Complete a K-W-C for this item. A box weighs 87 ounces. Andre’ needs to know the weight of the box in pounds and ounces. How would you solve this problem?

K-W-C A box weighs 87 ounces. Andre’ needs to know the weight of the box in pounds and ounces. How would you solve this problem? Special Conditions—tell or remind students that there are 16 ounces in a pound. When creating word problems, connect other math concepts.

Complete a K-W-C for this item. The tree in Carla’s yard is 9 yards tall. How many feet tall is the tree?