Connecting Representations · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Stories, pictures, and number sentences

Mathematics · Mathematical Thinking · ages 6-7
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Leo has 6 red beads and 2 blue beads. Which number sentence tells how many beads he has?

    • 6 − 2 = 4
    • 6 + 2 = 8
    • 6 + 6 = 12

  2. Which story matches the number sentence 3 + 5 = 8?

    • Ana had 8 shells and gave 5 away
    • Ana had 5 shells and lost 3 of them
    • Ana had 3 shells and found 5 more

  3. This picture shows 8 buttons, then 2 more buttons joining them. The number sentence 8 − 2 = 6 matches the picture.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Look at the picture. 5 dots, then 2 more dots. What number sentence matches?

    • 5 + 2 = 7
    • 5 − 2 = 3
    • 5 + 5 = 10

  5. Look at the picture of fish. Which story matches it?

    • Nine fish swim, then 2 swim away
    • Two fish swim, then 7 more join them
    • Seven fish swim, then 7 more join them

  6. A bar model shows a total of 8. One part is 5. What is the other part?

    Answer: ______________

  7. A glass of soda has 8 ounces and another has 5 ounces. Sam says the drawing of 8 dots next to 5 dots matches the number sentence 8 + 5 = 13 when the question is: how much soda is there in all? Is Sam right?

    Circle one:   True   False

  8. Nine plums sit in a bowl. Sam eats 3 of them. Which number sentence matches the story?

    • 9 + 3 = 12
    • 9 − 3 = 6
    • 9 − 6 = 3

  9. Some frogs sat on a log. Then 6 more frogs hopped on, and now there are 15 frogs. Nita's number sentence starts with a blank: ___ + 6 = 15. What number belongs in the blank?

    Answer: ______________

  10. A word problem says: "Twelve birds sit on a fence. Five fly away. How many are left?" Priya draws a part-whole picture with parts 12 and 5 that add to 17. Did she draw the right picture?

    • No, this is a take-away story, not an add-to-whole story
    • Yes, her picture is correct
    • No, because 12 and 5 do not add to 17
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Stories, pictures, and number sentences W1-mt_EBYGhd8X3x-s1

  1. 6 + 2 = 8 · The red beads and the blue beads are both his, so the two groups go together: 6 + 2 = 8.
  2. Ana had 3 shells and found 5 more · The plus sign means more shells arrive. Ana starts with 3, finds 5 more, and ends with 8.
  3. False · The buttons are joining, so the sentence needs a plus sign: 8 + 2 = 10. A minus sign would mean buttons went away.
  4. 5 + 2 = 7 · The picture shows 5 dots, then 2 more, which matches 5 + 2 = 7.
  5. Two fish swim, then 7 more join them · The picture holds a group of 2 with a group of 7 beside it, so the story is about fish joining, not leaving.
  6. 3 · 8 is the whole. Take away the known part: 8 − 5 = 3 is the missing part.
  7. True · Putting two amounts together means adding. The 8 dots and 5 dots show the two amounts, and 8 + 5 = 13 tells the same story.
  8. 9 − 3 = 6 · Eating plums takes them away, so the bowl gets smaller. Start at 9, take away the 3 Sam eats, and 6 are left.
  9. 9 · The 15 counts every frog at the end, and 6 of those hopped on later, so the log started with 9 frogs.
  10. No, this is a take-away story, not an add-to-whole story · Birds flying away is subtraction, not addition. The picture should show 12 total with 5 taken away, leaving 7.
Worksheet · LightMySky