Adding and Subtracting

Overview

This 3-minute lesson plan is designed for 3rd-grade students, aligning with Common Core Standard CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NBT.A.2 (Fluently add and subtract within 1,000). It targets developing accuracy and strategies for adding and subtracting whole numbers up to 1,000. This is the first of three lesson plans aimed at building fluency systematically and is edTPA-aligned, addressing Planning, Instruction, and Assessment components.

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Learning Objectives

• Primary: Students will fluently add and subtract within 1,000, with an emphasis on place value strategies (hundreds, tens, ones).
• CCSS Alignment: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NBT.A.2
• Competencies:
  • Use place value understanding to decompose numbers to add and subtract
  • Apply addition and subtraction strategies with objects and drawings
  • Demonstrate procedural fluency

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Materials

• Mini whiteboards and markers (1 per student)
• Large place value chart (classroom visual)
• Base-ten blocks (physical or picture cards)
• Prepared problem cards (addition and subtraction within 1,000)
• Timer or stopwatch

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Time Breakdown: 3 Minutes

Time (minutes)	Activity	Purpose
0:00 – 0:30	Set-Up and Connection	Prompt: “What happens when we add numbers? What about subtracting?” Engage prior knowledge.
0:30 – 1:30	Mini Lesson with Place Value Chart & Blocks	Demonstrate adding 437 + 256 using place value chart and base-ten blocks. Emphasize regrouping.
1:30 – 2:45	Student Practice on Mini Whiteboards	Call out problems (e.g., 652 – 178). Students solve using place value strategies, show answers, and explain thinking.
2:45 – 3:00	Quick Formative Check and Closure	Review a few answers aloud. Praise effective strategies and emphasize importance of place value.

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Instructional Procedures

1. Set-Up and Connection (30 seconds)

• Quickly activate schema by asking:
  "When we add two 3-digit numbers, what tools can help us find the answer? Can you name parts of a number like hundreds, tens, and ones?"
• Reinforce place value's role in addition and subtraction.

2. Explicit Mini-Teaching (60 seconds)

• Present 437 + 256 on the board/chart.
• Show the decomposition: 400 + 30 + 7 + 200 + 50 + 6
• Use base-ten blocks to add hundreds, tens, and ones separately.
• Highlight regrouping (if applicable) in the tens or ones place.
• Model ‘think aloud’ strategy.

3. Guided Practice (75 seconds)

• Call out subtraction problem: 652 – 178.
• Students use mini whiteboards to write solutions using similar place value strategy.
• Select 2 students to explain their process briefly (one addition, one subtraction).
• Teacher addresses any misconceptions immediately.

4. Quick Formative Assessment and Closing (15 seconds)

• Summarize: “Today we learned how to add and subtract using hundreds, tens and ones.”
• Reinforce standard CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NBT.A.2 fluency goal.
• Preview: “Next time, we will practice with word problems and real-life scenarios!”

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edTPA Alignment

• Planning: Focused, standards-based objective targeting fluency per CCSS.
• Instruction: Clear modeling with concrete tools and student articulation of thinking.
• Assessment: Continuous formative checks during guided practice for understanding.

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Teacher Reflection Prompts

• Which students demonstrated conceptual understanding vs. procedural memory?
• Did the visual aids and manipulatives improve engagement and comprehension?
• How did the short timeframe influence pacing and student participation?

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This compact and precise lesson is designed to maximize engagement and mastery of foundational addition and subtraction skills in just 3 minutes, setting a strong base for future lessons.