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3rd grade · Math · Unit 12 of 14

Two-Step Stories

Solve problems in two steps

What your child practices

Word problems that take two steps with any of the four operations, choosing an equation with a letter for the unknown, and checking an answer by estimating.

Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: 3.OA.D.8 · solving two-step problems with the four operations and checking answers by estimating

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Read the story and find the two steps.
  2. Do the first step, then use its answer in the second.
  3. Check: is the answer close to an estimate?

Example: Maya buys 4 packs of 6 stickers and gives away 5. How many are left? Step 1: 4 × 6 = 24. Step 2: 24 − 5 = 19. Answer: 19

Two-Step Stories in Arizona

In the Arizona Academic Standards, this is unit 12 of 14 in 3rd grade Math, after Times Tens and before Halves & Fourths of an Inch.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Arizona Department of Education

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Zoe has 5 bags with 5 grapes in each and eats 4. Which equation finds the grapes left, g?

    • 5 × 5 + 4 = g
    • 5 × (5 + 4) = g
    • 5 + 5 − 4 = g
    • 5 × 5 − 4 = g

  2. Question 2

    Ana picks 5 apples in the morning and 15 in the afternoon. Ana puts them in bags of 5. How many bags are filled?

    • 3
    • 5
    • 1
    • 4
    • 20

  3. Question 3

    Sam buys 3 books that cost $6 each and pays with $20. How many dollars of change?

    • 12
    • 3
    • 5
    • 1
    • 2

  4. Question 4

    Zoe adds 518 + 731 and gets 1549. Round to the nearest hundred to check. Is that answer reasonable?

    • Yes, it is close to the estimate
    • No, it is far from the estimate

  5. Question 5

    Zoe has 3 cards and gets 17 more. Zoe shares all the cards equally among 4 friends. How many cards does each friend get?

    • 8
    • 4
    • 6
    • 15
    • 5

  6. Question 6

    Zoe adds 883 + 390 and gets 1273. Round to the nearest hundred to check. Is that answer reasonable?

    • No, it is far from the estimate
    • Yes, it is close to the estimate

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