Algebra detective: figure out Grandma's age from clues

How to do it

Read this out loud: 'Grandma was 25 when Mom was born. Mom was 28 when you were born. You are 9. Grandma's birthday is next month. How old will Grandma be?' Let them think. They will reach for the answer; you push them to write it as: 25 + 28 + 9 + 1 = 63. Show them: that's algebra. The 'x' was Grandma's age, and they just solved for it. Make up two more — Uncle's height, Dad's first car's year. Each problem is a tiny story. When they're hooked, write one with two unknowns. They'll never see word problems the same way.

What you'll need

• Paper + pencil

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