MathEnglish Language Arts3-5
Adding and Subtracting Decimals Station Rotation
By Claudia M.
A reading and writing station for 5th graders practicing addition and subtraction of decimals through real-world grocery budgeting, with STAAR-style questions and open-ended writing prompts. It's designed for a small-group station rotation of roughly 20 to 30 minutes.
Customize for your classroom
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use this station during a math rotation after students have had a brief mini-lesson on lining up decimal points; students work in pairs with a partner who picks three grocery items and estimates before calculating.
- Discussion question: Why does lining up the decimal points matter when you add prices, and what could go wrong at the register if you don't?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: Provide a recorded or pre-read version of the 'Words to Know' box and a hundreds chart or money manipulatives so they can check their sums by counting coins.
- Extension for advanced students: Ask them to budget a full cart of $20 across all six items, then write how they would adjust if one price rose by 50 cents.
- Estimated time: about 25 minutes for the calculations and one short writing prompt, plus a few minutes for partners to compare answers.
MathEnglish Language Arts3-5
Adding and Subtracting Decimals Station Rotation
By Claudia M.
A reading and writing station for 5th graders practicing addition and subtraction of decimals through real-world grocery budgeting, with STAAR-style questions and open-ended writing prompts. It's designed for a small-group station rotation of roughly 20 to 30 minutes.
Customize for your classroom
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use this station during a math rotation after students have had a brief mini-lesson on lining up decimal points; students work in pairs with a partner who picks three grocery items and estimates before calculating.
- Discussion question: Why does lining up the decimal points matter when you add prices, and what could go wrong at the register if you don't?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: Provide a recorded or pre-read version of the 'Words to Know' box and a hundreds chart or money manipulatives so they can check their sums by counting coins.
- Extension for advanced students: Ask them to budget a full cart of $20 across all six items, then write how they would adjust if one price rose by 50 cents.
- Estimated time: about 25 minutes for the calculations and one short writing prompt, plus a few minutes for partners to compare answers.