Tally Tracker Slides
Math Explorers
Tally Tracker
Adventures
Solving word problems with data and tally marks!
What are Tally Marks?
Tally marks are a quick way to keep track of numbers as we count!
- 1 Draw one line for each item.
- 5 The 5th line shuts the gate!
Detective Tip:
Counting by fives makes tally marks easy to read!
|||
3 items
5 items
||
5 + 2 = 7 items
Organizing Data
When we solve a word problem, a Tally Chart helps us organize the facts.
The Story
"At the pond, I saw 4 green frogs and 6 brown turtles. How many animals did I see in all?"
| Animal | Tallies | Total |
|---|
| Frogs | | |
| Turtles | | |
| 6 | | |
4 + 6 = 10 Animals
More or Less?
Find the Difference
Subtract the smaller group from the bigger group to see how many more or less!
Ask Yourself:
"Who has more?" or "How many more does one have than the other?"
Apples: 8
|||
Pears: 5
8 - 5 = 3
3 more apples than pears!
1
Backyard Birdhouse
Addition within 10
"Leo saw 5 red cardinals and 4 blue jays. How many birds did Leo see altogether?"
Step 1: Fill the Chart
Bird Tally Marks
Cardinals
Blue Jays
Step 2: Solve
?
?
=
?
Think: What numbers go in the boxes?
2
Shiny Rock Collection
Subtraction within 10
"Maya found 9 shiny rocks. She gave 3 rocks to her best friend. How many rocks does Maya have left?"
||||
"Cross out 3 to subtract!"
Write the number sentence:
9 - 3 =
?
3
Leaf Comparison
Comparing Groups
"Sam collected 10 green leaves and 6 brown leaves. How many more green leaves did Sam find?"
Green Leaves
Brown Leaves
|
The Difference:
10 - 6 =
?
He found ____ more green leaves.
4
Berry Basket Challenge
Addition within 20
"Toby picked 12 red berries. His sister picked 7 blue berries. How many berries do they have for their pie?"
Our Tally Chart
Red
||
Blue
||
Solve the Big One!
12 + 7 =
?
Count the 5s first, then the leftovers!
5
Deep Sea Divers
Subtraction within 20
"A school of 18 minnows was swimming. 7 minnows hid behind a rock. How many minnows are still swimming in the open?"
Initial Minnows (18)
|||
18 - 7 =
?
Adventure Complete!
You are now a certified Data Detective. You can use tally marks to solve any word problem mystery!
Read Carefully
Tally it Up
Solve & Check
Tally Tracker Worksheet
Tally Tracker Adventure
Be a math detective! Use tallies to solve the mysteries.
Name:
Date:
1
Backyard Birdhouse (Addition)
Bird Tally Marks (Draw here)
Cardinals (5)
Blue Jays (4)
Number Sentence
=
2
Shiny Rock Collection (Subtraction)
Draw 9 Tallies & Cross Out 3
Number Sentence
-
=
3
Leaf Comparison (More or Less?)
Green (10):
Brown (6):
Difference:
More green leaves
4
Berry Basket (Addition)
Berry Color Draw Your Tallies
Red (12)
Blue (7)
Number Sentence
=
5
Swimming Fish (Subtraction)
Draw 18 Tallies & Subtract 7
Number Sentence
-
=
Tally Tracker Lesson
Expert Data Detective
Page 2 of 2
Tally Tracker Teacher Guide
Teacher Guide
Tally Tracker Adventure
Math Intervention • Grades 1-2
Lesson Objective
Solve addition/subtraction word problems within 20 by using tally charts to organize story data.
Intro (5m)
Slides 1-2
Model (10m)
Slides 3-4
Practice (15m)
Slides 5-10
Key Concepts
- The "5-Slash" Rule
- Finding Difference
- Counting by Fives
Instructional Walkthrough
Slides 1-4
Demonstrate the center-slash for 5. Practice "shutting the gate" as a class.
Slides 5-9
Guide students through the Worksheet. Ensure they count groups of 5 before adding.
Slide 10
Review the detective checklist: Read, Tally, Solve, Check.
Answer Key
PROB 1 (S5)
5 + 4 = 9
PROB 2 (S6)
9 - 3 = 6
PROB 3 (S7)
10 - 6 = 4
PROB 4 (S8)
12 + 7 = 19
PROB 5 (S9)
18 - 7 = 11
Common Pitfalls
The 5th Line: Ensure students draw 4 lines and a slash (total 5 lines), not 5 lines and a slash.
Comparison: Remind students that "more" asks for the gap (subtraction), not the total (addition).