Page 1 of this 3-page 1st grade sheet shows four boxes of beetles, with one, two, three and four beetles, and every beetle has six legs. Students write the total legs in each box, which makes 6, 12, 18 and 24. Page 2 has three word problems with pictures: legs on 2 ants, antennae on 3 bees, and how many more legs a spider has than a ladybug. The answers page shows the number sentence for each problem.
1.OA.A.1
“Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.”
Page 2 gives two adding problems (6 + 6 and 2 + 2 + 2) and one comparing problem (8 take away 6).
“Find a total by counting equal groups of six.”
Page 1 asks for the legs on 1, 2, 3 and 4 beetles, giving 6, 12, 18 and 24.
Four boxes holding 1, 2, 3 and 4 beetles. Students write the total number of legs under each box.
Three problems with pictures: 2 ants with 6 legs each, 3 bees with 2 antennae each, and a ladybug with 6 legs beside a spider with 8.
The totals 6, 12, 18 and 24, then 12 legs, 6 antennae and 2 more legs, each with its number sentence.
Count by sixes
For the three and four beetle boxes, count by sixes with the class first. Students who count every leg one at a time are slow and often lose their place.
Watch problem 2
Problem 2 asks about antennae, not legs. Point out the change before students start, since many will answer with legs.
Link to the spider
Problem 3 compares 6 and 8 legs. Follow it with a short talk on why a spider is not an insect.
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