Students use real farm stand situations to solve addition and subtraction number stories as they decide what the stand needs and how to keep it running smoothly. Through the Mystery Order Morning launch, weekly math challenges, and support from Earthplace, they practice showing their thinking with counters, drawings, and equations with an unknown. They build a photo portfolio, revise one solved story each week, and create order signs that prepare them to explain their math at the Running the Stand Celebration.

Students will solve farm stand addition and subtraction number stories within 20 by acting them out, using counters, making drawings, and writing equations with a symbol for the unknown. They will explain how their math helps them make choices about what the stand needs, how many items are left, or how many more items to add. Students will reflect after each challenge on whether counting, drawing, or objects helped them solve the story and use teacher feedback to revise one portfolio example each week. They will prepare clear order signs and share one solved story with families and school staff at the Running the Stand Celebration.

Students will create farm stand order signs that show addition and subtraction number stories with pictures, counters, and equations using a symbol for the unknown. Throughout the project, they will add one solved story each week to a photo-based portfolio page with a teacher note, a small revision, and a reflection token showing whether they used counting, drawing, or objects. During the Mystery Order Morning and later math challenges, small groups will also make quick solution displays to show what the stand needs and explain their choices. By the end, these products will be shared at the Running the Stand Celebration, where students present one portfolio story and use their signs to help families and school staff follow their math thinking.

Start with a Mystery Order Morning: students open a pretend farm stand order envelope with picture cards from Earthplace and work in small groups to figure out what fruits, flowers, or snacks are needed. They solve one addition or subtraction number story with counters, drawings, or an equation with a missing number, then choose a way to show their thinking on chart paper. Bring the class together to compare strategies and introduce the question, “How can we solve number stories to make choices for our farm stand and keep it running well?” End by having students place a token on a class chart to show whether they used counting, drawing, or objects.

Host a Running the Stand Celebration where students set up a simple mock farm stand and display their order signs with pictures, counters, and equations. Students act out farm stand decisions, solve one number story aloud from their weekly photo portfolio, and explain whether they used counting, drawing, or objects. Invite families, school staff, and Earthplace partners to visit the stand, listen to student explanations, and ask questions about how the math helped the stand run well.