Third Grade Number Puzzles BUNDLE

These Number Puzzles for Third Grade engage students in solving problems using a variety of equations, models, and strategies.  Most puzzles include a context, a model / drawing, an equation, and an “answer”.

Simply print each puzzle piece on colored paper, laminate for durability, and cut apart. I encourage students to use whiteboard markers on some pieces. If laminated, the whiteboard marker ink wipes off easily.

Choose puzzles for specific standards or get the BUNDLE:

• • OA1 – Interpret Multiplication
  • OA2 – Interpret Division
  • OA3 – Multiplication & Division Word Problems
  • OA4 – Determine Unknown Numbers for Multiplication and Division Equations
  • OA5 – Apply Properties of Operations
  • OA7 – Relationship Between Multiplication & Division
  • OA8 – Two-Step Word Problems
  • NBT1 – Rounding to the Nearest 10 & 100
  • NBT 2 – Add Three-Digit Numbers (same as second grade number puzzles)
  • NBT 2 – Subtract Three-Digit Numbers (same as second grade number puzzles)
  • NBT3 – Multiply by Multiples of 10 & 100
  • NF – Fraction Number Lines, Equivalent Fractions & Comparing Fractions
  • MD1 – Time to the One Minute & Interval Word Problems Number Puzzles
  • MD 5-8 – Area & Perimeter

OA1 – Interpret Multiplication

These Multiplication Number Puzzles help students interpret products of whole numbers by reading a context and identifying the expression, model / drawing, and total number. The context describes the relationship of the numbers, but doesn’t not include the question part of a word problem. The focus is on the relationship of the numbers.

The model or drawing will match the context of the problem, generally by problem type. Models include: equal groups, number line, array / area model, and bar model. The Puzzles are arranged by multiplication problem type, Equal Groups, Area / Arrays, Compare. There are 15 puzzles per problem type with a range of multiplication expressions.

OA2 – Interpret Division

These Division Number Puzzles help students interpret quotients of whole numbers by reading a context and identifying the expression, model / drawing, and quotient. The context describes the relationship of the numbers, but doesn’t not include the question part of a word problem. The focus is on the relationship of the numbers.

The model or drawing will match the context of the problem, generally by problem type. Models include: equal groups, number line, array / area model, and bar model. The Puzzles are arranged by multiplication / division problem type, Equal Groups, Area / Arrays, Compare. There are 6 puzzles per problem type with a range of division expressions.

OA3 – Multiplication & Division Word Problems

Number Puzzles for multiplication word problems and division word problems help students match a word problem with a model, an equation, and a result / answer. Word Problems are grouped by problem type. There are 35 number puzzles, 3-4 per problem type.

Models for the word problems include groups, number lines, arrays / area models, and bar models. Equations have a letter for the missing number. Multiplication word problems only have the multiplication equation. Division word problems have both the division and multiplication equations.

OA4 – Determine Unknown Numbers for Multiplication and Division Equations

These Multiplication and Division Number Puzzles help students learn their multiplication facts. They are simple puzzles to determine an unknown number.

There are three version of the number puzzles:

• One version has four problems / answers in one puzzle. It’s simply a fun way to get four problems onto one puzzle.
• The other version has one problem and one answer per puzzle. In this version there are six different templates with the unknown and equal sign in different places.
• The third version is traditional triangle cards. Cut off the one side of the triangle and, if laminated, students can use write the fact family on the cards.

OA5 – Apply Properties of Operations for Multiplication & Division

These Apply Properties of Operations Number Puzzles give students practice in seeing and applying the properties in several formats. Properties include: Associative Property (two formats), Distributive Property (four formats) and Commutative Property (one format).

OA7 – Relationship Between Multiplication and Division

These Number Puzzles give students practice in seeing the relationship between multiplication and division. Each number puzzles has four expressions and three numbers for each of the four equations. The multiplication expressions have one product; each division expression has a quotient. These puzzles are also good for developing the concept of the commutative property and number bond relationships.

OA8 – Two-Step Word Problems

Students solve two-step word problems and match the equations and answer to form a complete number puzzle. There are a three different number puzzles in this product that reinforce a variety of equations. Each type of number puzzle has a different two-step equation for a total of 36 equations. This covers OA-8.

Included are puzzles for:
✔ Two steps separated into two equations (12 unique puzzles)
✔ Two steps in one equation (with and without parenthesis) (12 unique puzzles)
✔ Both of the above combined in one number puzzle (12 unique puzzles)

NBT 1 – Rounding to the Nearest 10 & 100

Help students practice rounding numbers to the nearest 10 and 100. There are five different number puzzles in this product that reinforce rounding concepts including the use of number lines, real life situations, and challenge puzzles. This covers NBT-1.

Included are puzzles for:
✔ Round to the Nearest 10 & 100
✔ Real Life Situations
✔ Number Line – Round to the Nearest 10 & 100
✔ Words & Number Line
✔ Challenge – Find the Number

NBT 2 – Add Three-Digit Numbers

Three-Digit Addition Number Puzzles are a set of four-piece puzzles that develop students’ fluency and mental math strategies for three-digit addition.

The puzzles are built with four models and strategies: The expression, a number line, base-10 blocks, and breaking apart the addends by place value. The answer is displayed in the middle of the puzzle. Each piece requires students to figure out the answer using the strategy or model and does not reveal the answer without some work. Students can match all four pieces or concentrate two pieces at a time.

NBT 2 – Subtract Three-Digit Numbers

Three-Digit Subtraction Number Puzzles help students understand three different strategies to solve three-digit subtraction problems.

In these Three-Digit Subtraction Number Puzzles students match the: subtraction equation, answer, problem broken apart by place value, problem represented in base-10 blocks and as a number line. There are 20 problems that do not involve regrouping / decomposing and 20 problems that do involve regrouping / decomposing.

For the 20 problems that involve regrouping / decomposing, there are two versions: one with the base-10 blocks of of the minuend not decomposed and the other with the base-10 blocks decomposed. Chose the version that works best for your students.

NBT 3 – Multiply by Multiples of 10

Help students practice multiplying by multiples of 10. There are a five different number puzzles in this product that reinforce multiplication concepts and patterns such as base-10, properties of operations, and place value strategies. This covers NBT-3.

Included are puzzles for:
✔ Properties of Operations Puzzles
✔ Problem & Answer Puzzles
✔ Word Problems
✔ Base-10 / Place Value Strategies

NF – Fraction Number Lines, Equivalent Fractions, Fraction Parts

Help students understand fraction relationship both with a fraction in number form and with fraction visual models. There are a variety of number puzzles in this product that reinforce equal parts, fractions on a number line, equivalent fractions, and comparing fractions. This covers all the Number & Operations Fractions Standards for third grade.

Included are puzzles for:
✔ Partitioned Parts
✔ Place a Fraction on a Number Line
✔ Create a Fraction Number Line
✔ Equivalent Fractions with Numbers & Visual Models
✔ Compare Fractions with Numbers & Visual Models

MD1 – Time to the Nearest Minute & Interval Time

Students match time puzzles that include the analog, digital, and time in word form for time to the one-minute. Also included are word problems for time intervals. Students use a number line to solve the word problems. This covers MD-1.

Included are puzzles for:
✔ Time to the one-minute (36 unique puzzles)
✔ Word Problems with Interval Time in Minutes (30 puzzles with a number line filled in)
✔ Word Problems with Interval Time in Minutes (30 puzzles with a number line NOT filled in, duplicate of the above Word Problems)

MD5-8 – Area & Perimeter

These Area and Perimeter Puzzles are engaging fun activity for your math stations. They come in a variety of formats from counting unit squares to real word problems for area and perimeter and additive models. This product covers 3.MD-5-8.

Included are puzzles for:
✔ Count the Unit Squares (30 puzzles)
✔ Tile and Multiply – encouraging students to count the rows and columns then multiply (30 puzzles)
✔ Real World Problems for Area (20 puzzles)
✔ Distributive Property with Area (20 puzzles)
✔ Area as Additive – (a) without the rectangles identified and (b) with the rectangles identified and written expressions. (20 puzzles each – same figures)
✔ Real World Problems for the Total Perimeter (20 puzzles)
✔ Real World Problems for Perimeter – Unknown Side (20 puzzles)