Amazing Thinkers

I keep getting amazed at this class and what they are capable of accomplishing!  We were taking a math benchmark test and a word problem came up that I really wanted to scream over.  Here's the word problem:

Kate uses three pieces of wire for a project.

• The blue wire is 34 inches long.
• The red wire is 15 inches shorter than the blue wire.
• The green wire is 7 inches longer than the red wire.

How long is the green wire?

Okay, most of us can figure this out no problem; however, the kids are a bunch of 2nd graders barely learning to add and subtract in simple one step problems and here we have a multiple step process that kids have to analyze out.  I was ready to cry for them and as I read the question I saw the blank stares looking at me like I'd lost my mind!

But, the amazing thing, our of 22 students, 14 got the right answer!  I didn't expect but maybe 1 or 2 to figure it out; yet, over half the class was able to figure this complex thinking problem out.  Very impressed they broke the problem down and took the time to think it through.