Strategies for Solving Word Problems

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

In Your Table Group

Discuss

What are some problems your students have with word problems? What are some ways you help your students with solving word problems?

Record
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

on the poster paper. Hang the poster on the wall.

Gallery Walk
Have

your group start at your poster. When you hear the chime, walk to the next poster (clockwise). Discuss what is on the poster. Listen for the chime. Then switch to the next poster and discuss. Repeat for all posters. Discuss any ah-has/similarities/new ideas that you saw.
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

STUDENTS MISGUIDE TO PROBLEM SOLVING

RULE #1 If at all possible, avoid reading the problem. Reading the problem only consumes time and causes confusion.
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray By Lynn Nordstrom

STUDENTS MISGUIDE TO PROBLEM SOLVING

RULE #2 Extract the numbers from the problem in the order they appear. Be on the watch for numbers written in words.
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray By Lynn Nordstrom

STUDENTS MISGUIDE TO PROBLEM SOLVING

RULE #3 If rule 2 yields three or more numbers, the best bet is adding them together.
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray By Lynn Nordstrom

STUDENTS MISGUIDE TO PROBLEM SOLVING

RULE #4 If there are only 2 numbers which are approximately the same size, then subtraction should give the best results.
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray By Lynn Nordstrom

STUDENTS MISGUIDE TO PROBLEM SOLVING

RULE #5 If there are only two numbers and one is much smaller than the other, then divide if it goes evenly. .otherwise multiply
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray By Lynn Nordstrom

STUDENTS MISGUIDE TO PROBLEM SOLVING

RULE #6 If the problem seems like it calls for a formula, pick a formula that has enough letters to use all the numbers given in the problem.
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray By Lynn Nordstrom

RULE #7 If the rules 1-6 dont seem to work, make one last desperate attempt. Take the set of numbers found by rule 2 and perform about two pages of random operations using these numbers.
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray By Lynn Nordstrom

STUDENTS MISGUIDE TO PROBLEM SOLVING

RULE #7 You should circle about five or six answers on each page just in case one of them happens to be the answer. You might get some partial credit for trying hard.
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray By Lynn Nordstrom

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Operation Words
These

words can be helpful for students to determine what operation will be used in a problem.
students still need to understand what the word problem means. operation words sometimes can be mistaken for the wrong operation.

However,

The
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Long Beach Unified School District www.lbusd.k12.ca.us

Example
Toby buys two books at Tops Bookstore. They cost $12.85 together. He pays with a $20 bill. How much change does Toby receive?
wrong operation

$12.85 + $20 = $32.85

$20 - $12.85 = $ 7.15

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Example
Robert wants to buy 3 notebooks that cost $1.25 each. How much do the notebooks cost all together, without tax?
wrong operation

3 + $1.25 = $4.25 3 x $1.25 = $3.75

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

There are 3 fish tanks labeled A, B, and C. B weighs 6 times as much as A and twice as much as C. If C is 36 lbs. heavier than A, find the total weight of A, B, and C.
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Different Math Strategies

Make

a List Use Object/Act It Out Make a Drawing/Use a Model Make a Table Make a Graph Guess and Check/Experiment Work Backward Use a Pattern Use Logic
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Model Drawing

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

8 Step Model Drawing

Based on the model drawing used by Singapore Not the only method to solve word problems, but it can be used to solve most word problems (about 80% of problems in math texts) Model drawing helps generate other questions that can generate further learning based on the same problem

Uses the concrete to pictorial to abstract stage.

Hogan, Bob and Char Forsten, 8-Step Model Drawing, Crystal Springs Books: 2007.

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

A picture (or a diagram) is worth a thousand words.

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

The 8 Step Process

1. Read the entire problem.

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Hogan, Bob and Char Forsten, 8-Step Model Drawing, Crystal Springs Books: 2007.

Alicia had $6 more than Bobby. If Bobby had $10, how much did they have altogether?

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Hogan, Bob and Char Forsten, 8-Step Model Drawing, Crystal Springs Books: 2007.

The 8 Step Process

1.
2.

Read the entire problem. Decide who is involved in the problem.

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Hogan, Bob and Char Forsten, 8-Step Model Drawing, Crystal Springs Books: 2007.

Alicia had $6 more than Bobby. If Bobby had $10, how much did they have altogether?
Alicia

Bobby

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Hogan, Bob and Char Forsten, 8-Step Model Drawing, Crystal Springs Books: 2007.

The 8 Step Process

1.
2. 3.

Read the entire problem. Decide who is involved in the problem. Decide what is involved in the problem.

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Hogan, Bob and Char Forsten, 8-Step Model Drawing, Crystal Springs Books: 2007.

Alicia had $6 more than Bobby. If Bobby had $10, how much did they have altogether?
Alicia s money

Bobby s money

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Hogan, Bob and Char Forsten, 8-Step Model Drawing, Crystal Springs Books: 2007.

The 8 Step Process

1.
2. 3. 4.

Read the entire problem. Decide who is involved in the problem. Decide what is involved in the problem. Draw unit bars of equal length.

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Hogan, Bob and Char Forsten, 8-Step Model Drawing, Crystal Springs Books: 2007.

Alicia had $6 more than Bobby. If Bobby had $10, how much did they have altogether?
Alicia s money

Bobby s money

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Hogan, Bob and Char Forsten, 8-Step Model Drawing, Crystal Springs Books: 2007.

The 8 Step Process

1.
2. 3. 4. 5.

Read the entire problem. Decide who is involved in the problem. Decide what is involved in the problem. Draw unit bars of equal length. Read each sentence, one at a time.

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Hogan, Bob and Char Forsten, 8-Step Model Drawing, Crystal Springs Books: 2007.

Alicia had $6 more than Bobby. If Bobby had $10, how much did they have altogether?
Alicia s money
$ 10 $6

Bobby s money

$ 10

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Hogan, Bob and Char Forsten, 8-Step Model Drawing, Crystal Springs Books: 2007.

The 8 Step Process

1.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Read the entire problem. Decide who is involved in the problem. Decide what is involved in the problem. Draw unit bars of equal length. Read each sentence, one at a time. Put the question mark in place.

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Hogan, Bob and Char Forsten, 8-Step Model Drawing, Crystal Springs Books: 2007.

Alicia had $6 more than Bobby. If Bobby had $10, how much did they have altogether?
Alicia s money
$ 10 $6

?
Bobby s money
$ 10
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray Hogan, Bob and Char Forsten, 8-Step Model Drawing, Crystal Springs Books: 2007.

The 8 Step Process

1.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Read the entire problem. Decide who is involved in the problem. Decide what is involved in the problem. Draw unit bars of equal length. Read each sentence, one at a time. Put the question mark in place. Work the computation to the side or underneath.
Hogan, Bob and Char Forsten, 8-Step Model Drawing, Crystal Springs Books: 2007.

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Alicia had $6 more than Bobby. If Bobby had $10, how much did they have altogether?
Alicia s money
$ 10 $6

Bobby s money
$10 + $10 = $20 $20 + $6 = $26
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

$ 10

OR

$10 + $6 = $16 $16 + $10 = $26

Hogan, Bob and Char Forsten, 8-Step Model Drawing, Crystal Springs Books: 2007.

The 8 Step Process

1.

2.
3. 4. 5. 6.

7.
8.

Read the entire problem. Decide who is involved in the problem. Decide what is involved in the problem. Draw unit bars of equal length. Read each sentence, one at a time. Put the question mark in place. Work the computation to the side or underneath. Answer the question in a complete sentence.
Hogan, Bob and Char Forsten, 8-Step Model Drawing, Crystal Springs Books: 2007.

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Alicia had $6 more than Bobby. If Bobby had $10, how much did they have altogether?

Alicia and Bobby had $26 altogether.

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Hogan, Bob and Char Forsten, 8-Step Model Drawing, Crystal Springs Books: 2007.

The 8 Step vs. 4 Step Process

Read the entire problem. Decide who is involved in the problem. Decide what is involved in the problem. Draw unit bars of equal length. Read each sentence, one at a time. Put the question mark in place. Work the computation to the side or underneath. Answer the question in a complete sentence.

Read to Understand

Plan

Solve

8.

Check

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Nowits your turn

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

There are 3 fish tanks labeled A, B, and C. B weighs 6 times as much as A and twice as much as C. If C is 36 lbs. heavier than A, find the total weight of A, B, and C.
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Fish Tank A weight

Fish Tank B weight

Fish Tank C weight

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

B weighs 6 times as much as A Fish Tank A weight

Fish Tank B weight

Fish Tank C weight

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

B weighstwice as much as C Fish Tank A weight

Fish Tank B weight

Fish Tank C weight

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

If C is 36 lbs. heavier than A Fish Tank A weight

Fish Tank B weight

Fish Tank C weight

18

18

36
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Fish Tank A weight

18

Fish Tank B weight

Fish Tank C weight

18

18

18

36
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Fish Tank A weight

18

Fish Tank B weight

18

18

18

18

18

18

Fish Tank C weight

18

18

18

36
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Fish Tank A weight

18

Fish Tank B weight

18

18

18

18

18

18

Fish Tank C weight

18

18

18

36
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Fish Tank A weight

18

= 18 lbs.

Fish Tank B weight

18

18

18

18

18

18

= 108 lbs.

Fish Tank C weight

18

18

18

= 54 lbs.

36
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

18 + 108 + 54 = 180

Fish Tank A weight

18

= 18 lbs.

Fish Tank B weight

18

18

18

18

18

18

= 108 lbs.

Fish Tank C weight

18

18

18

= 54 lbs.

36
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

18 + 108 + 54 = 180

Fish Tank A weight

18

= 18 lbs.

Fish Tank B weight

18

18

18

18

18

18

= 108 lbs.

Fish Tank C weight

18

18

18

= 54 lbs.

36 The combined weight of fish tanks A, B, and C is 180 pounds.

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Solving Algebraically
B weighs 6 times as much as A and twice as much as C

B = 6A 6A = 2C

B = 2C 6A = 2C 2 2
3A = C
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Solving Algebraically
If C is 36 lbs. heavier than A

A + 36 = C A + 36 = 3A

3A = C
(From previous slide)

A + 36 = 3A -A -A 36 = 2A 2 2
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

18 = A

Solving Algebraically
A = 18
Substitute the value of A into the original equations.

B = 6A

B = 6 x 18 B = 108
C = 18 + 36

C = A + 36

C = 54
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

Solving Algebraically
A + B + C =? 18 + 108 + 54 = 180 The total weight of tanks A, B, and C is 180 lbs.
MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray

MCS Math Cadre 12/09 - M. Bray