Problem Solving: Tips For TeachersAuthor(s): Phares G. O'DafferSource: The Arithmetic Teacher, Vol. 32, No. 1 (September 1984), pp. 44-45Published by: National Council of Teachers of MathematicsStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41193950 .

Accessed: 12/06/2014 14:05

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

.

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extendaccess to The Arithmetic Teacher.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 91.229.229.44 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 14:05:59 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

БЗВ HiAAA OES) 4UOfj ^^ OES)

4ñOO 4AQ7

4ñOC 4 АО С 1984

Problem >oft?ing Tip> íor Teacher^

By Phares G. O'Daffer Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61 761

ф f Strategy Spotlight | Guess and Check

Guess and Check is a useful strategy for solving certain types of problems. Consider the following problem to see how this strategy is used.

Problem: Adult tickets cost $6 and student tickets cost $4. Jenny sold 13 tickets for $66. How many adult tickets did she sell?

First, it is important for students to guess the answer to the question asked in the problem. For example, a student might guess that Jenny sold 6 adult tickets. Then the data in the problem are used to check the guess: 6 adult tickets at $6 each would be $36 and 7 student tickets at $4 each would be $28, so the total would be $64. This amount is close but too small. The value of the strategy is that now the student has a basis on which to rewse the guess. Since the guess was too small, the revised guess might be 7 adult tickets. This guess produces the correct answer.

If students are to use strategies to help them solve problems, they need to have some well-planned instructional experiences designed to help them learn to use such strategies. As you read and discuss this problem with your students,

• ask questions for understanding: 1 . What was Jenny doing? 2. What are you asked to find?

3. What do adult tickets cost? Student tickets? 4. How many tickets did Jenny sell? 5. What strategy might be used to solve the

problem?

As you assign the problem and observe the students, • ask questions (give hints) for solving: 1 . Would it help to guess, then revise your guess? 2. Was your guess too large or too small? 3. What is your next guess?

As you follow up after the students have solved the problem, • be sure to discuss the strategy the students used,

their solution, and alternate solutions to the problem.

Arithmetic Teacher

This content downloaded from 91.229.229.44 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 14:05:59 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

[2 CesaEf^^ H В Classroom Climate Ху^вН^^^Х I i ' -

' i To help students feel secure about their /Ш^^^^^^^^ШЕ^Х Ç ^SfV. I ' - ' ability to solve problems and to de- //^^^^^^^^^^^Ш^' ^l4ïïiL^b I

■| velop positive attitudes toward prob- I t^^^^^^^^^^^^Êk' ^-^ЧКу"0* I ™ lem solving, point out the difference I I^^^^^^^^^^^^^Hj I /^ -Z?^^ I mm between a fact or a calculation for which if^^^^^^^^^^^^^H / /jMr' -f'^' I ™ a quick answer may be desired and a уЗ^^^^^^^^^^^^Рту /^Г / у v' I ' i - * i word problem in which the students are '^^^^^^^^^B^f //Ш I

/ /

у o''' I ' - * not expected to find the answer quickly. ^^P^^^^^PP^^ ||[ (4)

/ III I

Compliment students for taking time to ^^^^5^^^ lllfi ||[

' oMI III

I řft//7/c through a problem rather than for и^ ' ' ш I

how quickly they find a solution. N^4^ ' 4 ^^ ш

I

/ řhey%ř27/°^ředaXano^% f lowing: I

/ ' ^tf'C ■ the question ■

■ / _ f . Finding the needed^data

■

^--> ill ^A5¿<J' ^--> ¿И Datacard Ss¿'4** ^Ê^

I ~~

^ iLi-^^^l ÍI Take a Look ^^^^^^^^^B^^^ I Problem Solving in School Mathematics, 1980 Year- I ^^^^^^^^^^^^^H I book of the NCTM ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Я ■ A source of some problems and ideas for teaching I J^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H I problem solving « I ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H ■

September 1984 45

This content downloaded from 91.229.229.44 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 14:05:59 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions