Problem Solving: Tips For TeachersAuthor(s): John Van de Walle and Diane ThiessenSource: The Arithmetic Teacher, Vol. 35, No. 3 (November 1987), pp. 34-35Published by: National Council of Teachers of MathematicsStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41194256 .

Accessed: 12/06/2014 17:43

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 195.78.108.147 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 17:43:11 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Problem totoing Tip> For Teacher^

Edited by John Van de Walle, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284-000I

Prepared by Diane Thiessen, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, I A 50614

[ШЙ1 JAM

34 Arithmetic leacner

f // ' ι Conditions: .Write questions that would involve the fol- ί-ι /f QtnnfAfiw ^nrvHinHt ■■ lowin9: addition with the word more in the question;

Π OMMS%^ У w|A/U ly I ■ I ^m substraction with the word more in the question;

V (I Π ■- ^шш^^шшшшшшшшшшшшшш^^ШШ^^Ш addition of two numbers with renaming; subtraction

^^ ^ Value Lies in Writing Η with renaming; subtraction with no renaming; an

^ Word Problems I answer less than ten.

^HHHHHHBHHHHBIHHHHS/fua^on; A shed measures five meters by six meters by three meters.

Is your textbook Hmited in the number or quality of condition: Write a question that would result in an word problems? Are only a few pages of problems in- answer afe meters ix e eluded in each chapter? Do most of the problems di- answer

m ^еп^Ч0 J meters, afe meters

cubic meters.) ix

rectly reflect the ideas studied in the chapter so that J

your students do not need to read the problems? After experiences with writing their own questions, Does your text include nonroutine problems such as have students write their own problems. Give the stu- problems with too much or too little information? dents guidelines so the problems will center on par-

One source for more problems is your students. If ticular concepts. Without guidelines some students suitable guidelines are given to the students, they will always use the same type of question. Some will should produce more and better problems. Since write questions similar to those in their textbook but writing problems is a more sophisticated task than with larger numbers (their idea of being harder!), identifying or solving similar problems, guidance is Some suggested guidelines for the students' word needed. problems follow. Additional numbers with each

A first step in writing word problems is to give stu- phrase are suitable for students across various grade dents a situation and have them formulate questions levels. Select the numbers that are appropriate for according to explicit conditions. List the suggested your students. questions on the chalkboard. Alternatively, have them Condition: An addition problem that involves regroup- wnte one or more questions and hen have some stu-

~' wjth Qne number bej * 34 (203 2 ш Qf dents read their questions. The class can decide Q "

~' *

whether the questions satisfy the given conditions. ^ "

. A lx. ,, . Examples of situations that can be used to generate °°!^:

^

12·

.

351 * A

TÍ 2 lx. 'ξ 2/5'

,, If or

*°" .

3·04) ^ ^^ *

questions across various grade levels are given. 12· (96> 351 » 2 2/5' or 3·04)

Condition: An answer of 72 cents. ($45.32, 35 me- Situation: Sasha placed six oranges and four apples ters> or 53 kilograms)

into the basket. Condition: The solution must require addition and Condition: State a question that would involve com- multiplication, (subtraction and then addition, addi-

parison, either addition or subtraction. tion and then subtraction) Situation: The thirty-nine children in the gym were to Condition: The answer must be between 10 and 25.

be split into teams by their coaches. (350 and 400, 0.2 and 0.7, or 1 3/4 and 2 1/2) Condition: Write a question for which the answer is Condition: The numbers 3, $1 .72, and $10 must be

forty-two people, (thirteen children, three teams of used in the problem. (8 cm, 9 cm, and 12 cm; or five and four team§ of six, equal-sized teams with 1 .32, 3.5, and 8%) three children leff to be referees) Condition: The subtraction of two numbers that are

Situation: Twenty-five cats; seventeen dogs; thirty- between 5 and 20. (56 and 70, 327 and 351, 1/3 two gerbils and 7/8, 0.2 and 0.8, or 0.14 and 0.3)

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.147 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 17:43:11 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

November 1987 35

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.147 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 17:43:11 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions