Chapter 2: Working Mathematically: Applying Strategies

Question 1

List 10 strategies for solving problems.

Answer 1

Strategies for Solving Problems

1. Trial and error/ guess, check and refine
2. Make a drawing, diagram, or model
3. Make a list, chart, table, or tally
4. Eliminating possibilities
5. Working backwards
6. Acting it out
7. Looking for patterns
8. Solving a simpler problem
9. Restate the problem in your own words
10. Change your point of view.

Question 2

List questions that you might ask yourself in order to estimate the solution to a problem.

Answer 2

Questions to Help You Estimate

1. Will the answer be big or small?
2. How big could the answer be?
3. How small could the answer be ?
4. Does my answer have to be a whole number?
5. Does my estimate make sense for the problem?

Question 3

What does it mean to solve a problem by trial and error?

Answer 3

To solve a problem by trial and error,

pick a possible answer and evaluate it in terms of the problem.

Was it correct? Was it too high? Too low? Did it make sense?

If the answer wasn’t correct, pick a new possible answer and do it again.

Question 4

Solve the following problem by drawing a diagram:

Rhonda and Alan married and had five children. Each child married and had three children.
Assuming no-one has died, how many people are now in this extended family altogether?

Answer 4

There are 27 people in the family.