1. Problem Solving

2. Why learn to Problem Solve? Did you decide what clothes to wear today? If so, you solved a problem! Problem solving is part of daily life. The goal is for you to become a competent problem solver by making and executing a plan to solve any math problem.

3. Problem Solving Strategy Read the 4 steps to problem solving at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountabi lity/testing/eog/ProblemSolvingStrategy.pdf http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountabi lity/testing/eog/ProblemSolvingStrategy.pdf

4. The 4 Steps To help you remember the steps, remember the phrase Uncle Mark Can Laugh. Understand the problem. Make a plan. Carry out your plan. Look back.

5. Solve the Problem Let’s look at how to apply the Problem Solving process to Question 6 on the released test at NCPublicSchools.org.released test Two boys, Shawn and Curtis, went for a walk. Shawn began walking 20 seconds earlier than Curtis. Shawn walked at a speed of 5 feet per second.Curtis walked at a speed of 6 feet per second. For how many seconds had Shawn been walking at the moment when the two boys had walked exactly the same distance?

6. 1st: Understand the Problem What does the problem ask you to find? How many seconds Shawn was walking. What data does the problem give you? Shawn started walking 20 seconds earlier than Curtis. Shawn walked 5 feet/second. Curtis walked 6 feet/second.

7. 1st: Understand the Problem (con’t) What are the requirements or conditions? Curtis and Shawn’s distance is equal. The problem relates distance, rate and time. Draw a figure, picture or table. distanceratetime Shawnd5 ft/sect Curtisd6 ft/sect - 20

8. 2nd: Make a Plan What steps will you take to get from the data to the unknown? Use d = rt to write an equation to represent Shawn’s walk. Use d = rt to write an equation to represent Curtis’ walk. Use substitution to solve the system for t.

9. 3rd: Carry Out Your Plan Shawn: Curtis: Substitute: Solve: Shawn was walking 120 seconds.

10. 4th: Look Back Did you answer the question that was asked? Yes because t represented the time Shawn was walking so no further solving is necessary. Was more than one question asked? No. Is your answer reasonable? Yes. The answer is greater than 20 seconds which is how much longer Shawn was walking than Curtis.

11. 4th: Look Back (con’t) Can you check the result? Can you think of an easier way to solve the problem? Check the result by substituting t = 120 into each equation for Shawn and Curtis to verify the distances are the same. They are. Check that Shawn’s time is 20 seconds longer than Curtis’. It is. I cannot think of an easier way to solve this problem though there may be.

12. Problem Solving Strategy Solving problems is a lifelong skill and takes practice. The key is to develop a sort of tool box of ideas on how to approach solving problems. All ideas need not implemented to solve each problem nor are the steps always sequential. Practice these 4 given steps to help you become a stronger problem solver.