Problem-solving Steps

Were you good at solving word problems? Probably not. Most of us struggled with 'story problems' in school, and many have difficulty with them as adults trying to help fourth graders. Fortunately, difficulty solving word problems in Math is not a permanent condition.

Here are the steps that will help make the process of doing word problems easier:


1.What is the problem?
2. What do you know?
3. What is your plan or strategy?
4. Write the solution (answer) in a complete sentence.

Let's apply those steps to the following word problem.

A penguin can swim 11 miles per hour. At this speed, how far can it swim in 3 hours?

1. What is the problem? How far can it swim in 3 hours?

2. What do I know? The penguin can swim 11 miles per hour, or 11 miles in 1 hour.

3. What is my plan? I will make a table and look for a rule.   Hours      MPH
                                                                                                   1              11
                                                                                                   2              22
                                                                                                   3              33
Rule: add 11

4. The penguin will swim 33 miles in 3 hours.

Most people, at least at one time or another, are capable of getting excited about their favorite dessert. Therefore it makes a good topic for learning to write an essay. Try to decide if the writer below was excited about his favorite dessert. Do you hear the voice of a robot or does it, in fact, make you hungry as you read it?

My Favorite Dessert

  My favorite dessert is blackberry pie with vanilla ice cream. The cold ice cream slides down my throat while the berries crunch beneath my teeth. If the crust is just right you can taste a hint of cinnamon at the tail end. The joy lasts a long time.

 The first time I tasted blackberry pie with vanilla ice cream was at my grandmother’s house a very long time ago. It must have been my birthday or some other special occasion. Otherwise, there probably would not have been any form of dessert after dinner. Dessert is uncommon in my family.

 

  Besides the cold of the ice cream, the crunch of the berries, and the final hint of cinnamon, the appearance of this fine dessert is a thing to behold. It looks a bit like Mount Rainier if the light and the mood are just right. With the vanilla ice cream on top of jagged pie crust and blackberries, you can imagine the majestic mountain right before devouring it.

 

  Much more could be said in praise of blackberry pie with vanilla ice cream, but the experience of eating it should not be delayed any longer. Don’t spend too much time deciding which brand of ice cream to use. Instead get down to the business and joy of actually eating this fine dessert.