10 Simple Ways to Solve Even the Most Complex Problems Problem Solving Strategies Put your cursor...
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Transcript of 10 Simple Ways to Solve Even the Most Complex Problems Problem Solving Strategies Put your cursor...
10 Simple Ways to Solve Even the Most Complex Problems
Problem Solving Strategies
Put your cursor over the on each
page to listen to extra information.
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
• Make a List• Guess and
Check• Draw a Picture
or Diagram• Find a Pattern• Act It Out
• Work Backward• Make a Table,
Chart, or Graph• Simplify• Use Logic• Brainstorm
MAKE AN ORGANISED LIST
An organized list is useful to show all possible solutions.
How many different
outfits can you make ifyou have two shirts
and
four pairs of pants?
Red shirt, blue pants Red shirt, khaki pants
Yellow shirt, blue pants Yellow shirt, khaki pants
Red shirt, green pants Red shirt, black pants
Yellow shirt, green pants Yellow shirt, black pants
GUESS AND CHECKGuess at a problem’s answer
and check it. Keep trying until you are correct.
The sum of two numbersis 27, their product is
180.
What are the two numbers?
Guess: 13 + 14 = 27 13 * 14 = 182
Guess: 12 + 15 = 27 12 * 15 = 180
YES!YES!
DRAW A PICTURE OR DIAGRAM
Use a picture or diagram to solve the problem
What are the possible combinations for families with two children?B G
B G B G
Tree Diagram
A Picture Representation
FIND A PATTERNUse a pattern to get from one
numeral to the next
Lisa is drawing a pyramid.She puts one block in the top row, two
in the second, four in the third, eight in the fourth.
If she continues this pattern, how many blocks will be in the tenth row?
ROWS BLOCKS
1 1
2 2
3 4
4 8
5
6
7
8
9
10 ?
ACT IT OUTAct a problem out or use
manipulatives.Four students sit at each lunch table. Sue is left-handed and doesn’t want to bump
elbows with anyone, but she likes to sit next to her best friend Kate. Kate is to the left of Nancy. Allison likes to be on the end. Where do each of the girls sit during lunch?
WORK BACKWARDUse inverse operations to solve
problems.
Trish went to the mall and spent$23.50 on a new shirt, $6.75 onlunch, and $31.25 on an new skirt. She had $16.50 left when she gothome. How much money did shebring with her to the mall?
$23.50 + 6.75 + 31.50 + 16.50 = $77.25
$23.50 on Shirt$6.75 on Lunch $31.50 on Skirt $16.50 Left
MAKE A TABLE, CHART OR GRAPH
Tables, charts, and graphs help organize data.
There are 100 fifth graders inthe school. One fifth of them like pizza,one half like spaghetti, one fifth like cheeseburgers,one tenth like tacos. How many students like each
type of food?
05
10152025
30354045
50
P S C T
NumberofStudents
SIMPLIFYMake the numbers simpler to solve
the problem.
The backyard is 2,400cm long and 1,700cm wide.
How many metres of fencing is needed to surround the backyard?
10cm = 1dm10dm = 1m100cm = 1 m P = (L x 2) + (W x 2)
2,400cm = 24m1,700cm = 17mP = (24 x 2) + (17 x 2) = 82 metres of fencing
USE LOGICUse prior knowledge to solve
problems.A number is composite, and amultiple of 6. The first digit isprime, but not 2. The number isless than 50 but greater than 20. What is the number?
1. Composite numbers have factors other than one and themselves.
2. Prime numbers have only one and themselves as factors.
3. Multiples of 6 >20, < 50: 24, 30, 36, 42, 48
BRAINSTORMCreate a new way to look at a
problem.
How do 6 ¼ and 9 ¾ make 4 x 4?
$6.25 + $9.75 = $16.00
4 x 4 = 16
OTHER PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
• Using a Formula• Arithmetic Computations – using
‘clue’ words to operation• Make a Model