Keeping the Meaning in Mathematics: The Craft of Word Problems

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 07.06.02

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Overview
  2. Rationale
  3. The Problem with Word Problems
  4. Asking Questions
  5. Making Connections
  6. Visualization
  7. Inferring and Predicting
  8. Determining Importance
  9. Synthesizing
  10. Lessons
  11. Notes
  12. Appendix A
  13. Appendix B
  14. Appendix C
  15. Appendix D
  16. Bibliography

Crafting Word Problems Even a Child Can Do

Huwerl Thornton

Published September 2007

Tools for this Unit:

Appendix C

New Haven Math Standards

The math standards for New Haven that will be followed are as follows:

Content Standard 5.0 - Problem Solving and Mathematical Reasoning:

Problem solving concepts and strategies lie at the heart of mathematics. Students will utilize them in the formulation of problems and the solution of problems. They will appropriately test problem conclusions against conditions. They will reason mathematically.

Content Standard 5.0 - Performance Standard 5.1

Students will solve problems that make significant demands in one or more of these aspects of the solution process: problem formulation, problem implementation, and problem conclusion.

Content Standard 5.0 - Performance Standard 5.2 (Problem formulation)

Students will participate in the formulation of problems.

  • a. Students will make decisions about the approach, materials, and strategies to use.
  • b. Students will use previously learned strategies, skills, knowledge, and concepts to make decisions.
  • c. Students will use strategies, such as using manipulatives or drawing sketches, to model problems.
  • d. Students will use charts, manipulatives and problem steps to explain and illustrate information in detail.
  • e. Students will extract pertinent information from situations and figure out what additional information is needed.

Content Standard 5.0 - Performance Standard 5.3 (Problem implementation)

Students will make the basic choices involved in planning and carrying out a solution.

  • a. Students will make up and use a variety of strategies and approaches to solve problems and learn approaches that other people use.
  • b. Students will make connections among concepts in order to solve problems.
  • c. Students will solve problems in ways that make sense and explain why these ways make sense, e.g. defend the reasoning, explain the solution.
  • d. Students will write problems to a given number sentence.

Content Standard 5.0 - Performance Standard 5.4 (Problem conclusion)

Students will move beyond a particular problem by making connections, extensions, and/or generalizations.

  • a. Students will explain a pattern that can be used in similar situations.
  • b. Students will explain how the problem is similar to other problems they have solved.
  • c. Students will explain how the mathematics used in the problem is like other concepts in mathematics.
  • d. Students will explain how the problem solution can be applied to other school subjects and in real world situations.
  • e. Students will make the solution into a general rule that applies to other circumstances.

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