What makes a mathematical word problem suitable? In order to choose a good problem there are a number of conditions that it should fulfill, These conditions often resonate with the typical attributes of an ideal rich assessment task (see Clarke & Clarke, 2002: Lappan & Phillips, 2009 for more extensive lists) The sort of conditions that need to be fulfilled are contained in the following are contained in the following types of questions Does the problem have useful mathematics embedded in it? Does the problem contribute to the conceptual development of important mathematical ideas? W s problem demonstrate who solves mathematics skills from the school curriculum? By solving this problem will student demonstrate higher level thinking, reasoning and problem solving? Will the problem engage students and encourage classroom discourse? Will student by solving this problem, create an opportunity what the student has learnt and where the student is experiencing difficulty? listed Mathematical problems or rich assessment tasks that fulfill the condition to assist teachers make reasoned decisions for the here provide quality data learning and teaching of classroom mathematics
Using the conditions listed above, how useful is the and have a meal question for a school classroom? Three men shop owner each pay$10 and leave the shop So the total bill was$30. The he has charged $5 too much. He calls his helper, gives him $5 and asks him to give it to the three men. The helper runs out the shop but is mathematically challenged by the division of$5 among three men so he gives an keeps for his efforts. Now, if each man gave $10 and received $1 back then he really paid $9. Now as there men then 3 x $9 $27 plus the $2 helper has in his pocket gives a total of $29. Where is the missing dollar?
The solution, of course, is that there is no missing dollar. It appears to be missing only because backwards counting. To give readers an example how of backwards counting works I will use a favourite joke of Kindergarten children, when they learn the backward number sequence. The children lo to prove to their teacher that they have eleven fingers Using one hand, they count back en, nine, e seven, six, and then add the other hand of five to give eleven. If $1 can be hidden out of $30 dollars, is it any wonder that records are financial audited to ensure that there is no use of backwards counting?
It is obvious that this pizza shop problem is a trick and not a good question problem or a rich assessment task, but does it have place in school introducing In some early Australian school attempts at problem solving into perception that problem solving the there was an problems, or through games and puzzles was best delivered through similar mislead the students. The aim of these types of problems was to trick or mislead the students