Mathematical Problem Solving Workbook 3

Having strong problem-solving skills can make a huge difference in one’s career in the modern knowledge-based economy. Problems are at the center of what we do at work every day. Whether one is developing a vaccine for the flu, creating an antivirus program for the Internet, delivering lifesaving drugs to remote villages, maximizing profits for a company, or understanding the complex structure of our universe, problems are an integral part of our everyday lives. Being an effective and confident problem solver is really important to one’s success. Much of that confidence comes from having a good understanding of strategy and the tools to use when approaching a problem. Therefore, it is essential for students to develop the skills and techniques for problem solving at an early age, when they are in elementary school. Mathematical problem solving is often taught as a way to reinforce mathematical concepts, which misses the importance of strategic thinking while solving a problem. Many research articles and books have been written emphasizing the importance of problem-solving strategies. However, the burden of teaching problem-solving strategies is left mostly to teachers and parents, who are expected to develop their own curriculum and lesson plans for the complex topic of strategy and then teach it to students. This book presents different problem-solving strategies that can easily be used by teachers and parents to teach the subject. The first three chapters present the concepts of number operations, the basic problem-solving strategies, and the unitary method. This is followed by many different problems that students will encounter in their careers. These include lessons that present problems on numbers, age, time and distance, money, work and time, and mixtures. The focus of the book is to start with a problem statement, understand the problem, and then solve it with a known mathematical procedure. Detailed examples are presented in each lesson to show the step-by-step strategy to solve different types of real-life problems.