LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Finding satisfactory solutions

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/Lessons.cfm?DocID=131

A lesson plan for Grades 6–8 Mathematics

Provider: American Association for the Advancement of Science

About this resource

Appropriate grades
6–8
Subjects
mathematics (general)
Provider
American Association for the Advancement of Science

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The purpose of this Science NetLinks lesson is to explore the creative aspects of problem solving and practice creative problem solving strategies in the context of a story problem. In this activity, students decide where to locate ice cream stands in a town so that no one has to travel too far to buy a treat. The problem-solving strategies for this problem give students a chance to grapple with the notion of proof and to decide what makes a solution satisfactory. Students should be encouraged to state their own criteria for what is a satisfactory result and to discuss their judgments in terms of their purposes.

Science for All Americans and Benchmarks take the approach that mathematics can be characterized as a cycle of investigation that is intended to lead to the development of mathematical ideas. (See essay) Students should have the opportunity to use this cycle of investigation in their own work. Ideas in this lesson are also related to concepts found in the following Benchmark chapters: The Mathematical World; Common Themes: Models; and Habits of Mind: Computation and Estimation.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Mathematics (2004)

Grade 6

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations - The learner will understand and compute with rational numbers.
    • Objective 1.07: Develop flexibility in solving problems by selecting strategies and using mental computation, estimation, calculators or computers, and paper and pencil.
  • Goal 2: Measurement - The learner will select and use appropriate tools to measure two- and three-dimensional figures.
    • Objective 2.01: Estimate and measure length, perimeter, area, angles, weight, and mass of two- and three-dimensional figures, using appropriate tools.
    • Objective 2.02: Solve problems involving perimeter/circumference and area of plane figures.
  • Goal 3: Geometry -The learner will understand and use properties and relationships of geometric figures in the coordinate plane.
    • Objective 3.01: Identify and describe the intersection of figures in a plane.
    • Objective 3.03: Transform figures in the coordinate plane and describe the transformation.
    • Objective 3.04: Solve problems involving geometric figures in the coordinate plane.

Grade 7

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations - The learner will understand and compute with rational numbers.
    • Objective 1.03: Develop flexibility in solving problems by selecting strategies and using mental computation, estimation, calculators or computers, and paper and pencil.
  • Goal 3: Geometry - The learner will understand and use properties and relationships in geometry.
    • Objective 3.01: Using three-dimensional figures:
      • Identify, describe, and draw from various views (top, side, front, corner).
      • Build from various views.
      • Describe cross-sectional views.
    • Objective 3.02: Identify, define, and describe similar and congruent polygons with respect to angle measures, length of sides, and proportionality of sides.
    • Objective 3.03: Use scaling and proportional reasoning to solve problems related to similar and congruent polygons.

Grade 8

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations -The learner will understand and compute with real numbers.
    • Objective 1.02: Develop flexibility in solving problems by selecting strategies and using mental computation, estimation, calculators or computers, and paper and pencil.
  • Goal 2: Measurement - The learner will understand and use measurement concepts.
  • Goal 3: Geometry - The learner will understand and use properties and relationships in geometry.