Problem-Solving, Mathematical Investigation and Modelling: MATH 110

Cover designed by: Mr.
Medel Valencia
MODULE 1
PROBLEM- SOLVING, MATHEMATICAL
INVESTIGATION AND MODELLING
MATH 110
ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-2021
Prepared by:
Mr. Neo B. Villareal, LPT
Instructor
Address: Brgy. San Jose, City of San Pablo, Laguna Tel. no. (049) 523-6455/503-1269 E-mail: dlsp_reg@yahoo.com - (Registrar’s Office),dlspsanpablocity1997@gmail.com
GUIDE ON HOW TO USE THE MODULE
A. FOR FACULTY
 Since there are no more face-to-face teaching as of now, this module was made by the
instructor as a way in order to teach the lessons while the students are at their home.
 This module will be sent via Google classroom depending on the section where the
student belongs.
 This module will be sent on every first meeting of the week depending upon the day
and time of the section the instructor handles.
 Answers will be sent also through Google classroom in a separate document.
B. FOR LEARNERS
 There are lessons attached in this module in which students should read after their
instructor send it to them.
 In every lesson, there is a corresponding learning tasks as well as assessments for the
students to answer after they have read the module.
 The module will be sent on every first meeting of the subject in a week so the students
will have time to accomplish the activities given by their instructor.
 Answers on the learning tasks should be written on a separate document with the
questions.
 Learning tasks and other form of assessment gave by the instructor should be submitted
on or before the deadline set by the instructor and should be submitted in their Google
classroom.
 On every second meeting, questions and clarifications of the students will be
entertained through video call.
FOREWORD
We are all aware on the situation we are facing right now. Due to the virus outbreak, the
face-to-face learning has been prohibited to prevent the spreading of virus especially to the
learners. Based on our situation nowadays, all teachers and students are adjusting to the new
teaching and learning process. As a remedy to this, some teaching institutions decided to
continue the learning process of the students through giving them modules.
This module covers some of the topics in plane and solid geometry for them to recall the
concepts and principles that may use in the learning non-euclidean geometry. Topics in this
module cover basic/fundamental concepts of geometry, triangles, quadrangles and affine
geometry.
Lessons in this module lifted to different sources through internet and books. Interactive
activity and quizzes included. Links in each activity will serve as the way to accomplish tasks.
MODULE FOR PROBLEM- SOLVING, MATHEMATICAL
INVESTIGATION AND MODELLING
Credits : 3 units lecture (3 hours/week)

Pre-Requisite :
UNIT 1: PROBLEM- SOLVING
This unit deals different methods of solving problems, strategies in solving problems and
how to solve problems in algebra.
LESSON 1: Introduction to Problem- Solving
LESSON OBJECTIVE
At the end of the module, you will be able to:
1. Know problem solving and its kind/types.
2. Enumerate the different kind of problems
3. Construct problems using the kinds and types of problem.
What is problem-solving?
“Problem-solving is the process of confronting a novel situation, formulating
connections between given facts, identifying the goal of the problem, and exploring possible
strategies for reaching the goal.” (Szetela & Nicol, 1992) It requires the problem-solver to
coordinate “previous experience, knowledge, and intuition” (Schoenfeld, 1989) in order to
solve problems where no direct procedures or paths to the solution have been provided
TYPES OF PROBLEM
1. Process: requires solution processes other than

computational procedures. When attempting to solve a
process problem, one uses available knowledge and
employs strategies to devise a solution.
Example: At an air show, 8 skydivers were released
from a plane. Each skydiver was connected to each of
the other skydivers with a separate piece of ribbon.
How many pieces of ribbon were used in the
skydiving act?
2. Translation: include one- and two-step story problems typically
found in textbooks. These can be a medium for children to develop
understanding of operations; i.e., they can enhance mathematical
thinking. However, if presented after children have learned to
compute, the problems are mere practice exercises and do not help to
develop problem-solving ability.
Example: A school auditorium can seat 648 people in 18 equal rows.
How many seats are there in each row?
3. Application: computation is generally the solution process used to

solve application problems. A calculator can lessen the time needed to
arrive at an answer. Solving problems of interest to children can
enhance their appreciation of mathematics.
Example: How many soda cans would it take to fill the school gym?
4. Puzzles: solving puzzles may not require any mathematical

knowledge, but are classified as a type of mathematical
problem. It is often difficult to identify what strategy to use to
solve a given puzzle. Usually, processes such as visualization,
analysis, conjecturing, and testing are involved.
Example: Can you join all nine dots using four straight
lines without lifting your pencil from the paper?
TASK 1
Make a problem example based on the types of problem.

1. Process:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Translation:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Application:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Puzzles:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Basic Problem- Solving Strategies
TASK 2
Identify which Problem Solving Strategy may apply in the different problems below.
1. Every person at a party of twenty-eight people said hello to each of the other people at the party exactly once.
How many "hello's" were said at the party?
2. There are four volumes of Shakespeare's collected works on a shelf. The volumes are in order from left to right.
The pages of each volume are exactly two inches thick. The covers are each 1/6 inch thick. A bookworm started
eating at page one of Volume I and ate through to the last page of Volume IV. What is the distance the bookworm
travelled?
3. Suppose that thirty-two students signed up for classes during an orientation session. If exactly twenty of them
signed up for Chemistry and exactly sixteen of them signed up for English, how many of them signed up for both
Chemistry and English?
4. A hunter left camp and walked five miles south and two miles east. He shot a bear and walked five miles north
back to camp. What color was the bear?
5. Suppose Pat has eight shirts and four pairs of pants. How many different outfits can Pat make by combining one
shirt with one pair of pants?
An In-Depth Look At Strategies in Problem Solving
1. Guess
This stands for two strategies, guess and check and
guess and improve.
Guess and check is one of the simplest strategies.
Anyone can guess an answer. If they can also check
that the guess fits the conditions of the problem,
then they have mastered guess and check. This is a
strategy that would certainly work on
the Farmyard problem but it could take a lot of time
and a lot of computation.
Because it is such a simple strategy to use, you may
have difficulty weaning some children away from
guess and check. If you are not careful, they may
try to use it all the time. As problems get more
difficult, other strategies become more important
and more effective. However, sometimes when children are completely stuck, guessing and
checking will provide a useful way to start and explore a problem. Hopefully that exploration
will lead to a more efficient strategy and then to a solution.
Guess and improve is slightly more sophisticated than guess and check. The idea is that you use
your first incorrect guess to make an improved next guess. You can see it in action in
the Farmyard problem. In relatively straightforward problems like that, it is often fairly easy to
see how to improve the last guess. In some problems though, where there are more variables, it
may not be clear at first which way to change the guessing.
2 Act It Out
We put two strategies together here because
they are closely related. These are Act it Out
and Use Equipment.
Young children especially, enjoy using Act
it Out. Children themselves take the role of
things in the problem. In
the Farmyard problem, the children might
take the role of the animals though it is
unlikely that you would have 87 children in
your class! But if there are not enough
children you might be able to press gang the
odd teddy or two.
There are pros and cons for this strategy. It
is an effective strategy for demonstration
purposes in front of the whole class. On the other hand, it can also be cumbersome when used by
groups, especially if a largish number of students is involved. We have, however, found it a
useful strategy when students have had trouble coming to grips with a problem.
The on-looking children may be more interested in acting it out because other children are
involved. Sometimes, though, the children acting out the problem may get less out of the
exercise than the children watching. This is because the participants are so engrossed in the
mechanics of what they are doing that they don’t see through to the underlying mathematics.
However, because these children are concentrating on what they are doing, they may in fact get
more out of it and remember it longer than the others, so there are pros and cons here.
Use Equipment is a strategy related to Act it Out. Generally speaking, any object that can be
used in some way to represent the situation the children are trying to solve, is equipment. This
includes children themselves, hence the link between Act it Out and Use Equipment.
One of the difficulties with using equipment is keeping track of the solution. Actually the same
thing is true for acting it out. The children need to be encouraged to keep track of their working
as they manipulate the equipment.
In our experience, children need to be encouraged and helped to use equipment. Many children
seem to prefer to draw. This may be because it gives them a better representation of the problem
in hand. Also, if they’re a little older, they may feel that using equipment is only 'for babies'.
Since there are problems where using equipment is a better strategy than drawing, you should
encourage children’s use of equipment by modelling its use yourself from time to time.
3 Draw
It is fairly clear that a picture

has to be used in the strategy
Draw a Picture. But the
picture need not be too
elaborate. It should only
contain enough detail to solve
the problem. Hence a rough
circle with two marks is quite
sufficient for chickens and a
blob plus four marks will do
for pigs. There is no need for
elaborate drawings showing
beak, feathers, curly tails, etc.,
in full colour. Some children will need to be encouraged not to over-elaborate their drawings
(and so have time to attempt the problem). But all children should be encouraged to use this
strategy at some point because it helps children ‘see’ the problem and it can develop into quite a
sophisticated strategy later.
It’s hard to know where Drawing a Picture ends and Drawing a Diagram begins. You might
think of a diagram as anything that you can draw which isn’t a picture. But where do you draw
the line between a picture and a diagram? As you can see with the chickens and pigs, discussed
above, regular picture drawing develops into drawing a diagram.
Venn diagrams and tree diagrams are particular types of diagrams that we use so often they have
been given names in their own right.
It’s probably worth saying at this point that acting it out, drawing a picture, drawing a diagram,
and using equipment, may just be disguises for guessing and checking or even guessing and
improving. Just watch children use these strategies and see if this is indeed the case.
4 Make a list
Making Organised Lists and Tables are

two aspects of working systematically.
Most children start off recording their
problem solving efforts in a very
haphazard way. Often there is a little
calculation or whatever in this corner,
and another one over there, and another
one just here. It helps children to bring a
logical and systematic development to
their mathematics if they begin to
organise things systematically as they go.
This even applies to their explorations.
There are a number of ways of
using Make a Table. These range from
tables of numbers to help solve problems
like the Farmyard, to the sort of tables
with ticks and crosses that are often used
in logic problems. Tables can also be an efficient way of finding number patterns.
When an Organised List is being used, it should be arranged in such a way that there is some
natural order implicit in its construction. For example, shopping lists are generally not organised.
They usually grow haphazardly as you think of each item. A little thought might make them
organised. Putting all the meat together, all the vegetables together, and all the drinks together,
could do this for you. Even more organisation could be forced by putting all the meat items in
alphabetical order, and so on. Someone we know lists the items on her list in the order that they
appear on her route through the supermarket.
5 Think
In many ways we are using this strategy category as a catch-all. This is partly because these
strategies are not usually used on their own but in combination with other strategies.
The strategies that we want to mention here are

Being Systematic, Keeping Track, Looking For
Patterns, Use Symmetry and Working
Backwards and Use Known Skills.
Being Systematic, Keeping Track, Looking For
Patterns and Using Symmetry are different from
the strategies we have talked about above in that
they are over-arching strategies. In all problem
solving, and indeed in all mathematics, you need
to keep these strategies in mind.
Being systematic may mean making a table or
an organised list but it can also mean keeping
your working in some order so that it is easy to
follow when you have to go back over it. It
means that you should work logically as you go
along and make sure you don’t miss any steps in
an argument. And it also means following an idea for a while to see where it leads, rather than
jumping about all over the place chasing lots of possible ideas.
It is very important to keep track of your work. We have seen several groups of children acting
out a problem and having trouble at the end simply because they had not kept track of what they
were doing. So keeping track is particularly important with Act it Out and Using Equipment. But
it is important in many other situations too. Children have to know where they have been and
where they are going or they will get hopelessly muddled. This begins to be more significant as
the problems get more difficult and involve more and more steps.
In many ways looking for patterns is what mathematics is all about. We want to know how
things are connected and how things work and this is made easier if we can find patterns.
Patterns make things easier because they tell us how a group of objects acts in the same way.
Once we see a pattern we have much more control over what we are doing.
Using symmetry helps us to reduce the difficulty level of a problem. Playing Noughts and
crosses, for instance, you will have realised that there are three and not nine ways to put the first
symbol down. This immediately reduces the number of possibilities for the game and makes it
easier to analyse. This sort of argument comes up all the time and should be grabbed with glee
when you see it.
Finally working backwards is a standard strategy that only seems to have restricted use.
However, it’s a powerful tool when it can be used. In the kind of problems we will be using in
this web-site, it will be most often of value when we are looking at games. It frequently turns out
to be worth looking at what happens at the end of a game and then work backward to the
beginning, in order to see what moves are best.
Then we come to use known skills. This isn't usually listed in most lists of problem solving
strategies but as we have gone through the problems in this web site, we have found it to be quite
common. The trick here is to see which skills that you know can be applied to the problem in
hand.
One example of this type is Fertiliser (Measurement, level 4). In this problem, the problem
solver has to know the formula for the area of a rectangle to be able to use the data of the
problem.
This strategy is related to the first step of problem solving when the problem solver thinks 'have I
seen a problem like this before?' Being able to relate a word problem to some previously
acquired skill is not easy but it is extremely important.
TASK 3
Use in-depth problem solving strategy, and illustrate how to solve the problem below.
Problem: In the farmyard there are some pigs and some chickens. In fact there are 87 animals and 266
legs. How many pigs are there in the farmyard?
ASSESSMENT
Illustrate your solution in the following problems using a problem strategy.
1. Every person at a party of twenty-eight people said hello to each of the other people at the party exactly once. How
many "hello's" were said at the party?
2. There are four volumes of Shakespeare's collected works on a shelf. The volumes are in order from left to right. The
pages of each volume are exactly two inches thick. The covers are each 1/6 inch thick. A bookworm started eating at
page one of Volume I and ate through to the last page of Volume IV. What is the distance the bookworm travelled?
3. Suppose that thirty-two students signed up for classes during an orientation session. If exactly twenty of them
signed up for Chemistry and exactly sixteen of them signed up for English, how many of them signed up for both
Chemistry and English?
4. A hunter left camp and walked five miles south and two miles east. He shot a bear and walked five miles north back
to camp. What color was the bear?
5. Suppose Pat has eight shirts and four pairs of pants. How many different outfits can Pat make by combining one
LESSON 2: Polya's four-step approach to problem solving
LESSON OBJECTIVE
1. Identify the Polya’s four steps approach to problem solving
2. Construct problems based on the four-step approach to problem solving
3. Solve problems using Polya’s four-step approach to problem solving
POLYA’s four-step approach to problem solving
One of the primary reasons people have trouble with problem solving is that there is no single
procedure that works all the time — each problem is slightly different. Also, problem solving requires
practical knowledge about the specific situation. If you misunderstand either the problem or the
underlying situation you may make mistakes or incorrect assumptions. One of our main goals for this
semester is to become better problem solvers. To begin this task, we now discuss a framework for
thinking about problem solving: Polya’s four-step approach to problem solving.
Polya's four-step approach to problem solving
1. Preparation: Understand the problem

 Learn the necessary underlying
mathematical concepts
 Consider the terminology and notation
used in the problem:
1. What sort of a problem is it?
2. What is being asked?
3. What do the terms mean?
4. Is there enough information or is
more information needed?
5. What is known or unknown?
 Rephrase the problem in your own
words.
 Write down specific examples of the
conditions given in the problem.
2. Thinking Time: Devise a plan
 You must start somewhere so try
something. How are you going to attack
the problem?
 Possible strategies: (i. e. reach into
your bag of tricks.)
1. Draw pictures
2. Use a variable and choose helpful
names for variables or unknowns.
3. Be systematic.
4. Solve a simpler version of the
problem.
5. Guess and check. Trial and error.
Guess and test. (Guessing is OK.)
6. Look for a pattern or patterns.
7. Make a list.
 Once you understand what the problem
is, if you are stumped or stuck, set the
problem aside for a while. Your
subconscious mind may keep working
on it.
 Moving on to think about other things
may help you stay relaxed, flexible, and
creative rather than becoming tense,
frustrated, and forced in your efforts to
solve the problem.
3. Insight: Carry out the plan

 Once you have an idea for a new approach,
jot it down immediately. When you have
time, try it out and see if it leads to a
solution.
 If the plan does not seem to be working,
then start over and try another approach.
Often the first approach does not work. Do
not worry, just because an approach does
not work, it does not mean you did it wrong.
You actually accomplished something,
knowing a way does not work is part of the
process of elimination.
 Once you have thought about a problem or
returned to it enough times, you will often
have a flash of insight: a new idea to try or a
new perspective on how to approach solving
the problem.
 The key is to keep trying until something
works.
4. Verification: Look back

 Once you have a potential solution,
check to see if it works.
1. Did you answer the question?
2. Is your result reasonable?
3. Double check to make sure that all of
the conditions related to the problem
are satisfied.
4. Double check any computations
involved in finding your solution.
 If you find that your solution does not
work, there may only be a simple
mistake. Try to fix or modify your
current attempt before scrapping it.
Remember what you tried—it is likely
that at least part of it will end up being
useful.
 Is there another way of doing the
problem which may be simpler? (You
need to become flexible in your
thinking. There usually is not one right
way.)
Can the problem or method be generalized so as to be useful for future problems?
Remember Some of the Possible Strategies Given

Earlier
1. Draw pictures
2. Use a variable and choose helpful names for
variables or unknowns.
3. Be systematic.
4. Solve a simpler version of the problem.
5. Guess and check. Trial and error. Guess and
test. (Guessing is OK.)
6. Look for a pattern or patterns.
7. Make a list.
Some Basic Mathematical Principles to Keep in Mind When Problem Solving:
1. The Always Principle: Unlike many other subjects, when we say a mathematical
statement is true, we mean that it is true 100 percent of the time. We are not dealing with
the uncertainty of statements that are ―usually true‖ or ―sometimes true‖.
2. The Counterexample Principle: Since a mathematical statement is true only when it is true
100% of the time, we can prove that is is false by finding a single example where it is not
true. Such an example is called a counterexample. Of cours, when we say a mathematical
statement is false, this does not mean that it is never true — it only means that it is not
always true. It might be true some of the time.
3. The Order Principle: In mathematics, order usually matters. In a multi-step mathematical

process, if we carry the steps out in a different order, we often get a different result. For
example, putting your socks on first and then your shoes is quite different from putting
your shoes on first and then your socks.
4. The Splitting Hairs Principle: In mathematics, details matter. Two terms or symbols that
look and sound similar may have mathematical meanings that are significantly different.
For example, in English, we use the term equal and equivalent interchangeably, but in
mathematics, these terms do not mean the same thing. For this reason, learning and
remembering the precise meaning of mathematical terms is essential.
5. The Analogies Principle: Often the formal terminology used in mathematics has been
drawn from words and concepts used in everyday life. This is not a coincidence.
Associating a mathematical concept with its ―real world‖ counterpart can help you
remember both the formal (precise) and intuitive meanings of a mathematical concept.
6. The Three Way Principle: When approaching a mathematical concept, it often helps to use
three complimentary approaches: Verbal – make analogies, put the problem in your own
words, compare the situation to things you may have seen in other areas of mathematics.
Graphical – draw a graph or a diagram. Examples – use specific examples to illustrate the
situation. By combining one or more of these approaches, one can often get a better idea of
how to think about and how to solve a given problem.
Example 1: Twice the difference of a number and 1 is 4 more than that number. Find the
number
Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.
Since we are looking for a number, we will let
STEP 1:
Understand the x = a number
problem.
STEP 2: Devise a
plan (translate).
Illustrate your solution

STEP 3:Carry out
the plan (solve)
If you take twice the difference of 6 and 1, that is the same as 4 more than 6, so this does check.
FINAL ANSWER:
Step 4: Look The number is 6.
back (check and
interpret).
TASK 1
Use polya’s way of solving problem refer to example 1
1a. The sum of a number and 2 is 6 less than twice that

number.
1b. A rectangular garden has a width that is 8 feet less than

twice the length. Find the dimensions if the perimeter is 20
feet.
1c. Complimentary angles sum up to be 90 degrees. Find the
TASK 2
Solve:
1. One number is 3 less than another number. If the sum of the two numbers is 177, find each
number.
2. In a blueprint of a rectangular room, the length is 1 inch more than 3 times the width. Find the
dimensions if the perimeter is to be 26 inches.
3. Find the measure of each angle in the figure below. Note that since the angles make up a
straight line, they are supplementary to each other.
TASK 3
Directions: Work together to solve the following problems using the problem solving strategies.
Make sure at least one member of your group records the reasoning you used to arrive at your
solution. You do not have to work these problems in order. Once you have found a solution to one of
the problems, let me know and I can check to see if both your reasoning and you solution are
correct.
1. Every person at a party of twenty-eight people said hello to each of the other people at the
party exactly once. How many "hello's" were said at the party?
2. There are four volumes of Shakespeare's collected works on a shelf. The volumes are in order
from left to right. The pages of each volume are exactly two inches thick. The covers are each
1/6 inch thick. A bookworm started eating at page one of Volume I and ate through to the last
page of Volume IV. What is the distance the bookworm traveled?
3. Suppose that thirty-two students signed up for classes during an orientation session. If exactly
twenty of them signed up for Chemistry and exactly sixteen of them signed up for English, how
many of them signed up for both Chemistry and English?
4. A hunter left camp and walked five miles south and two miles east. He shot a bear and walked
five miles north back to camp. What color was the bear?
5. Suppose Pat has eight shirts and four pairs of pants. How many different outfits can Pat make
by combining one shirt with one pair of pants?
6. Six normal drinking glasses are standing in a row. The first three are full of water and the
following three are empty. By moving only one glass, can you change the arrangement so that no
full glass is next to another full glass and that no empty glass is next to an empty glass, and we
still have three full and three empty glasses?
7. Suppose you work at a bowling alley. After work one day, you decide to line up bowling pins
in a triangular pattern with one pin in the first row, two pins in the second, three pins in the third,
and so on.
(a) How many total pins would you need to use in order to complete four rows?
(b) How many total pins would you need to use in order to complete ten rows?
(c) How many total pins would you need to use in order to complete one hundred rows?
How about one thousand rows?
8. Pat and Kim bought the same item. Pat said he paid 20% less than the list price. Kim said that
if she would have paid 25% more for the item, she would have paid the list price. Who paid the
least?
9. A family has seven children. If we list the possible genders of the children (for example
bbggbgb where b is a boy and g is a girl), how many lists are possible?
10. In a class of 25 students, 17 lived with both parents, 21 lived with their mothers, and 20 lived
with their fathers. How many lived with neither parent?
Assessment Solve each problem using the the polya’s way of solving problem
1. For each of the following statements, determine whether the statement is true or false. If the
statement is true, give two specific examples that illustrate the statement. If it is false, give a
specific counterexample.
(a) If a < b, then a + c < b + c.
(b) If a < b, then ac < bc.
(c) If Person X knows Person Y and Person Y knows Person Z, then Person X knows
Person Z.
2. How many forty passenger buses are needed for a school field trip, if 156 students and five
teachers will be going on the field trip? (They need to be legal for liability.)
3. Use inductive reasoning to predict the next three terms in each given sequence.
(a) 3, 6, 12, 24, …
(b) 0.1, 0.12, 0.121, 0.1212, …
(c) 13, 31, 15, 51, 17, 71, 19, 91, …
4. Use inductive reasoning to find the ones digit for the numeric value of 250.
5. A grocery store is having a special on cans of soup which is normally price at 45¢ per can.
5. A grocery store is having a special on cans of soup which is normally price at 45¢ per can.
The advertisement reads 3 for $1.00. You buy only one can of soup. How much does it cost?
6. Bill and Sue both work a night shift. Bill has every sixth night off and Sue has every fifth
night off. If they both have tonight off, how many nights will it be before they are both off at the
same time again?
7. How many different rectangles with an area of twelve square units can be formed using unit
squares?
8. Compare these two problems: (1) Kim made 1 out of 3 free throws on one day and 1 out of 4
free throws the next day. What fraction represents the portion of free throws Kim made over the
two days? (2) Kim ate 1/3 of a pie on day and 1/4 of a pie the next day. What fraction
represents the am
ount of the pie Kim ate over the two days?
LESSON 3: Routine and Non-routine Problem Solving
LESSON OBJECTIVE
1. Identify routine and non-routine problem
2. Compare routine to non-routine problem solving
3. Solve routine and non-routine problems.
Routine Problem Solving

From the curricular point of view, routine problem solving involves using at least one of
the four arithmetic operations and/or ratio to solve problems that are practical in nature. Routine
problem solving concerns to a large degree the kind of problem solving that serves a socially
useful function that has immediate and future payoff. Children typically do routine problem
solving as early as age 5 or 6. They combine and separate things such as toys in the course of
their normal activities. Adults are regularly called upon to do simple and complex routine
problem solving.
Here is an example.
A sales promotion in a store advertises a jacket regularly priced at $125.98
but now selling for 20% off the regular price. The store also waives the tax.
You have $100 in your pocket (or $100 left in your charge account). Do you
have enough money to buy the jacket?
As adults, and as children, we normally want to solve certain kinds of problems (such as
the one above) in a way that reflects an ‘Aha, I know what is going on here and this is what I
need to do to figure out the answer.’ reaction to the problem. We do not want to guess and check
or think backwards or make use of similar strategies. Invariably, solving such problems involves
using at least one of the four arithmetic operations (and/or ratio). Being good at doing arithmetic
(e. g. adding two numbers: mentally, by pencil and paper, with manipulatives, by punching
numbers in a calculator) does not guarantee success at solving routine problems. The critical
matter knows what arithmetic to do in the first place. Actually doing the arithmetic is secondary
to the matter.
A mathematics researcher interviewed children about how they solve routine problems. One boy
reported his method as follows: If there were two numbers and they were both big, he
subtracted. If there was one large and one small number, he divided. If it did not come out even,
he multiplied. The other interesting aspect of all of this is that the child had done quite well at
solving routine problems throughout his school career. What does this say about teaching
practice? What does this say about assessing what children understand?
You have to remember…
Good routine problem solvers have a repertoire of automatic symbol-based and context-based
responses to problem situations. They do not rely on manipulating concrete materials, nor on
using strategies such as 'guess and check' or ‘think backwards’. Rather, they rely on representing
what is going on in a problem by selecting from a limited set of mathematical templates or
models. Refer to Using arithmetic operation meanings to solve routine problems for details.
Solving routine problems should at some point involve solving complex problems. Complexity
can be achieved through multi-step problems (making use of more than one arithmetic operation)
or through Fermi problems. It is advisable to do both
Non-routine Problem Solving

Non-routine problem solving serves a different purpose than routine problem solving. Routine problem
solving concerns solving problems that are useful for daily living (in the present or in the future), non-
routine problem solving concerns that only indirectly. Non-routine problem solving is mostly concerned
with developing students’ mathematical reasoning power and fostering the understanding that
mathematics is a creative endeavor
From the point of view of students, non-routine problem solving can be challenging and
interesting. From the point of view of planning classroom instruction, teachers can use non-routine
problem solving to introduce ideas (EXPLORATORY stage of teaching); to deepen and extend
understandings of algorithms, skills, and concepts (MAINTENANCE stage of teaching); and to motivate
and challenge students (EXPLORATORY and MAINTENANCE stages of teaching). There are other
uses as well. Having students do non-routine problem solving can encourage the move from specific to
general thinking; in other words, encourage the ability to think in more abstract ways. From the point of
view of students growing to adulthood, that ability is becoming more important in today’s technological,
complex, and demanding world
Non-routine problem solving can be seen as evoking an ‘I tried this and I tried that, and
eureka, I finally figured it out.’ reaction. That involves a search for heuristics (strategies seeking
to discover). There is no convenient model or solution path that is readily available to apply to
solving a problem. That is in sharp contrast to routine problem solving where there are readily
identifiable models (the meanings of the arithmetic operations and the associated templates) to
apply to problem situations.
The following is an example of a problem that concerns non-routine problem solving.

Consider what happens when 35 is multiplied by 41. The result is 1435. Notice that all four digits of
the two multipliers reappear in the product of 1435 (but they are rearranged). One could call
numbers such as 35 and 41 as pairs of stubborn numbers because their digits reappear in the
product when the two numbers are multiplied together. Find as many pairs of 2-digit stubborn
numbers as you can. There are 6 pairs in all (not including 35 & 41).
Solving problems like the one above normally requires a search for a strategy that seeks to
discover a solution (a heuristic). There are many strategies that can be used for solving unfamiliar or
unusual problems. The strategies suggested below are teachable to the extent that teachers can encourage
and help students to identify, to understand, and to use them. However, non-routine problem solving
cannot be approached in an automatized way as can routine problem solving. To say that another way, we
cannot find nice, tidy methods of solution for all problems. Inevitably, we will be confronted with a
situation that evokes the response; “I haven't got much of a clue how to do this; let me see what I can try.”
Comparison between Routine and Non Routine Problem
Routine Non routine
Stresses the use of sets of known or prescribed Stresses the use of heuristics which do not guarantee a
procedures (algorithms) to solve problems. solution to a problem but provide a more highly
probable method for solving problems.
Strength: easily assessed by paper-pencil tests. Strength: most relevant to human problem solving.
Weakness: least relevant to human problem solving. Weakness: least able to be assessed by paper-pencil
tests.
Static Active
• fixed, known goal and • fixed goal(s) with

known element changing elements.
• Changing or alternative
goal(s) with fixed
elements.
• Changing or alternative
goal(s) with changing
elements.
Non Routine Problems
Question 1:
Example 1
James won 10 trophies in drawing competition and Carman won 6 trophies. How many trophies
James won 10 trophies in drawing competition and Carman won 6 trophies. How many trophies
that James have than Carman?
that James have than Carman?
Strategy 1 : Diagram Strategy 2 : Multiplication Steps
James=x ; x=10
Carman=y ; y= 6
z: the trophies that James have than
Carman
So, z= x – y
= 10 – 6
=4
Example 2
Megan has 5 stickers. Randy has 12 stickers. How many more stickers does Randy have than
Megan?
The best strategy is Multiplication strategy. The reasons are:
1. Save time. We need spend a lot of time to draw a diagram.
Strategy: Multiplication steps
Randy=x x=5
Megan=y y=12
So,12-5 = 7
The answer is 7
Example 3:
The Lachance family must drive an average of 250 miles per day to complete their vacation on time. On the
first five days, they travel 220 miles, 300 miles, 210 miles, 275 miles and 240 miles. How many miles must
they travel on the sixth day in order to finish their vacation on time?
Strategy 1 (diagram)…
1st day 2nd day 3rd day 4th day 5th day 6th day
220 miles 300 miles 210 miles 275 miles 240 miles ? miles
250 miles x 6 days = 1500 miles
So, the distance on the sixth day is = 1500 – 220 – 300 – 210 – 275 – 240
= 255 miles
Strategy 2( table ) …
The distance on the sixth day =1500- 1245
= 255 miles
Why I chose diagram?
This is because the diagram is more easy to understand for primary student. Furthermore, draw a
diagram is more save time if compare with draw a table. Student can have more time to do the
other question.
Try this!
Solve this problem using two strategies (Diagram and table)
Gini's test scores are 95, 82, 76, and 88. What score must she get on the fifth test in order to
achieve an average of 84 on all five tests?
Task 1
Online Activity
https://www.softschools.com/quizzes/math/problem_solving/quiz1306.html
Task 2
Research for another way of solving problem using non-routine .Make an example problem and solve it
using non-routine strategy.
Assessment
Solve:
1. The villagers were building a bridge. While working under the bridge Rodney could see only the
legs of those walking by. He counted 10 legs in one group. What combination of sheep and children
could have been in that group?
Strategy 1 : Guess and check.
Strategy 2 : Table
2. Prince Carl divided 15 stone games into two piles: games he owns and games his brother owns.
He owns 3 more games than his brother. How many games does his brother own?
Strategy 1 : Table
LESSON 4: Solve Problems in Algebra
LESSON OBJECTIVE
1. Identify problems in algebra
2. Illustrate solutions in solving problems in algebra
3. Solve problem involving algebra
Using algebra to solve word problems is a very powerful application of mathematics.

Unfortunately, many students don’t feel comfortable using algebra to solve real world problems,
even though they feel comfortable with their algebra skills. The problem is that students learn all
the tools of algebra but become overwhelmed when it’s time to select the correct tools and tackle
tangible problems. The purpose of this article is to outline the steps required to solve real world
problems. Of course, we couldn’t do anything without some help from the letter x!
Let’s start by listing the steps to solve an algebraic word problem:
1. Read the problem and decide what “x” represents. This is the easy part. For example, if the problem asks for Mary’s
age in the year 2032, then let x equal Mary’s age in 2032. If the problem asks the distance between boat A and boat B,
then let x represent the distance between boat A and boat B. Don’t overthink this step. It’s really that easy!
2. Define all other variables described in the problem in terms of x. Suppose we know that Mary’s sister Julia is 3 years
older than Mary. That means Julia’s age will be x+3 in the year 2032.
3. Write an equation that puts all of the numbers together. This step depends on the wording of the question. For
example, if we know the sum of Mary and Julia’s age in the year 2032 is 67, then we could write x+(x+3)=67. If we
know Mary’s age in 2032 is nine tenths of Julia’s age in 2032, then we would write x = (9/10)*(x+3).
4. Solve the equation. This step is pretty straightforward. Break open your algebra toolbox and solve the equation you
created in step 3 for x. As long as you defined x correctly, then you’re done!
Here’s our first full example: The sum of three consecutive multiples of seven is 168. What is
the value of the middle number?
1. Let x be the value of the middle number.
2. We need to figure out a way to represent the smallest and largest numbers in the sequence
with what we know about x.Since the three numbers are consecutive multiples of seven,
the first number will be seven less than x (We can write this as “x–7”), and the last
number will be seven more than x (or “x+7”).
3. We know the three numbers should add to 168, so we write: (x–7)+x+(x+7)=168.
4. (x – 7) + x + (x + 7) = 168
3x = 168
x = 56
That’s it! The middle number is 56.
Let’s try another problem: Currently, Abigail is three years older than half of Susan’s age. In
twelve years, Susan’s age will be seven more than three quarters of Abigail’s age. How old is
Abigail today?
1. Let x be Abigail’s age today.
2. We need to represent Susan’s current age as well as both girls’ future ages in terms of x.
Let’s start with Susan’s current age. We know x=3+.5*(Susan’s age), so a little algebra
shows that Susan’s age today can be represented by 2(x–3). Finding their future ages is
simple. Abigail’s future age is x+12, and Susan’s future age is 2(x–3)+12.
3. The equation that ties everything together required that we use the fact that Susan’s future
age is seven more than three quarters of Abigail’s future age. Three quarters is just 75%,
so we can create one huge equation by writing .75(x+12)+7=2(x–3)+12. The left hand
side is exactly seven more than three quarters of Abigail’s future age, and the right side is
just Susan’s future age.
4. .75(x + 12) + 7 = 2(x – 3) + 12
.75x + 9 + 7 = 2x -6 +12
.75x + 16 = 2x + 6
10 = 1.25x
x = 10/1.25 = 8
So, after all that work, we find out that Abigail is currently 8 years old!
The following are the examples of problem solving in different problems:
Task 1
Online Activity
https://www.softschools.com/quizzes/algebra/word_problems_in_algebra/quiz2199.html
Task 2
Construct 2 word problems with solutions for each examples of problem
Task 3
1. Mary Ann can finish encoding a manuscript in the computer in 6 hours. Rica can do the same
job in 5 hours. How long will it take them to do the job if they work together?
2. A very determined student wants to qualify for a scholarship. He has an average of 88 in three
grading periods. If the qualifying average grade is at least 90, what is the least grade in the fourth
grading period he will need in order to qualify for scholarship?
Assessment
REFERENCES
Bernabe J, et al. (2002), Geometry, JTW Corp
Goldin, G.A. (2000). Affective Pathways and Representations in Mathematical Problem Solving.
Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 17(2), 209-219.
Niss, M. (1999). Aspects of the nature and state of research in mathematics education.
Educational Studies in Mathematics, 40, 1 – 24
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240279677_The_Quality_of_Standard_Routine_and_N
onroutine_Processes
https://www.wtamu.edu/academic/anns/mps/math/mathlab/beg_algebra/beg_alg_tut15_prob.htm
https://math.libretexts.org/Courses/Monroe_Community_College/MTH_155_Mathematics_for_
Elementary_Teachers_I_(placeholder)/Chapter_1%3A_Problem_Solving_Strategies/Module_1
%3A_Problem_Solving_Strategies
https://math.berkeley.edu/~gmelvin/polya.pdf
https://nzmaths.co.nz/problem-solving-strategies
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wsu-sandbox/chapter/problem-solving/
https://www.softschools.com/quizzes/algebra/word_problems_in_algebra/quiz2199.html
https://www.mathnasium.com/lakeboone-news-problem-solving-with-algebra
Prepared by:
NEO B. VILLAREAL
Instructor
Checked by: Reviewed by: Noted:
Lota Q. Baldemora, Ph.D. Amabella B. Reyes. Julieta P. Donato, Ed.D.

Program Head Area Coordinator Dean
Recommended by: Approved by:
Preciosa D. Villacruel, MAT Alvaro T. Dioquino Jr., LPT, RN

CLAMDEV Focal Person Director, CLAMDEV

Problem-Solving, Mathematical Investigation and Modelling: MATH 110

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ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-2021

Credits : 3 units lecture (3 hours/week)

UNIT 1: PROBLEM- SOLVING

LESSON 1: Introduction to Problem- Solving

1. Process: requires solution processes other than

3. Application: computation is generally the solution process used to

4. Puzzles: solving puzzles may not require any mathematical

Make a problem example based on the types of problem.

It is fairly clear that a picture

Making Organised Lists and Tables are

The strategies that we want to mention here are

Illustrate your solution in the following problems using a problem strategy.

POLYA’s four-step approach to problem solving

Polya's four-step approach to problem solving

1. Preparation: Understand the problem

3. Insight: Carry out the plan

4. Verification: Look back

Can the problem or method be generalized so as to be useful for future problems?

Remember Some of the Possible Strategies Given

3. The Order Principle: In mathematics, order usually matters. In a multi-step mathematical

Illustrate your solution

Use polya’s way of solving problem refer to example 1

1a. The sum of a number and 2 is 6 less than twice that

1b. A rectangular garden has a width that is 8 feet less than

1c. Complimentary angles sum up to be 90 degrees. Find the

straight line, they are supplementary to each other.

Routine Problem Solving

You have to remember…

Non-routine Problem Solving

The following is an example of a problem that concerns non-routine problem solving.

Comparison between Routine and Non Routine Problem

Routine Non routine

• fixed, known goal and • fixed goal(s) with

Strategy 1 : Diagram Strategy 2 : Multiplication Steps

The best strategy is Multiplication strategy. The reasons are:

1. Save time. We need spend a lot of time to draw a diagram.

Strategy: Multiplication steps

250 miles x 6 days = 1500 miles

The distance on the sixth day =1500- 1245

Why I chose diagram?

Solve this problem using two strategies (Diagram and table)

using non-routine strategy.

Strategy 1 : Guess and check.

LESSON 4: Solve Problems in Algebra

Using algebra to solve word problems is a very powerful application of mathematics.

Let’s start by listing the steps to solve an algebraic word problem:

Bernabe J, et al. (2002), Geometry, JTW Corp

Checked by: Reviewed by: Noted:

Lota Q. Baldemora, Ph.D. Amabella B. Reyes. Julieta P. Donato, Ed.D.

Preciosa D. Villacruel, MAT Alvaro T. Dioquino Jr., LPT, RN

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