PROBLEM SOLVING POLYA STYLE

Step 1: Understand the problem.

Ask yourself: What’s the goal?
1) Do I understand all the words in the problem? NAME:
2) What am I asked to find or show?
3) Can I rephrase the problem in my own words? CLASS:
5) Is there enough information for me to solve the problem?
6) Do I need to ask myself any questions to get the answers?

Step 2: Devise a plan (pick a strategy)

What strategy should I use?
e.g. Looking for a pattern, draw a diagram, draw a
table , guess and check, Solve an equation?

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

Which strategy is best? Time to act!
If one doesn’t work, try another, be clear and
organised with your working out.

Step 4: Look back (check and reflect)

Did I solve it?
Reflect and look back on your step s and your
solution. What worked? What didn’t?
Could you use this method again?

TRY IT OUT
1. Khloe and Kim bought the same item. Khloe said he paid 20% less than the
listed price. Kim said that if she would have paid 25% more for the item, she
would have paid the listed price. Who paid the least?

2. Rob is an aspiring music artist. He has a record contract that pays him a base
rate of $200 a month and an additional $12 for each album that he sells. Last
month he earned a total of $644.
Write an equation to determine the number of albums (a) Rob sold last
month.

©Msmindfully2018