Wallingford Public Schools

MATH PROBLEM SOLVING RUBRIC Name__________________

You didn’t Your strategy Your strategy Your strategy Your strategy showed
seem to know showed that you showed you showed you you understood how to
where to did not understand understood part understood most of solve the entire
Did you use a plan begin. the problem. of the problem. the problem. problem.
and apply an
appropriate
strategy?
You gave no Your explanation is Your explanation Your explanation is You clearly explained
explanation for unorganized and is understandable understandable and your process using
your work. hard to follow. but incomplete complete, correct mathematical
Were you able to because it but may contain terms and symbols,
explain what you did describes only some errors in math and you explained
and why, using words part(s) of the terms or symbols. why you chose those
and other problem or steps.
approaches? solution.
You did not Your math Your math Your math Your math
show any computations are computations computations computations are
Were you able to computations. not accurate have errors that contain small complete and
carry out your plan and/or did not affected the error(s), but still accurate, resulting in a
accurately and result in a solution answer, or you answer most of the solution that answers
completely? that answered the left out important important parts of the problem.
Does your answer problem. parts. the problem.
make sense?

Problem Solving Strategies:

Guess, check, & revise Solve a simpler problem Make a table
Work backwards Use objects / Act it out Use logical reasoning
Draw a picture/diagram Use an organized list Use a number sentence, equation, or formula
Look for a pattern

Grades 3- 6 Approved by Curriculum Council October 26, 2004

Revised April, 2005