What is a problem?

1.

According to Greeno (1978), problem is a situation in which can be called the given state and another situation which can be called the goal state, but there is no obvious way of accomplishing your goal.

 2.

According to Mayer (1983), there are three characteristics of a problem: a)Given: the problem begins in a certain state conditions, objects, pieces of information and so forth being present. b)Goals:thinking is required to transform the problem from given to goal state. c) Obstacles:

3. A problem is a situation that an individual wants to resolve arise but no solution is readily apparent. 4. A problem involves a situation in which a person wants something and does not know immediately what to do to get it.
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What is Solving?
1.

Problem

Chi and Glaser (1985): PS is a situation in which an individual is trying to reach some goals and must find means to arrive at them by using a certain solution.

2. Is the process of applying previously acquired knowledge to new and unfamiliar situations. 3. it is the process by which the unfamiliar situation resolved.

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Importance of problem solving skills

Enhance self access learning. Relate mathematics with daily life. To develop the concept Integrated use of thinking skills For communication. Enrich our life in our recreational pursuits. For mathematics learners about `word problem

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Polyas Problem Solving Model

Four Steps process UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM

DEVISING A PLAN CARRYING OUT THE PLAN LOOKING BACK

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George

Polya

Father of Modern Problem Solving

TYPE OF PROBLEMS
ROUTINE

PROBLEM -Presents a question to be answered -Gives the facts or number to use -Can be solved by direct application of previously learned algorithms and the basic task is to identify the operation appropriate for solving the problem.

 Example:

Routine Problem

i) What is the area of 55 m x 48 m car lot? ii) An employee makes RM 15 per hour. How much will the employee makes in 27 hours?

 NON-ROUTINE

PROBLEM - Use of strategies involving some nonalgorithmic approaches - Can be solved in many distinct ways requiring different thinking processes.

Examples:Non-Routine Problem i) In a room with 10 people, everyone shake hands with everybody else exactly once. How many hand shakes are there? ii) How many squares in 6 x 6 squares?

Method used for Problem Solving

Suggessted strategies
Simulation Draw a diagram
Make a Table
Guessing & Checking Experimenting
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Simplify the problem

Working Backward

Analogy
Identify the Sub-goals Identify the Pattern

Simulation

Simulate the action

Easy to understand the problem

Use suitable object

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Example 1:
A

farmer wants to cross the river safely. He has a sheep, a wolf and a basket of cabbage. He only can bring one of his properties along the way. Please help him to solve his problem, as a sheep can eat the cabbage and a wolf can eat the sheep when he leave them together behind.
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Example 2
Ali, bob, Chen, don and El are running in a sack race. Half way through the race, they are in these positions; ali is 20 yards behind bob bob is 50 yards ahead of chen chen is 10 yards behind El don is 30 yards ahead of ali El is 50 yards behind don. Can you figure out who, at this point is winning the race?

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Draw a diagram

Use the diagram to solve problems

Help pupils to know the solving method.

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Example 1
In

a room with 10 people, everyone shake hands with everybody else exactly once. How many hand shakes are there?

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Siti Khadijahs salary is RM1200. She spent salary and kept the remaining

of his monthly

in the bank. How much money did

Siti Khadijah banked in every month?

RM400
2 3

RM1200

RM400 RM400
2 3

2 3

1 4

1 Remaining 3
2 3

RM100 RM100 RM100 RM100

1 1 4 4
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Kept in bank

Example 3
Mark

planned to have a party and invited two guests. His guests each invited three more people, each of whom invited two more guests. How many people were invited to marks party?

Looking for Pattern

Pattern appear in many forms such as number pattern,
geometric pattern, word pattern and letter pattern.

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10

What is the value of x, y and z? Solution See the difference between the numbers.

1
2
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3
3

6
4

10
5

15 x
6

y 21
7

z 28

Example 2:
Exercise 1.

List the next three terms to continue the pattern in each of following: i) 4, 8, 12,__,___,____ ii) 1, 2, 4, 8, ___,___, ___ iii) 1, 4, 9, 16,___,___, ___

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Guessing and Checking (Cuba Jaya )

Guess , Checkthe answer right @ wrong

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Guessing and Checking

Involves rational thinking Acquired experiences Do not involve wild guess Use the trial and error method

In a farm, there are 44 animals consisting of some chickens and rabbits The number of legs are 100. How many chickens and how many rabbits are There?

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Solution

First Guess

22 chickens

22 2 legs = 44 legs 22 4 legs = 88 legs Jumlah 132 legs

22 rabbits 44 animals
INCORRECT

(more legs) Strategy : increase the number of chickens And decrease the number of rabbits
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Solution

Second guessing

32 chickens

32 2 legs = 64 legs 12 4 legs = 48 legs Total 112 legs

12 rabbits 44
Still Inccorrect

(More legs)

Strategy :??
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Solution

Third Guessing

38Chickens

38 2 legs = 76 legs 6 4 legs = 24 legs Total 100 legs

6 rabbits 44 ekor
The answer is correct!

Congratulation!!

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Example 2
Predict:

how many ways can you arrange 5 squares whose sides are touching. Which of these squares will form a box without a top when folded?

Making a Table/Chart

Helps pupils to organize and present information in table Sometimes it is easier to solve problem by listing out some or all the possibilities Convenient way to organize a list. Used to summarize data or to see a pattern

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Example 1

You save $3 on Monday. Each day after that you save twice as much as you saved the day before. If this pattern continues, how much would you save on Friday?

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CARRY OUT THE PLAN

Day Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
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Amount of Money Saved $3 $6 $12 $24 $48

Example 2
Of

the 25 soccer games that Chelsea played, they tied 3 games and won 2 more than they lost. How many games did Chelsea win ? Answer the question using making a table method.

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SOLUTION
Win 8 Lost 6 Tied 3 Total 17 X

10
12

8
10

3
3

21
25

X
/

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Example 3
Willie

saw 5 large sailboats and 3 small ones sailing in the ocean. Each of the large sailboats had 2 sails. The small ones had 1 sail each. How many did willie see in all?

Simplify The Problem

Difficult

problems can be simplified to make them become easily solved.

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Solution
Find the base area of this building.
10 m 4m
6m 4m

A
B

6m

6m 10 m

C
6m

8m

Base area A = 10 m x 4 m = 40 m2 Base area B = 20 m x 6 m = 120 m2 Base area C = 6 m x 8 m = 48 m2 Base Area ABC
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208 m2

Work backward
The last information is given. Determine what had happen before that . Use the strategy to solve the question .

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Example
Datuk Hassan said If you multiply my age by 3, add the product with 17 and then divided by 2, the answer is 100. How old is Datuk Hassan?

3
?

+ 17

183
3

200
- 17
2

100

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ANALOGY
Is

use to solve mathematics problem which contains solution step similar to other previous mathematics problem. While solving such new mathematics problem, the teacher can draw the pupils attention based on their prevoius experience.
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Examples
There are 5 points at the circumference. Every point is joined by straight line. How many straight line are there?.

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Other examples

How do you want to arrange eight number of 8 so that the sum of them is 1000?

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Answer
888 88 8 8 + 8 1000
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Divide this diagram into 4 congruent parts. You are not allowed to divide using curve lines.

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Answer

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Find the numbers that represent these alphabets

+
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F I T O E I G

V E WO N E H T

9 0 7 1 8 2 6 + 6 4 1 1 0 5 3 8
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Write the numbers 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9 once in the box so that when they are added, the answer will be 999.

+
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9 9 9 1