Problem Solving Archives - MARILYN BURNS MATH

Estimation General Interest Number Lines Numerical Reasoning Problem Solving

Teaching a Number Line Lesson

In my last blog, I describe how I planned a lesson about number lines. In this blog, I describe what actually occurred when I taught the lesson to a class of fourth graders. Read about which parts of my plan I followed, when and why I made some changes, and what the students did on the assignment I gave them.

Marilyn BurnsFebruary 20, 2024

Division General Interest Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning Place Value Problem Solving Real-World Problems Word Problems

Mulling about Teaching Division

Teachers often report that division is hard to teach. How can we help build students’ understanding? Read on for an introductory division lesson I taught to fourth graders.

Marilyn BurnsJanuary 18, 2024

Games General Interest Problem Solving

Race for 20―A Counting Game for All Ages

Looking for an easy-to-play game that requires only the ability to count to 20, but has a real mathematical kick? Here it is. Teach it to your kids at home or to your students online to play with someone at home. Read on for the rules and some tips, including how to tweak the game to keep kids interested and challenged.

Marilyn BurnsMarch 28, 2020

Games General Interest Problem Solving

Riddles That Rhyme (not entirely a math post)

Riddles are usually a hit with kids, and with many at home and sheltering in place (as I am), diversions can be helpful. When rummaging through my book shelves, I found a book that I wrote in 1981―The Hink Pink Book. I wrote it shortly after I first learned about Hink Pink riddles, and also about Hinky Pinky and Hinkety Pinkety riddles. I think these riddles are good for some language play for kids at home, with a little math thrown in.

Marilyn BurnsMarch 24, 2020

Fractions General Interest Problem Solving Real-World Problems

What Is 5 Divided by 4? So Many Answers!

Fourth graders solve the problem 5 ÷ 4 in the context of sharing cookies, figuring out how to share five cookies equally with four people. The students came up with six different solutions―all of them correct! (Try and think of what they might be before continuing to read.)

Marilyn BurnsFebruary 27, 2019

Decimals Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning Problem Solving

Teaching Adding Decimals: What If You Give the Answer First?

When teaching students to add decimals, I wind up reminding students to “line up the decimal points.” This makes sense to some students while others follow the rule without understanding. How can we teach adding decimals to develop understanding and skill? Here’s a possible suggestion: Give the correct answer up front.

Marilyn BurnsJanuary 14, 2018

General Interest Problem Solving Videos

When Should and Shouldn’t We Give Answers?

Over a year ago, I blogged about The 1–10 Card Investigation. I didn't provide a solution to the problem and no one who commented asked for one. But a newly posted comment requested the solution. That pushed me into a conversation with myself about how I should respond, and about giving answers in general.

Marilyn BurnsFebruary 5, 2017

Assessment Books by Marilyn Division General Interest Math and Literature Multiplication Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning Problem Solving Word Problems

One Lesson, Three Grades, Three Twists

The children's book 17 Kings and 42 Elephants by Margaret Mahy is one of my long-time favorites. In this post I describe a division lesson that I’ve taught to third graders but recently revisited with fourth- and fifth-grade classes. With the older students, we tried extensions that differentiated the experience and put students in charge of deciding on problems for themselves. It was exciting to me to expand a lesson I've taught many times into a multi-day investigation.

Marilyn BurnsJanuary 30, 2017

General Interest Numerical Reasoning Problem Solving Real-World Problems

Always Try a Problem Before You Assign It

Have you ever thought about this numerical sequence—0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12? What does the sequence have to do with unicycles, bicycles, and tricycles? And what's my mathematical and pedagogical quandary? Read more and find out.

Marilyn BurnsSeptember 14, 2016

Algebra General Interest Problem Solving Videos

An Oldie Revisited: The Border Problem

Here's one of my favorite oldies. (No, not the photo—the border problem.) I was so pleased to see this math investigation included in Jo Boaler’s latest paper. This blog post presents a detailed lesson plan for using the border problem with students and also includes a five-minute video clip to give you a sense of how the instruction went with one class.

Marilyn BurnsApril 19, 2016

Problem Solving