Lesson 2: Creating Your Own Problems
Creating Problems
Now that you have read through some of my examples, you will come up with your own problems which relate to the real world. To do so, follow the steps below to ensure that they will be engaging problems and that your students will have the opportunity to make a connection to them.
Steps to Making Real World Math Problems
1. Pick a topic. Whether it's a topic you are working through with your students now or one that you will be going over in the future (examples: solving equations, exponent rules, etc.).
2. Make sure the problem includes not only your topic but something that your students (ideally at least 50% of your students) can relate to. If you know your students are interested in sports, then make a problem about a sports team. If you know they are in the school band, then make a problem that relates to music. You can find out these interests by using the google form or a similar one to the one you took in Unit 1 Lesson 1. These student interests don't have to be in school activities only, in fact students would probably prefer it if they were not school activities. (example: If you have a student who you know takes dance lessons, look up dance places in the area and use the name of their dance place in your problem).
3. Add any element of competition or surprise into your problem. Students love to compete with each other and enjoy problems which are surprising or unexpected. (example: Create a problem where two people are racing and the students have to take an initial guess on who will win, this way they are invested in the problem and they want their person to win).
4. Don't make the problem too long, but make sure it contains all the information needed in order to solve the problem. When students look at a word problem, if it is too long they don't even bother reading it and they don't want to solve it.
5. Lastly, add a picture or graphic to your problem when appropriate. Students have a better time when there is a visual they can refer to and they will most likely be able to remember the problem if there is a picture attached to it.
Now it's your turn...
Create two word problems using the steps above and your new knowledge of connecting mathematics to the real world. Type your problems in a word document and title your document the topic your chose. After you create your problems email them to me. Make sure when you email them to me you don't put your name in the document.
Once you complete your problems you may move on to Unit 2 Lesson 1: Reviewing Classmate's Problems
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