| Your son or daughter has word problems for | | | | distance and time. The word problem will also |
| science homework. How do you help your children | | | | include a value without a number, or the unknown. |
| become successful word problem solvers? Help | | | | The phrases “How many” or “How |
| your child by developing a process that he can | | | | much” or “What is” are good clues to |
| apply to a variety of problems. Recognize that | | | | this value. The unknown quantity is distance, |
| effectively completing word problems requires a | | | | distinguished by the phrase, “how far”. |
| series of logical steps. The first strategy is to | | | | The color of her car, green, is irrelevant to solving |
| understand the language content of the problem. | | | | the problem. |
| The second is recognizing that a science word | | | | 4. Successful problem solvers determine the |
| problem is an application of algebra. Third, the | | | | appropriate algebraic expression, or equation, for |
| values described in the problem are | | | | the problem. The appropriate equation to use for |
| interconnected. Fourth, determine the appropriate | | | | the example is: distance equals speed multiplied by |
| algebraic equation for the problem. Finally, | | | | time, or mathematically, d = speed * t. Now the |
| document the entire problem solving process. | | | | problem is mathematical in nature. By substituting |
| 1. Successfully completing science word | | | | 40 kilometers per hour for speed and 2 hours for |
| problems requires good reading comprehension | | | | time, the problem solver gets an answer of 80 |
| skills. Word problem solvers cannot effectively | | | | kilometers. Note that the answer includes both a |
| complete the word problem without understanding | | | | number and a unit. Sometimes the equation needs |
| the problem itself. What information in the | | | | to be rewritten by applying algebraic rules, so the |
| problem is important to solving an equation? What | | | | unknown quantity is on one side of the equals sign |
| information can be discarded? Distance, time and | | | | all by itself. |
| speed are important quantities that would be | | | | 5. Successful problem solvers document their |
| listed in a problem about a car’s speed. The | | | | thinking process by writing out each step that he |
| color of the car would have no impact in solving | | | | uses to solve the problem. The example above is |
| the problem. | | | | rather basic, which most students can discover |
| 2. Word problems in science are applications of | | | | without writing out their work. Science word |
| algebraic expressions, or equations. Good word | | | | problems are also applications of science content. |
| problem solvers distinguish between the givens in | | | | With more challenging science content, the |
| the problem and the value which is to be | | | | corresponding word problems may, at first, seem |
| calculated. The givens always include both | | | | too difficult. Breaking down the problem into |
| numbers and units. The value to be calculated only | | | | simpler steps, which includes writing out the |
| has a unit. The unit describes the measurement | | | | mathematical work, often helps create success. |
| involved. | | | | By writing down each given, unknown, equation, |
| 3. Successful science word problem solvers see | | | | mathematical step, and answer, more challenging |
| how the mathematical expressions in the | | | | science word problems are less difficult. By first |
| statements are interconnected to each other. | | | | applying the problem solving process to basic |
| How would such a problem solver complete this | | | | problems, the successful problem solver will soon |
| example? | | | | develop a method to apply to more difficult |
| Sam drives her green car at 40 kilometers per | | | | science word problems. |
| hour. How far will she travel in 2 hours? | | | | You can help your children develop a successful |
| A good strategy to use is to first look for | | | | process that they can use to solve science word |
| numbers combined with science-related | | | | problems and become effective word problem |
| terminology describing measurements, or what is | | | | solvers. First, understand the problem’s |
| given, or known, in the problem. Speed can be | | | | language content. Second, recognize that science |
| measured in kilometers per hour. Time can be | | | | word problems are applications of algebra. Third, |
| measured in hours. The phrases, 40 kilometers | | | | the quantities used in problems are interconnected. |
| per hour and 2 hours, are given, or are the | | | | Fourth, decide upon the appropriate algebraic |
| known quantities, in the example. The speed and | | | | equation to solve each problem. Finally, document |
| the time are interconnected. Speed is a ratio of | | | | the problem solving process. |