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Re: Setting up problems



I think, Bob, what people were responding to is the part about
"have them look at the related equations". I certainly reacted to that.
"The related equations" are not separate entities that are to be
somehow related to a set of facts. Forget that the equations exist!
Treat mathematics as a language to be used to state relationships. Then
"solving" a problem means turning a crank to associate numbers with the
entities involved in the relationships. This way, the student is
ecouraged to create the "formula", not to "find" it.

On Wed, 8 Oct 2003, Robert Patton wrote:

I guess I simplified my approach to much. I, too, require sketches and
free body diagrams, if appropriate, to have the students "visualize" the
situation. This is done along with the listing of the info in the
problem, before they start to deal with the solution. And frankly, I am
just as concerned with the approach as I am with "the answer".
Just today I was asking the students what they visualize when I
mentioned various words, such as acceleration and force. I was glad to
here responses such as; a car going away from a stop sign, or a rope
pulling on a box, etc. I agree that problem solving is much more than
"plug and chug", and I hope my students are able capable of going beyond
it.

Bob

Tim O'Donnell wrote:

I have my students read through the problem and list the
given info and what is to be found. Then I have them look at
the related equations based of the info from the problem.
They should be able to find the equation that ties the given
info to what is to be found. Then they should be able to do
the math from then on.

RW Patton
dover High School
Dover, DE

To me this is plug and chug. What do others think?

Tim O'Donnell
Celina High School
odonnt@celina.k12.oh.us


--
"Don't push the river, it flows by itself"
Frederick Perls