6th Grade Problem Solving

Standards- and Research-Based Study of a Curricular Topic

Section and Outcome
I. Identify Adult Content Knowledge

Selected Sources and Readings for Study and Reflection Current Research on Topic
IA. Science for All Americans To solve mathematical problems, three main phases are involved including: formulating abstract representations, manipulation of the representations, and validation of the newly observed or derived relationships. The first phase of mathematical problem solving is abstraction and is defined by Science for All Americans as noticing a similarity between two or more objects or events. Abstractions are classified primarily as either concrete or hypothetical and can be represented by numerous symbols. A good example is a circle, whose abstractions include tires, human faces, and flowers. Selecting the most appropriate symbolic representation for a mathematical problem is crucial in order to relieve mathematicians from certain features, allowing them to focus on more important aspects. Once the abstract representations have been formed, manipulations are to be made. Sometimes specific rules and procedures are known to be applied and other times they are not, leading to trial and error and playing around with the representations. This phase is quite similar to playing a game due to the use of rules and the moves associated with the rules. Often times, new rules are created to better suit the information and connections are made among the established sets of rules. The purpose of this phase is to find relationships between abstractions. The final phase is validation. When abstract representations are manipulated and relationships are attained from the model it is necessary to verify whether or not the results are valid. Many components need to be considered when analyzing the attained results including the properties of the things represented, accuracy, operations being used, and physical features. A prime example includes adding substances. If 2 cups of water are added to 3 cups of water, the correct result is 5 cups of water. However, if 2 cups of sugar are added to 3 cups of water, the correct answer is not 5 cups. Logic and common sense are other methods that can be used to gauge truthfulness of some mathematical problems. An appropriate example concerns human height. If Sarah is growing at 1 inch per year and is currently 55, how tall will she be in 20 years time? The use of common sense allows us to eliminate 71 as being Sarahs

height in 20 years. Rate multiplied by time does not work in this instance and another method would be more appropriate for this example. I honestly never thought of mathematical problem solving in terms of the three phases mentioned above but appreciate its value. By segmenting the overall process of problem solving into three parts, students and adults can use the phases to guide them when problem solving. Awareness of these elements allows problem solvers check themselves throughout the process and not get overwhelmed by a problem. Adults in our society should be aware of these processes and be able to successfully implement them when given mathematically related problems in their lives. Adults and teachers should also know a variety of strategies to use when solving problems. Choosing among the set of methods is an important aspect in problem solving. Oftentimes there are multiple ways to solve a problem, some being more appropriate and effective than others. Adults should have enough experience with problem solving to distinguish between the strategies and choose the one most suitable for the problem presented to them. Teachers should not only have those skills themselves but also appropriately instruct their students, with the end goal of their students becoming effective problem solvers. From this reading, I believe that the K-12 education system strives for our youth to manage mathematical problems through the appropriate application of these phases. With practice and exploration of mathematical problems, students develop and continually build upon a mental toolbox containing strategies that will be used in the mathematical problem solving processes. II. Consider Instructional Implications As stated by Halmos in 1980, problem solving is the "heart of mathematics." It should not be an isolated segment of the mathematics classroom but rather an integral part of all instruction. I believe that problem solving is one of the most important skills students acquire in their K-12 education. Being able to solve complex problems in the real world is a valuable skill to have. Principles and Standards for School Mathematics and Benchmarks for Science Literacy provide a variety of effective instructional suggestions in regards to problem solving. It is very important to provide students frequent opportunities with problem solving. Students need to become comfortable with solving problems, especially where the strategy or methods are not automatically known. When students enter the "real world," problems presented to them will not be supplemented with a step-by-step guide on how to solve them. Teachers must specifically introduce and teach strategies to their

children. These strategies should start being incorporated in the elementary grades and continue being expanded and developed through their senior year of high school. Having a toolbox filled with various methods and strategies will help students by saving them time and being more effective through the process. By providing students with a lot of practice and experience using these strategies, students will be able to determine the most appropriate one(s) for specific types of problems. Common problem solving strategies include: drawing a diagram, making a chart/table, looking for patterns, making a list, working backwards, eliminating options, creating a simpler problem, guessing and checking. This is not a comprehensive list and must not be used as such. Another suggestion mentioned in the readings is the practice and use of metacognition, or thinking about one's thinking. The process of metacognition, also known as reflection, must be modeled and essentially taught by teachers to their students. When a solution is found to a particular problem students often think that the process is complete. This is certainly not the case because students must always reflect upon their thinking and verify that the solution is appropriate. Reflecting upon, explaining, and justifying one's solution not only checks for any possible mistakes but also shows students' understanding of the material. This can help teachers assess their students and help determine what components need to be worked on or revisited. Two common misconceptions about problem solving stuck out for me in this reading. One is that students must have knowledge of the content involved to complete the problem. While knowledge of mathematical content is definitely helpful and sometimes necessary, that is not always the case. Students can use common sense, deductive reasoning, and general logic to solve many problems. The other misconception is that only older students have the capacity to problem solve. Problem solving is a skill that children start to develop at very early ages and continue to develop throughout their lives. Before children even start school they often are involved with simple problem solving. As Principles and Standards for School Mathematics states, young children "exhibit curiosity, intelligence, and flexibility as they face new situations." Children start out with this positive disposition towards problem solving and it is important that teachers foster, promote, and encourage the use of new mathematics to further develop their skills. It is important for teachers to get to know their students and understand their interests. Aligning problems to students interests helps them be more engaged and motivated in learning the concepts the problem contains. When students are engaged they are more likely to have a deeper conceptual understanding. Problems can be aligned with specific mathematical ideas as well as concepts in other contexts or content areas. Providing students practice with problems

similar to situations they may experience in the "real world" or everyday life often sparks engagement and curiosity, further deepening their understanding due to their motivation to learn and participate. IIA: Benchmarks for Science Literacy From reading the noted general essays in Benchmarks for Science Literacy I was able to develop a "big view picture" of problem solving in K-12 education. Students are to be given mathematical problems that represent patterns and relationships among concepts. Students need to have the experience to develop ideas for themselves and reflect on the processes to clarify whether or not they understand the material. Since mathematics is present in a variety of contexts, it is important that students are provided problems of different situations - both in "real world" and hypothetical settings. Ultimately, students need to perform mathematical investigations to gain a deep understanding of the mathematical content and become familiar with the inquiry process. IIIB: Principles and Standards for School Mathematics The readings in Principles and Standards for School Mathematics gave me a great understanding of the implications involved in teaching problem solving. This topic should be incorporated in students' mathematics education from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Of the various implications for teachers presented in the text, the two that I believe are the most important are selecting problems and the classroom environment. Selecting the best problem(s) for the class is a challenge and takes time if a teacher is to so properly. Problems selected must be interesting, engaging, and challenging for students. They must also be related to the math goals. When teachers present their carefully chosen problems, they must ensure that students have plenty of time to struggle and work with the problem. Too little time is harmful for students understanding and growth. Along with the selection of problems, the classroom environment is vital to students' educational experience and knowledge development. Students will learn the most in an environment that supports the sharing of ideas and does not criticize observed mistakes. Respect must be present between the teacher and students. Also, if students have the responsibility of helping the teacher determine the norms of the classroom they will more likely develop confidence as problem solvers. Students can learn a lot from their peers and if all students are comfortable to share their thoughts and collaborate, they will get more out of their problem solving experiences as well as mathematics as a whole. III. Identify Concepts and Specific Ideas In Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, four main learning goals and expectations are mentioned for the problem solving standard. They are as follows: gaining new understanding of mathematical concepts through the use of problem solving, the

actual process of solving mathematics problems and problems related to other contexts, the use of a variety of strategies in problem solving and deciphering which strategies are the most appropriate or effective in a given problem, and reflecting on the whole process. All of these goals align very well with problem solving, as all are essential for students to become effective problem solvers. Due to the broad range of specific mathematical concepts problem solving covers, these standards can be related to concepts in all strands of mathematics: algebra, calculus, geometry, probability, measurement, basic numbers and operations, and so on. When working specifically with problem solving, I believe that it is important to focus more so on the actual process and strategies involved rather than the strand of mathematics the problems relate to. The main three phases of the problem solving process, as stated in Benchmarks for Science Literacy are using abstractions to represent things, manipulation of the abstractions, and validation of the accuracy or appropriateness of the received solution. The learning goals presented in Benchmarks for Science Literacy are very similar to those in Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Both resources discuss the importance of different strategies and methods to solve problems as well as the need to reflect or validate the solutions derived. In Benchmarks for Science Literacy, a lot of stress is placed on the representation of mathematical ideas and the connections or patterns found among the representations. Principles and Standards for School Mathematics does not state those ideas in the same fashion but rather discusses the development of new mathematical knowledge and the contexts problems can be presented. In Benchmarks more emphasis is placed on mathematics as a whole rather than the specific area of problem solving. Both texts give a good representation of problem solving and the learning goals, concepts, principles within it. IV. Examine Research on Student Learning Students hold many beliefs about problem solving. Some of these beliefs include: there is only one appropriate strategy to solve a problem, problems have only one correct solution, groups do not perform mathematics together, problems are solved quickly, the solutions attained from a problem do not have to make sense, and proofs are unnecessary. The beliefs listed above are misconceptions and need to be addressed before students can learn to solve problems effectively. Many students have a negative mathematical disposition. They listen to the teacher tell them the processes of a concept, do not bother to try solving a problem individually, but rather wait until the teacher explains the answer. They use memorization to solve particular problems and give up if they have difficulties solving them

or if the problem does not fit in the memorized form. Students who fall into any of these behaviors may very well believe in the mathematical misconceptions listed above. It should be the goal of the teacher to try and reveal student misconceptions early in the school year to try and change any inaccurate or negative beliefs. This is very difficult to do, even more so the older the student is. Problem solving begins for students at an early age. Before children even attend school they participate in problem solving. Strategies for problem solving are introduced in the elementary grades and are developed and expanded upon throughout middle school and high school. In middle school, students should have a good understanding of the various methods and strategies that can be used to solve problems. Through the use of practice and discussions students will be able to decipher between strategies and select the most appropriate one for a given problem. In high school, students should be well versed in problem solving and should deepen their mathematical understanding through the use of problem solving and mathematical inquiry. IVA: Benchmarks for Science Literacy The research can be used to reveal possible student misconceptions and instructional techniques that can be administered to help realign student beliefs. Due to the fact that all students ultimately think differently no approach can be considered the best. Research on educational studies is a good source for teachers, providing them with useful instructional suggestions. IVB: Research Companion A Research Companion states "the goal of problem solving is for students to use problem situations as gateways to abstraction and generalization - to develop the ability to mathematize situations." Student must strip "away the context and examine the mathematical underpinnings of the story." This involves students analyzing and creating abstract representations. It has been noted that students have trouble working with abstractions and find it difficult to look at problems out of context. This could contribute to students mathematical misconceptions. It is important for students to understand the strengths and weaknesses of various representations. Teachers can look at these representations and assess their students' understanding of the content and overall mathematics. By evaluating students knowledge and any possible shortcomings, teachers can adjust lessons and activities to help students reach their learning goals. V. Examine Coherency and Articulation No maps were provided for problem solving.

VI. Clarify State Standards and District Curriculum

There are no 6th grade state standards specifically related to problem solving. Due to the wide spread nature of problem solving, several standards touch on and incorporate the use of specific problem solving strategies. I think it would be beneficial for students to have mathematical lessons and standards that deal specifically to problem solving in a general sense. Students get wrapped up in the specific context of the problem and are often unable to take a step back and look at the big picture. General mathematical problem solving skills are very beneficial, especially when it comes to standardized testing. Some of the specific problem solving standards in different grade levels include: MA.912.G.8.2, MA.912.T.5.1, MA.912.A.10.1, MA.4.A.1.1, and MA.5.A.1.4. These standards honestly do not include any cognitive performance verbs. I believe more emphasis needs to be placed on general problem solving and standards need to be set in place that specify important elements of the mathematical problem solving processes. VIA: State Standards: The standards set forth by the state are very important and students should learn them all to become educated, successful members of our society. For my curriculum topic study, however, no state standards exist. VIB: District Curriculum Guide or Instructional Materials: In 6th grade no specific standards are tied directly to problem solving as a whole. However, many specific mathematical concepts touch on and use problem solving methods to help give students practice. After assessing Alachua Countys Math 1 Advanced Pacing Calendar, I noticed that several days are connected to the implementation of specific problem solving strategies such as creating models, working backwards, make a table, solve a simpler problem, look for a pattern, and draw a diagram. I think that it is crucial for each grade level to have a specific lesson or standard on general problem solving. This way, when teachers use problem solving techniques and strategies in more specific contexts, they can relate students back to the general problem solving lesson.

Final Note: The curriculum topic study that I created has provided me with valuable information regarding problem solving. I can now help students learn and become effective problem solvers. When students have misconceptions I will be aware of the possible origins of their beliefs and will be able to help them correct those beliefs. Before I teach other lessons to students in the future, I will use the guides provided in these texts to become a more prepared instructor. My overall goal as a teacher is to provide students with a mathematics education that will challenge them, all in an environment that fosters reflective thinking and lively discussions.