Draw a picture
Draw a picture
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The draw a picture strategy is a problem-solving technique in which you make a visual representation of the problem. For example, the following problem could be solved by drawing a picture:
A frog is at the bottom of a 10-meter well. Each day he climbs up 3 meters. Each night he slides down 1 meter. On what day will he reach the top of the well and escape?
Problem 1:
Problem 1:
Marah is putting up a tent for a family reunion. The tent is 16 feet by 5 feet. Each 4-foot section of tent needs a post except the sides that are 5 feet. How many posts will she need?
When you use the strategy of guess and check, you should keep a record of what you have done. It might be helpful to use a chart or table.
Steps to take to solve this problem:
Steps to take to solve this problem:
1. Understand the problem
1. Understand the problem
Find key pieces of information needed to solve the problem - this could mean that you need to read the original problem several times or put it into your own words.
16 feet by 5 feet
1 post every 4 feet, including 1 at each corner
No posts on the short sides
2. Choose a strategy
2. Choose a strategy
3. Solve the problem
3. Solve the problem
We understand that there are posts every 4 feet. In the second sample problem, we are asked to organise data spatially to determine the number of posts Marah will need. You can draw a picture or a diagram to find the answer.
I drew a rectangle where each long side is 16 feet, and there is 1 post every 4 feet. I drew a circle for each post. I remembered to draw a post at each end. There are 10 posts total.
4. Check
4. Check
Read the problem again to be sure you answered the question.
I found that there are 10 posts.
Check your math is correct.
16 divided by 4 is 4. There are 4 sections of 4 feet on each long side.
There is a post on each end, so 4 + 1 = 5. There are 2 sides to the tent, and 5 x 2 = 10.
Was drawing a picture the best strategy for this problem? Was there a better way to solve it?
Drawing a picture was a good strategy to use for this problem because you might forget to count the posts on each corner unless you see them.
5. Explain
5. Explain
Explain your answer and the process you went through to solve the problem. It is important to talk or write about your thinking. There may be more than one way to represent a problem visually, so explaining your picture helps you to understand your thinking process and identify errors.
My answer is 10 fence posts. First, I tried to solve this by multiplying. I took 16 and divided by 4 to find the number of posts on each side. I got 4 posts on each side. Then I doubled it to get 8 posts total. I checked the problem and realised that there are posts on each corner, so I drew a picture so that I could see it and be sure the answer was correct.
I drew a rectangle to show the tent. Each long side is 16 feet, and there is 1 post every 4 feet, so I divided 16 by 4 to find out that there are 4 sections of 4 feet each. I drew a circle for each post, and wrote the number in the space between each post. I remembered to draw a post at each end. I counted the posts and found out that there are 10 posts total.
YOUR TURN:
YOUR TURN:
Try to solve this problem using the strategy of drawing a picture:
Tai wants to frame a 3 x 5 picture surrounded by 2 inches of mat. How large will her frame need to be?
Independent Task:
Independent Task:
WALT - Draw a picture to solve a problem
WALT - Draw a picture to solve a problem
GOT it Resource - Problem Sheet 3
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