M3.8.7 For the adult
Writing your own equations
Three pieces of rope of the same length and a 5 m piece are joined. The whole rope is 26 m long. How long is each of the 3 pieces?
What this chapter teaches
To solve a word problem, choose a letter for the unknown, write an equation from the story, solve it, and check the answer in the equation and in the story. A bar picture helps to see the equation.
Three questions to ask
There is no one right wording. Listen for the idea.
- What does your letter stand for in this problem?
- How do you know your equation matches the story?
- How did you check that your answer is right?
After the chapter, the learner can
- Write an equation from a word problem and solve it
- Check an answer by putting it back into the equation
What they copy into their notebook
Pick a letter and say what it means. Write the equation from the story. Solve it. Check in the equation and in the story.