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Group A	Thoughts from Red Deer Lake & Dr. Gibson students	Responses from Millarville Students
Go to Discussion B Go to Discussion C Go to Discussion D	When we read the math question through for the first time, we did not recognize it as a math question. We wondered where the math was. It seemed to be more like a story and not like the math questions that we usually get to do.	When you look at the question it looks like a story but if you look inside the story you will see the math because math is not just numbers it is looking for strategies to solve a problem such a land subdivision.
Return to Math Problem Return to Home Page	We wondered if we had to solve the question right away because we wanted to talk about it first. There were a lot of questions that we had to figure out. If we didn't solve it was that really like solving it because we talked about the problem?	If you want to solve a math problem you have to talk about it so that you can find strategies. Don't just look for the numbers. Working in a group is a good idea because then you can get ideas from other people and find out what they think. It helps you to think.
	We thought that it was hard because it had lots of different questions in the same question. We had to read it through several times. There were questions that we had where there were no answers in the math problem.	When you are doing math like, this there are always a lot of steps to go through. All you have to do is make a plan and get different strategies. Try using grid paper as one of your strategies. Draw out a picture first and then work to scale. Work together.
	It will took lots of thinking. We thought that we might have to use area, perimeter, fractions, decimals, averages and images.	That is a good way to think about the question. Don't think about adding and subtracting and dividing first make sure you understand the possibilities of the question not just the answer.
	We needed to know if the road was already there or was it part of the subdivision?	You will have to plan for the road as it is not already there. There is a road into the farmer's house and that is the only road that is already there. Remember your road can be any where you want it to be there just has to be access to every house.
	It would be way easier if we had a map to look at so that we could see the math problem.	Yes it might be easier but part of this math problem is to see if you could "picture" the math question in your mind which is like "drawing math".
	What shape does the land have to take? Can it be any shape?	Your land can have any shape because area can take any shape that you want it to. You could have a square, or rectangle, or triangle or octagon. It really doesn't matter.
	We had questions like: How should we divide up the land? Does a creek flow straight or does it wander? How much does it wander? When we first read the questions it didn't seem to have enough information to get started.	You could use the creek to divide up the land. A creek will wander and it can be as wide as it floods. This usually happens in the Spring. You need to plan for this.