Draw Pictures of Word Problems
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Skills
Draw Pictures of Word Problems
Drawing pictures when solving math word problems can help you quickly identify what you know, what information is missing, and what you need to do to solve the problem.
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Offer these concrete steps to students: -
Read the problem from the beginning one time through. Draw the general shape(s) you need. Next read through the problem and stop each time you get a new piece of information to draw it into the picture.
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Keep the picture simple and neat so you can easily find the numbers you need. Use basic shapes such as rectangles, triangles or circles or stick figures for people. Use arrows or words if needed. Include labels so you remember to do conversions if needed.
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When possible, use graph paper to draw your pictures, especially when it is important to draw to scale.
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Recognize when standard formats will help you and use them. Venn diagrams, 2x2 matrices, and fishbones are all helpful to organize and visualize data.
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Never think you are too old to use pictures. Engineers always use them. Pictures clarify thinking, help you communicate your ideas to you teacher, and will help you reflect if your answer makes sense.