Math Stories For Problem Solving Success
Ready-to-Use Activities Based on Real-Life Situations, Grades 6-12
2. Edition March 2008
304 Pages, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
This second edition of the popular math teaching resource book
Math Stories for Problem Solving Success offers updated
true-to-life situations designed to motivate teenagers to use math
skills for solving everyday problems. The book features intriguing
short stories followed by sets of problems related to the stories
that are correlated to the standards of the National Council of
Teachers of Mathematics.
Each of the easy-to-read stories is followed by three increasingly
difficult groups of problem sets. This makes it simple for teachers
to select the appropriate problem set for students of different
abilities and at different grade levels. To further enhance student
involvement, the stories feature recurring characters and can be
used either sequentially or out of order. The problems in the book
cover many basic math topics, including decimals, fractions, and
percents; measurement; geometry; data, statistics, and probability;
algebra; and problem solving.
In addition to having all the answers, an Answer Key at the end of
the book offers explanations and background information about the
problems that can be helpful to both teachers and students.
Math Stories for Problem Solving Success will help you show
students that math is something they are already using every day.
Teaching Problem Solving Strategies x
A Sample Problem xi
Notes for the Teacher xii
Introductory Story: Time to Go 1
1. Which Way for Jake? 3
2. The Caper 7
3. A Sigh of Relief 11
4. Future Forecast 16
5. Harper's Surprise 22
6. Our Daily Bread 26
7. Sweet Spending 34
8. The County Fair 38
9. Square Cents 45
10. Halloween 58
11. Amazing Measurements 52
12. The Metric Airplane 57
13. Take Me to Your Liter 63
14. Give a Gram 68
15. Measurement Madness 71
16. The Invitation 74
17. On to D.C. 79
18. The Job Crisis 83
19. Tickets 87
20. Baseball--Go Figure 91
21. It's Simply Interest 95
22. An Interesting Loan 99
23. Homecoming 103
24. Train Logic 108
25. Pendulum Project 110
26. Take a Chance 114
27. 831 Monroe Street 119
28. The Pattern Game 123
29. Unlucky Friday 127
30. Lucky Seven 131
31. Busing for Bucks 135
32. Far Out Funds 139
33. Maggie's Secret 144
34. The Frantic Drive 149
35. Tessa's Grounding 154
36. Geometry in the Park 160
37. String Triangles 165
38. Stop on By with Algebra 172
39. Geometry Project 177
40. A Patch for Experiments 184
41. What Is the Average? 192
42. The Challenge 197
43. It's All in the Planning 201
44. The Pro Game 207
45. Table for Eight? 212
46. Jake's Surprise 216
47. Model Dog Houses 221
48. A Day at Clear Lake 226
49. Survey 231
50. Summer Plans 235
51. The Dinosaurs Rock 240
52. Loop or Line? 247
53. Oregon or Bust! 251
Answer Key with Explanations 259
Selected Bibliography 291
JAMES L. OVERHOLT, Ed.D., has over 30 years of teaching experience and is currently Professor of Education at California State University, Chico, where he specializes in mathematics education for both practicing and prospective teachers.
NANCY H. AABERG, M.Ed., also with over 30 years of experience as a public school educator, is now the Superintendent of Schools for the Yuba City Unified School District in Yuba City, California.
JAMES F. LINDSEY, Ed.D., taught in the upper grades of elementary school; high school music, social studies, and mathematics; and was a principal. In addition, he served as Professor of Education for 21 years at California State University, Chico, at which he is now Professor Emeritus.
