Name: _____________ Class: _____________

Date: _____________

Toy Wonderland

In a toy store, all the different toys are sold at different prices. A remote controlled car and
a teddy bear cost $190. A train set and a teddy bear cost $150. A remote controlled toy car
and a train set cost $280. Find the cost of each toy.

Section 1
Retell the problem story in your own words:

Section 2
List: Problem solving strategies that you have learnt below:
Section 3
Report and record your workings below:

Section 4
Record briefly how you went about solving the problem below:
Describe the strategy you use, why you chose the strategy and provide evidence to
support that the solution you obtained is correct
 Toy Wonderland

Resource Sheet for Working

Method 1: Draw a diagram

Method 2: Make an equation

Extend the problem: Make a similar problem for your friends to solve

Note: This is the extra worksheet for pupils who are early finishers.
 Toy Wonderland

Teacher’s Guide

Level Students are at: Primary 4

Topic: Money

Duration of lesson: 2 periods (1 hour)

Specific Instructional Objective(s) for this lesson:

At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

(1) Apply Palyo’s problem solving plan to solve non-routine, multistep problems

(2) Apply the use problem solving heuristics like draw a diagram and make an equation to solve problems

Pre-requite(s) skills and knowledge required for this lesson:

(1) Students are familiar with George Polya’s 4 steps of problem solving

(2) Students know how to use the 4 operations of money in decimal notations

(3) Students have a knowledge of various problem solving heuristics (eg. use a diagram/ guess and check/ work backwards/ make an
equation/work backwards)

Teaching Action Purpose

BEFORE (whole class discussion) – 15 minutes

Using a whole class discussion, teacher reviews Palyo’s 4 stages of
problem solving with the class using the problem solving flowchart in
PowerPoint slides 1 and 2.
What are the 4 steps of the problem solving process? So what can we
do to help us understand the problem?
As pupils verbally rehearse Palyo’s 4 stages of problem
solving, they internalized this information and become
increasingly familiar with the steps involved when solving
problems. Overtime, pupils will be able to automatically
recall the processes involved when solving problems.

Have the class to read the word problem aloud. Discuss the words To illustrate the importance of reading problems carefully
and phrases that pupils may not understand.
Besides reading the problem, what else can we do to further
understand the problem?

Have pupils reread the problem silently on their own. While
rereading, they are asked to underline all the important information
that is found in the problem.
Rereading helps to increase student’s comprehension of the
problem. Comprehension of the problem helps students to
translate the linguistic and numerical information present in
the problem into mathematical notations, helping them to
move along the problem solving process.

Using whole class discussion, teacher discusses the problem in a To focus on the important data provided in the problem
greater detail with the class.
What is the key information in the problem? What do we know? What
do we need to find out?

Having a full understanding of the problem, pupils are then asked to Restating of the problem helps in increasing student’s
rewrite the problem in their own words in the worksheet provided. comprehension of the problem.
Can you retell the problem story in your own words? So after we have
fully understood the problem, what is the next step we must do?

Using a whole class discussion, teacher asked pupils to recall the To help students recall the various problem-solving
problem solving strategies that they have previously learned in their strategies (heuristics) they had previously learnt.
problem solving classes and have them listed down on the
whiteboard. Students will similarly record these strategies into their
worksheets.
What are some of the strategies that learn that could help us solve
problems?

Teacher then models how pupils should go about choosing their This helps to elicit ideas of possible ways that pupils can use
strategy by using working backwards as an example without directly to help them in solving the problem.
telling pupils the strategy that they can use for the problem.
Which strategies can you try for this problem? Can you work
backwards for this problem? In what types of problems do we use the
work backwards strategy? Yes, in problems where information is
given on how the situation ends but not how it begins. So it is possible
for us to use the work backwards strategy for this problem. If not,
what can we use?
DURING (small group discussion) – 25 minutes
Pupils will work silently on their own for 5 minutes to figure the best
strategies that they would propose their groups to use.
Pupils get together in their cooperative groups for four (arrangement
of the students in the group is predetermined by teacher whereby
the stronger students are grouped with the weaker ones).
Each student will share their ideas and as a group, they will decide on
which strategy to use for solving the problem. As a group, they will
solve the problem using the strategy that they have chosen. If their
strategy doesn't work, they will attempt the problem with another
choose another strategy. Pupils have to show their workings and
notes on their progress on the group worksheet.
Teacher walks around the classroom to monitor student’s discussion,
providing guidance when students are encountering difficulties.
Could you draw a diagram for this problem? Why don’t you draw a
picture and put in all the things you know so far about the problem?
It allows students to formulate their own ideas about the
problem before the problem is being answered by other
peers.
These kinds of groupings will allow the weaker students
benefit by seeing how more experienced students go about
solving problems, and stronger students reinforce their
knowledge by teaching their peers.
These small group discussions also provide a forum for quiet
students who may be timid and unwilling to share their
ideas in front of the entire class.
In comparison to having students work in groups of larger
numbers, having students work in groups of 4 allows for an
equal share of participation from all students in the group.
It enhances children’s reasoning and communicative skills
because they have the opportunity to share and compare
their ideas with those of their peers through small group
discussions.
It is done so as to help pupils remove any obstacles that they
face when solving the problem. This is especially important
for struggling pupils who have memory or/and meta-
cognitive problems. Guidance from the teacher will help to
mediate the cognitive problems that interfere with problem
solving process in these pupils.
At the same time, the teacher also monitors and makes observations
how each child’s ability to work cooperatively and how pupils work
through and solve their problems.
After pupils have derived a solution to the problem, they are asked to
check their answers. They are required to describe how they had
attempted to solve the problem and record the steps and strategies
that they had use to solve the problem. In addition, they are also
asked to provide reasons for their choice of their strategy and also
reasons as to why they think their answer is correct.
What is the last step in the problem solving process? Did you answer
the question? Is the answer you obtained reasonable? If not, what
must we do?
For the early finishers, teacher can challenge them to solve the same
problem with alternative strategies.
For the early finishers, teacher can provide an extension where pupils
have to author their own problems similar to the one posed for their
friends to solve (with the answers being worked out).
Can you make a similar problem?
AFTER (whole class discussion) – 20 minutes
After a group problem solving session, teacher gathers the class to
discuss what had been done. Pupils are asked to share and discuss
their solutions with their classmates the steps and the thought
processes that was involved as they work through the problem. They
were also required to explain the logic behind their solutions. They
were also asked to reflect on why some solutions make sense
mathematically whereas others do not. It is important to note that
the focus of the discussion was on the progress the pupils had gone
through to solve a problem rather than the answers to the problem.
In this discussion, the different strategies used to solve the problem
This allows the teacher to gain insights on pupils’ strengths
and weaknesses related to problem solving.
This helps pupils to look over and check their work. It also
helps students in the development of their meta-cognitive
skills as they analyze the soundness of their chosen strategy.
This helps pupils to understand that there are multiple
strategies that can be utilized in solving the same problem.
This helps to challenge the early finishers to work out a
similar problem. At the same time, it also helps to keep
pupils working on task so that they will not have the time to
engage in disruptive activities/ behaviors.
To show students the different strategies that is used to
solve the problem successfully. This will help pupils to
understand that there are multiple strategies that can be
utilized in problem-solving situations.
This helps students to improve in their speaking and
communication skills as they present their solution
processes with the whole class.
were also examined.
What did they do first? Why did they use this strategy? If their first
attempt was not successful, what did they do next? How many
different ways did the children find to solve the problem? Which way
seems the best? Why?
Besides listening to their peers sharing, the teacher will encourage
pupils to provide useful and respectful feedback to their classmates
who are sharing.
What did you like about the solution to the problem? Do you agree or
disagree with the solution, and why? How could the solution be
improved?
Before ending the discussion, teacher relates the problem to previous
problems that pupils have attempted and discuss how different
problems can be solved using the same strategy.
Before ending the problem solving session, teacher assign students to
complete the worksheet titled “The Fruit Store” on their own as
homework using Palyo’s four-steps of problem solving.
Pupils sharpen their critical thinking skills by providing useful
feedback on others’ work. At the same time, pupils also
learn how to articulate their feedback in an appropriate yet
effective manner.
This helps pupils to understand that problem solving
strategies are not problem specific. Instead, one strategy
may actually work for many problems.
This will allow the teacher to gauge each student’s ability to
master the steps needed to complete the problem-solving
process. On top of that, it also helps the teacher to gather
information about what pupils already know, what they are
unsure of and whether re-teaching of the concept is
required.