Melina Day

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Melina Day Problem Solving Log Dr. Alfinio
Flores SED 547 Teaching Math in the Middle
Grades Fall 2005
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Problem Solving Log Jump It (2
Section 2.1)
Brain Thinking Cognitive Step 1 Understand
the Problem
empty seats men not in order
women Moves move to
adjacent jump one person to an empty
seat empty seat side by side
next to them I think adjacent means next to
can that mean diagonally? Oops! I guess that it
doesnt matter because in the canoe there is just
enough room to be in front or behind the person.
They cant sit next to each other which would be
the diagonal move.
Heart Feeling - Affect Yea! This will be a
fun problem. It looks like and reminds me of
another problem I saw when I was little. - a
chicken, a fox, and a piece of corn a man with
a rowboat
Understand reminds me of the game,
Checkers (which I love Yippee!) (adjacent ?
would
jump It be with checkers If it was a
diagonal move? still next to Back to
understanding the problem
3

• Problem can they change places?
• If it can be done,..
• what is the fewest number of moves?
• What if there are 8 people at each end?
• Recap for understanding
• Can you change the men and woment?
• only by changing next to

My guess is Yes, they better be able to change
places. I want to figure out a way to make it
work. There MUST be a solution. What do you
meanif? Thats a great way to intrigue you and
challenge you to find a solution to prove it
can be done. Ooh! Another challenge theres
probably more than one way to do it, but what is
the fewest amount Another challenge! First, I
need to solve the 1st problem Wow! Now
that I understand what I need to do I think itll
take forever.
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Step 2 Devising a Plan 1st just check to see
if it is possible Use manipulatives with 2
colored cubes to move them back and forth
men
women blue cube pink
cube white cube
for empty space Or should I use
letters? Umm! I think I will slide them
over and jump one in between sliding them.
How? Umm?! Can it be like
combinations and permutations? I dont
know?! Oops! Dont put the white cube there
that will make it more confusingMaybe? Well, I
guess I dont have any cubes on meI guess I can
use pen capsNoIll use pennies and dimes
instead.
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Step 3 Carrying Out the Plan 1st just check
to see if it is possible

moved O
moved
square
now move O Os
need to go squares need to go It is
possible, but I have no idea how many times it
took! Solution so far it does work, but its
hard to keep track
Should I alternate or does it really
matter? Umm! Oops! Its gonna be quarters
and pennies. Oops! My brother was intrigued with
this challenge and stole my coins! My brother
said he did a game like it with frogs and lily
pads. It seems impossible, but there must be a
way. My brother decided that keeping a paper
with circles on it would be easier to keep track
with a place mat. Yea! Brian figured it out and
did it in a lot less turns than I did but we
still dont know how many moves
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Moves There must be a mathematical formula, a
table, or some sort of pattern. Im assuming you
can solve the same problem with 8 on each side. I
found that sometimes you have to move something
back that you moved forward. Step 4 Looking
Back Im not sure how to set up a table to look
at it at a glance. Problem similar to this
problem. Chicken, Fox, Corn, Man in
Rowboat Problem a man has a chicken, a fox,
and corn. He needs to get all of them across a
river without any of them eating one another. He
can only take one at a time. The chicken will
eat the corn. The fox will eat the
chicken. Corn Fox
man on boat Chicken land
in water land
Frustrations its really hard with the
coins remembering which directions to go
keeping track of spaces until place
mat My brother is going to try to e-mail
me the frog and lily pad. Solution 1st take
the chicken leave fox and corn Fox and corn on
one side chicken on other side 2nd go back
without anything pick up fox leave corn Get
to other side and drop off fox, but take the
chicken back Corn
chicken returning fox 3rd leave
chicken and take the corn Chicken fox
and chicken 4th go back and get chicken