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Problem solving activities

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Relevant and up-to-date teaching resources are being moved to Tāhūrangi (tahurangi.education.govt.nz). 
When all identified resources have been successfully moved, this website will close. We expect this to be in June 2024. 
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For more information visit https://tahurangi.education.govt.nz/updates-to-nzmaths

Problems for students to solve, accompanied by a suggested teaching sequence, extensions to the problem, and the problem’s solution.

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Another dartboard

Level Five
Statistics
Problem solving activities
This problem solving activity has a statistics focus.
  • Predict probabilities of an event involving area.
  • Make deductions from probabilities.
  • Devise and use problem solving strategies to explore situations mathematically (guess and check, be systematic, look for patterns, draw a diagram, make a table, think, use algebra).
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Make the highest total

Level Five
Statistics
Problem solving activities
This problem solving activity has a statistics focus.
  • Theoretically and experimentally examine the probabilities of games of chance.
  • Devise and use problem solving strategies to explore situations mathematically (be systematic, use a table).
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The clumsy tiler C

Level Four
Statistics
Problem solving activities
This problem solving activity has a statistics focus.
  • Use a pattern to count in a geometrical situation.
  • Devise and use problem solving strategies to explore situations mathematically (make a drawing, use equipment).
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Dominoes

Level Four
Statistics
Problem solving activities
This problem solving activity has a statistics focus.
  • Apply counting strategies to problem solving tasks.
  • Write an explanation of what they have done.
  • Devise and use problem solving strategies to explore situations mathematically (constructing a tree diagram, be systematic, make a list).
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Bubblegum

Level Four
Integrated
Problem solving activities
This problem solving activity has a statistics focus.
  • Identify the possible outcomes of an event.
  • Follow a logical argument.
  • Write a rule for the pattern.
  • Interpret information and results in context (logic, be systematic).
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Penny's Pizza

Level Four
Statistics
Problem solving activities
This problem solving activity has a statistics focus.
  • Make a list of possible outcomes as a method of finding probability.
  • Express the outcome as a fraction.
  • Devise and use problem–solving strategies to explore situations mathematically (make an organised list).
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Brian's pegboard I

No strand
Problem solving activities
This problem solving activity has a logic and reasoning focus.
  • Use a systematic approach to count a set of possible outcomes.
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Training

Level Three
Statistics
Problem solving activities
This problem solving activity has a statistics focus.
  • Use their own language to talk about features of a set of data.
  • Devise and use problem solving strategies (draw a picture, use equipment, think).
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Basketball caps

Level Three
Number and Algebra
Problem solving activities
This problem solving activity has a number focus.
  • Apply the concept of average to solve a problem.
  • Devise and use problem solving strategies (draw a picture, use equipment, think).
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Coin shake-up

Level Three
Statistics
Problem solving activities
This problem solving activity has a statistics focus.
  • Predict the likelihood of an event based on data collected.
  • Use a systematic approach to find all possible outcomes.
  • Effectively plan a mathematical exploration.