Our Year 6 and Year 4 level Math groups got together this week to work on some Christmas problem solving. The Year 6 took on the role of teachers, supporting the Year 4s. They prepared their lessons carefully, thinking through how they would help and encourage their partners to work through each problem, logically and methodically, using a range of strategies. Everyone enjoyed the experience and the room was a buzz of activity.
The Year 6’s felt that the experience had been really interesting and that teaching was hard but rewarding work. They enjoyed the challenge of trying to help, without giving answers away and they did really well with encouraging their partners to keep trying. The Year 4s really appreciated having their own personal teachers. The questions were tough, but they felt more confident as the session went on, discovering that they could work out the problems and were thankful for their excellent teachers!
Here are some of the math problems. How would you work them out?
Rockerfella’s Christmas parcels
Rockerfella has three parcels. Each one is a different weight.
The first and second weigh 7 kg altogether.
The second and third weigh 8 kg altogether.
The first and third weigh 11 kg altogether.
What is the weight of each parcel?
Button’s presents
Buttons had up to 20 presents.
He counted his presents in fours. He had 3 left over.
He counted them in fives. He had 4 left over.
How many presents has Button got?
Presents in Santa’s sacks for Cinderella
Santa has three sacks of presents.
He has an odd number of presents in each sack.
Altogether he has 19 presents.
How many presents are in each sack? Find different ways to do it.
Fairy Godmother’s Christmas cards
Fairy Godmother had between 30 and 50 Christmas cards.
She counted the cards in fours. There were 2 left over.
She counted them in fives. There was 1 left over.
How many Christmas cards did she have?
Fairy Nasty Boot’s Christmas Gift
Fairy Nasty Boots bought a Christmas gift using only silver coins.
It cost him 45c.
Find as many different ways he could have paid.