Chapter 4.

Problem Solving and

Reasoning
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning

Inductive Reasoning
The type of reasoning that forms a conclusion based on the examination of
specific examples is called inductive reasoning. The conclusion formed by using
inductive reasoning is a conjecture, since it may or may not be correct.
Inductive reasoning is defined as the process of reaching a general conclusion
by examining specific conclusion by examining specific examples.

When you examine a list of numbers and predict the next number in the list
according to some pattern you have observed, you are using inductive reasoning.

Example 1. Use inductive reasoning to predict the next number in the following lists.
1) 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, ___

Solution. Each successive number is 3 larger than the preceding number. Thus we
predict that the next number in the list is 3 larger than 15, which is 18.

2) 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, ___

Solution. The first two numbers differ by 2; the second and the third numbers differ
by 3. It appears that the difference between any two numbers is always 1 more than
the preceding difference. Since 10 and 15 differ by 5, we predict that the next
number in the list will be 6 larger than 15, which is 21.
Note. Inductive reasoning may also be used to make conjectures and generalizations.

Example 2. Use inductive reasoning to make a conjecture about an arithmetic

procedure.
Procedure. Pick a number. Multiply it by 8, add 6 to the product, divide the sum by
2, and subtract 3.

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 Complete the procedure above for several different numbers. Use inductive
reasoning to make a conjecture about the relationship between the size of the
resulting number and the size of the original number.
Solution. Suppose we pick 5 as the original number. Then the procedure would
produce the following results:
Original number: 5
Multiply by 8: 8  5 = 40
Add 6: 40 + 6 = 46
Divide by 2: 46  2 = 23
Subtract 3: 23 – 3 = 20
We started with 5 and followed the procedure to produce 20. Starting with
6 as our original number produces a final result of 24. Starting with 10 produces a
final result of 40. Starting with 100 produces a final result of 400. In each of these
cases the resulting number is four times the original number. We conjecture that
following the given procedure produces a number that is four times the original
number.

Deductive Reasoning
Another type of reasoning is called deductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning is
distinguished from inductive reasoning in that it is the process of reaching a conclusion
by applying general assumptions, procedures, or principles.
Deductive reasoning is the process of reaching a conclusion by applying
general principles and procedures.

Example 3. Use deductive reasoning to show that the following procedure produces
a number that is four times the original number.
Procedure: Pick a number. Multiply the number by 8, add 6 to the product, divide the
sum by 2, and subtract 3.
Solution: Let n represent the original number.
Multiply the number by 8: 8n
Add 6 to the product: 8n + 6

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 8𝑛+6
Divide the sum by 2: = 4n + 3
2

Subtract 3: (4n + 3) – 3 = 4n
We started with n and ended with 4n. The procedure given in this example
produces a number that is four times the original number.

Inductive Reasoning versus Deductive Reasoning

The main difference between inductive and deductive reasoning is that

inductive reasoning aims at developing a theory while deductive reasoning aims at
testing an existing theory. Inductive reasoning moves from specific observations to
broad generalization, and deductive reasoning the other way around.

Example 4. Determine whether each of the following arguments is an example of

inductive reasoning or deductive reasoning.

1) During the past 10 years, a tree has produced mangoes every other year. Last
year the tree did not produce mangoes, so this year the tree will produce
mangoes.

Answer: This argument reaches a conclusion based on specific examples, so it is

an example of inductive reasoning.

2) All home improvements cost more than the estimate. The contractor estimated
that my home improvement will cost Php135,000. Thus, my home improvement
will cost more than Php135,000.

Answer: Because the conclusion is a specific case of a general assumption, this

argument is an example of deductive reasoning.

3
Problem-Solving Strategies

Ancient Mathematicians such as Euclid and Pappus were interested in Solving

Mathematical problems, but they were also interested in heuristics, the study of the
methods and rules of discovery and invention. In the 17th century, the mathematician
and philosopher Rene Descartes (1596-1650) contributed to the field of heuristics.
He tried to develop a universal problem-solving method. Although he did not achieve
his goal, he did publish some of his ideas in “Rules for the Direction of the Mind” and his
better-known work “Discourse de la methode”. Another mathematician and philosopher,
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz (1640-1716) planned to write a book on heuristics titled
“Art of Invention”. Of the problem solving process, Leibnitz wrote
“Nothing is more important to see the sources of the invention which are in
my opinion, more interesting than the inventions themselves.”

One of the foremost recent mathematicians to

make a study of problem solving was George Polya
(1887–1985). He was born in Hungary in 1887,
received his Ph.D. at the University of Budapest, and
was a professor at Stanford University. He devised a
systematic strategy for solving problems that is now
referred to by his name: the Polya Four-Step Problem
Solving Strategy. George Polya defines ‘problem-
solving’ as an act to:
o Find a way out of difficulty,
o Find a way around an obstacle,
o Find a way where none is known,
o Attain a desired end that is not immediately http://authenticinquirymaths.blogspot.
com/2013/05/4-steps-with-polya.html
attainable by direct means.

Polya’s Four-Step Problem Solving Strategy

 Understand the Problem

This part of Polya’s four-step strategy is often overlooked. You must
have a clear understanding of the problem. To help you focus on understanding
the problem, consider the following questions.
o Can you restate the problem in your own words?
o Can you determine what is known about these types of problems?

4
 o Is there missing information that, if known, would allow you to solve
the problem?
o Is there extraneous information that is not needed to solve the problem?
o What is the goal?

 Devise a Plan
Successful problem solvers use a variety of techniques when they
attempt to solve a problem. Here are some frequently used procedures.
o Make a list of the known information.
o Make a list of information that is needed.
o Draw a diagram.
o Make an organized list that shows all possibilities.
o Make a table or a chart.
o Work backwards.
o Try to solve a similar but simpler problem.
o Look for a pattern.
o Write an equation. If necessary, define what each variable represents.
o Perform an experiment.
o Guess at a solution and then check your result.

 Carry Out the Plan

Once you have devised a plan, you must carry it out.
o Work carefully.
o Keep an accurate and neat record of all your attempts.
o Realize that some of your initial plans will not work and that you may
have to devise another plan or modify your existing plan.

 Review the Solution

Once you have found a solution, check the solution.
o Ensure that the solution is consistent with the facts of the problem
o Interpret the solution in the context of the problem.
o Ask yourself whether there are generalizations of the solution that could
apply to other problems.

Example 1. During a family gathering last Christmas, Angel was able to collect 12
monetary bills consisting of ₱20 bills and ₱50 bills from her Titos and Titas. She
received a total of ₱390 from them. How many of each bill Angel receive?
Solution.

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o Understand the Problem

Distribute 12 bills into two portions.

o Devise a Plan

Perform Guess and Check. There are only 11 ways of splitting 12 into
two portions:
11+1, 10+2, and so on.
If there are 11 ₱20 bills, then there must be one 50 bills, in which case
the total amount is 11(20) + 1(50)=270 pesos. Reversing the amounts, you have
11(50) + 1(20)=570 pesos. Determine which distribution of bills yields the
amount ₱390.
o Carry Out the Plan

Number of ₱20 Number of ₱50 Total amount

bills bills
11 1 11(20) + 1(50) = 270
10 2 10(20) + 2(50) = 300
9 3 9(20) + 3(50) = 330
8 4 8(20) + 4(50) = 360
7 5 7(20) + 5(50) = 390

The answer is seven ₱20 bills and five ₱50 bills.

o Review the Solution

The answer is reasonable as it generates the desired amount of ₱390. To

check if this is the only solution, complete the table.
Number of ₱20 Number of ₱50 Total amount
bills bills
11 1 11(20) + 1(50) = 270
10 2 10(20) + 2(50) = 300
9 3 9(20) + 3(50) = 330
8 4 8(20) + 4(50) = 360

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 7 5 7(20) + 5(50) = 390
6 6 6(20) + 6(50) = 420
5 7 450
4 8 480
3 9 510
2 10 540
1 11 570

A classic alternative is the algebraic process where variables are introduced in

the solution.
o Devise a Plan.
Let 𝑥 be the number of ₱20 bills and 𝑦, the number of ₱50 bills. Since there
are 12 paper bills in all, then
𝑥 + 𝑦 = 12 (1)
The amount of ₱20 bills is 20 𝑥 while the amount of the ₱50 bills is 50 𝑦,
giving the equation
20 𝑥 + 50 𝑦 = 390 (2)
Solve the system of equations in two unknowns to find the answer.
o Carry out the plan.
Equation (1) yields the explicit form 𝑦 = 12 − 𝑥.
Using this in equation (2):
20𝑥 + 50(12 − 𝑥) = 390
20𝑥 + 600 − 50𝑥 = 390
−30𝑥 = −210
𝑥=7
And so, 𝑦 = 12 − 7 = 5.

As in the first solution, the answer is seven₱20 bills and five₱50 bills.

o Review the Solutions

Check the total amount:7(20) + 5(50) = 390.

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Example 2. The product of the ages, in years, of three teenagers is 4590. None of the
teens are the same age. What are the ages of the teenagers?
Solution.
o Understand the problem
We need to determine three distinct counting numbers, from the list 13,
14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, that have a product of 4590.

o Devise a Plan
If we represent the ages by 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑧, then 𝑥𝑦𝑧 = 4590. We are
unable to solve this equation, but notice that 4590 ends in a zero. Hence, 4590
has a factor of 2 and a factor of 5, which means that at least one of the numbers
we seek must be an even number and at least one number must have 5 s a factor.
The only number in our list that has 5 as a factor is 15. Thus 15 is one of the
numbers, and at least one of the numbers must be an even number. At this
point we try to solve by guessing and checking.

o Carry Out the Plan

15 ∙ 16 ∙ 18 = 4320
15 ∙ 16 ∙ 19 = 4560
15 ∙ 17 ∙ 18 = 4590
The ages of the teenagers are 15, 17, and 18.

o Review the Solution

Because 15 ∙ 17 ∙ 18 = 4590 and each of the ages represents the age
of a teenager, we know our solution is correct. None of the numbers 13, 14, 16,
and 19 is a factor (divisor) of 4590, so there are no other solutions.
Example 3. In consecutive turns of a Monopoly game, Stacy first paid $800 for a hotel.
She then lost half her money when she landed on boardwalk. Next, she collected $200
for passing GO. She then lost half her remaining money when she landed on Illinois
Avenue. Stacy now has $2500. How much she have just before she purchased the hotel?
Solution.
o Understand the Problem
We need to determine the number of dollars that Stacy had just prior to
her $800 hotel purchase.
o Devise a Plan
We could guess and check, but we might need to make several guesses
before we found the correct answer solution. An algebraic method might work,

8
 but setting up the necessary equation could be a challenge. Since we know the
end result, let’s try the method of working backwards.
o Carry Out the Plan
Stacy must have had $5000 just before she landed on Illinois Avenue;
$4800 just before she passed GO; and $9600 prior to landing on Boardwalk.
This means she had $10,400 just before she purchased the hotel.
o Review the Solution
To check our solution we start with $10,400 and proceed through each
of the transactions.
$10,400 less $800 is $9600.
Half of $9600 is $4800.
$4800 increased by $200 is $5000.
Half of $5000 is $2500.

A classic alternative is the algebraic process where variables are introduced in

the solution.
o Devise a Plan
Let A be the amount of money Stacy had just before she purchased the
hotel. Then, right after she purchased the hotel, her money is 𝐴 −800, after she
1
landed on boardwalk she have (𝐴 − 800) of her money, then she got
2
1
(𝐴 − 800) + 200 for passing GO, when she landed on Illinois she have
2
1 1
[ (𝐴 − 800) + 200] = 2500.
2 2
Solve the equation to find the answer.

o Carry Out the Plan

1 1
[ (𝐴 − 800) + 200] = 2500
2 2
1
(𝐴 − 800) + 200 = 5000
2
𝐴 − 800 + 400 = 10,000
𝐴 − 400 = 10,000
𝐴 = 10,400.
o Review the Solution
Substitute, 𝐴 = 10,400 to the equation below

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 1 1 1 1
[ (𝐴 − 800) + 200] = [ (10,400 − 800) + 200]
2 2 2 2
1 1
= [ (9,600) + 200]
2 2
1
= [4,800 + 200]
2
1
= [5,000]
2
= 2,500.
Therefore, Stacy had 10,400 dollars before she purchased the hotel.
Example 4. Ed is planning to put up a rectangular garden with a fixed area of 120 m2.
If the dimensions of the garden have to be whole numbers, determine the dimensions
that will require the least amount of fencing materials to enclose the garden.
Solution.
o Understand the Problem
length

width

Area = length × width = 120

Perimeter = (2 length) + (2 width)
The perimeter will determine the length of the fencing material.

Note. You can standardize the dimensions do that the length is longer than
the width.

o Devise a Plan
List all possible dimensions and identify which combination yields a
minimum perimeter. This is possible since the dimensions are whole numbers.
For example, if the length is 120 meters, then the width has to be 1 meter so
that the area is 120 m2. The corresponding perimeter is
𝑃 = 2(120) + 2(1) = 242 𝑚
Likewise, if the length is 40 meters and the width is 30 meters,
𝑃 = 2(40) + 2(30) = 140 𝑚

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 o Carry Out the Plan
Summarize the values in the table below:
Length Width Area Perimeter
120 1 120 242
60 2 120 124
40 3 120 86
30 4 120 68
24 5 120 58
20 6 120 52
15 8 120 46
12 10 120 44
10 12 120 44

The table suggest that Ed should consider setting up his garden with
dimensions 12 meters by 10 meters, that is length = 12 meters and width = 10
meters. The corresponding minimum length of fencing material is 44 meters.

o Review the solutions.

The dimension of the garden is 12 meters by 10 meters, and its perimeter
is 44 meters.

Example 5. Nothing is known about the personal life of the ancient Greek
mathematician Diophantus except for the information in the following epigram.
“Diophantus passed 1/6 of his life in childhood, 1/12 in youth, and 1/7 more as a
bachelor. Five years after his marriage was born a son who died four years before his
father, at 1/2 his father’s (final) age.”

11
 How old was Diophantus when he died? (Hint: Although an equation can be
used to solve this problem, the method of guessing and checking will probably require
less effort. Also assume that his age, when he died, is a counting number.)
Solution. (Guess and Check)
o Understand the Problem
We need to find Diophantus’s age when he died.

o Devise a Plan
Read the hint and then look for clues that will help you make an educated
guess. You know from the given information that Diophantus’s age must be
divisible by 6, 12, 7, and 2. Find a number divisible by all of these numbers and
check to see if it is a possible solution to the problem.

o Carry Out the Plan

All multiples of 12 are divisible by 6 and 2, but the smallest multiple of
12 that is divisible by 7 is 12 × 7 = 84. Thus we conjecture that Diophantus’s
age when he died was x = 84 years.
If x = 84, then
1/6 x = 14, 1/12 x = 7, 1/7 x = 12, and 1/2 x = 42.
Then
1/6 x + 1/12 x + 1/7 x + 1/2 x + 4 = 14 + 7+ 12 + 5 + 42 + 4 = 84
It seems that 84 years is a correct solution to the problem.

o Review the Solution

After 84, the next multiple of 12 that is divisible by 7 is 168. The number
168 also satisfies all the conditions of the problem, but it is unlikely that
Diophantus died at the age of 168 years or at any age older than 168 years.
Hence the only reasonable solution is 84 years.

12
Example 6. In a basketball league consisting of 10 teams, each team plays each of the
other teams exactly three times. How many league games will be played?
Solution. (Solve a similar but simpler problem)
o Understand the Problem
There are 10 teams in the league, and each team plays exactly three games
against each of the other teams. The problem is to determine the total number
of league games that will be played.

o Devise a Plan
Try the strategy of working a similar but simpler problem. Consider a
league with only four teams (denoted by A, B, C, and D) in which each team
plays each of the other teams only once. The diagram at the bottom left
illustrates that the games can be represented by line segments that connect the
points A, B, C, and D.
Since each of the four teams will play a game against each of the other
three, we might conclude that this would result in 4 × 3 = 12 games. However,
the diagram shows only six line segments. It appears that our procedure has
counted each game twice. For instance, when team A plays team B, team B also
plays team A. To produce the correct result, we must divide our previous result,
12, by 2. Hence, four teams can play each other once in (4 × 3)/2 = 6 games.

o Carry Out the Plan

Using the process developed above, we see that 10 teams can play each
other once in a total of (10 × 9)/2 = 45 games. Since each team plays each
opponent exactly three times, the total number of games is 45 × 3 = 135.

o Review the Solution

We could check our work by making a diagram( see diagram at the
bottom right) that includes all 10 teams represented by dots labeled A, B, C, D,
E, F, G, H, I, and J. Because this diagram would be somewhat complicated, let’s
try the method of making an organized list. The figure at the left shows an
organized list in which the notation BC represents a game between team B and
team C. The notation CB is not shown because it also represents a game
between team B and team C. This list shows that 45 games are required for each
team to play each of the other teams once. Also notice that the first row has
nine items, the second row has eight items, the third row has seven items, and
so on. Thus 10 teams require
9 + 8 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 45
games if each team plays every other team once, and 45× 3 = 135 games if each
team plays exactly three games against each opponent.

13
EXERCISES
1. Iza can earn ₱7,800 for doing 3 hours of office work and 2 hours of field work.
However, she gets₱8,200 if she works two hours in the office and 3 hours in
the field. What is the rate per hour of Iza for doing office work and for doing
field work?

2. Ed’s purse contains some 10- peso, 5-peso, 1-peso, and 25-centavo coins. How
many of each type does he have if the purse has a total of ₱20.50?

3. Four young children are seated next to each other on a bench. The child on the
left cannot be older than the child on the right. The ages of 1st and 3rd children
differ by 8 years. No child is below 2 years old, neither any of them is older than
10 years old. The 2nd child is 7 years younger than the 4th child. What are the
ages of the four children?

4. The reciprocal of 7 is a repeating, non-terminating decimal. What is the 12th

digit in the decimal form of the reciprocal of 7?

5. How many times the number 5 appear if you write all numbers from 1 to 200?

6. Each letter represents one of the digit 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 0r 9. The leading

digits are non-zero digits. What digit is represented by each letter?
A
+ BB
ADD

7. Mr. Jay has a total of 25 chickens and cows on his farm. How many of each
does he have if all together there are 76 feet?

8. Farmer Amer has many animals on his farm. He has 72 chickens, which make
up 60% of his total animals, and the rest of his animals are sheep. How many
legs in total do his animals have?

9. Four architects are meeting for lunch to discuss preliminary plans for a new
performing arts center on your campus. Each will shake hands with all of the
others. Draw a picture to illustrate this condition, and determine the number of
handshakes.

14
10. John gets on an elevator at the first floor. He goes up to the ninth floor then
comes down 3 floors. He then goes up 1 floor and down 4 floors. What floor
is John on?

11. Three apples and two pears cost 78 cents. But two apples and three pears cost
82 cents. What is the total cost of one apple and one pear?

12. A frog is at the bottom of a 17-foot well. Each time the frog leaps, it moves up
3 feet. If the frog has not reached the top of the well, then the frog slides back
1 foot before it is ready to make another leap. How many leaps will the frog
need to escape the well?

13. The number of ducks and goats in a field totals 35. The total number of legs
among them is 98. Assuming each duck has exactly two legs and each goat has
exactly four legs, determine how many ducks and how many goats are in the
field.

14. Nine dots are arranged as shown. Is it possible to connect the nine dots with
exactly four lines if you are not allowed to retrace any part of a line and you are
not allowed to remove your pencil from the paper? If it can be done,
demonstrate with a drawing.

15. Farmer Brown has many animals on his farm. He has 72 chickens, which make
up 60% of his total animals, and the rest of his animals are sheep. How many
legs in total do his animals have?

15
GROUP EXERCISES
Follow the instructions below.
1. Form groups of 4-5 members. Assign a leader.
2. Each group will be provided with a Galton board.
3. The group should work together to obtain the needed information as detailed
below.
4. The assigned leaders will summarize the results of the groups experiment and
present it to the entire class.
The Galton Board
The Galton board is designed such that when a ball falls on a vertex
of one of the hexagons, it is equally likely to fall to the left or to the right.
As the ball continues its downward path, it strikes a vertex of a hexagon in
the next row, where the process of falling to the left or to the right is
repeated. After the ball passes through all the rows of hexagons, it falls one
of the bins at the bottom. In most case the balls will form a bell shape.
Examine the numbers displayed in the hexagons in rows 0 through 3. Each
number indicates the number of different routes that a ball can take from
point A to the top of that particular hexagon.

Guide Question: How many routes can a ball take as it travels from A to B,
from A to C, from A to D, from A to D, and From A to F?

16
Games that Promote Problem-Solving Skills

A. Disorder
This non-competitive, cooperative game of cognitive and creative thinking
invites players to consider and appreciate correct sequence.
 Players: Groups of five, whole class

 Materials
o Index cards, each giving one step in a sequence of five directions (see “Cards
for Disorder” on page 85). Color-coding the card sets, perhaps with dots,
so that all five cards relating to a sequence are marked with red, for example,
will allow the cards to be easily returned to the correct sets following use.
o Each set of five cards is part of a larger deck, but only one set of five, not
presented in sequence, is used at a time.
 Rules: No winner — the goal is to entertain.

 Game at a Glance
o The activity “Posting the Letter” (below) has been used here to clarify the
steps.
o One group “performs” at a time; the rest of the class becomes an audience.
o The teacher holds one set of five cards like a deck of cards, blank backs
facing the students. One at a time, individual group members draw a card.
o The student conveys what is on the card either by doing charades or reading
the phrase aloud. For example, if the student chose “drop it in box,” she
could act this out.
o The audience first tries to guess what the small action is. If they guess
“mailing a letter,” they then try to guess where this step is in the action
sequence. They are allowed a single guess only. If their answer is incorrect,
the game continues with the next person drawing a card.
o When the audience is able to identify the overall activity, allow the remaining
group members to draw the other cards and present what’s on them. The
audience still attempts to put all the small actions in sequence.
o Invite students to guess the exact action title as written on the card.
Example. (assuming that cards have been drawn in this order)
Card 1: fold it carefully (the third action in sequence)
Card 2: stamp it (fourth action)
Card 3: write carefully and neatly (first action)

17
 Card 4: drop it in the box (fifth action)
Card 5: lick and seal (second action)
 Action Title: Posting the Letter
You can imagine how confusing these actions would be to students who
didn’t know the correct order or the title. When the actions are presented in this
“Disorder,” with the words being rather ambiguous, the game becomes both a
problem-solving and an “ordering” activity. The creation of a title is a closing
activity; only the teacher knows the “true” title.

Cards for Disorder

These card steps are in correct sequence. You will need to reproduce them and glue them
to cards yourself. The directions are vague for two reasons:
1. If the student chooses to read aloud what’s on the card, the words alone will not
necessarily give away the final action.
2. If the student chooses to act them out, it can be much more entertaining if he isn’t
quite sure what he is doing. A lot of guess working is purposefully involved.
ACTIONTITLE: BLOWING BUBBLES
1. open the cap
2. pour mixture in bowl
3. hold the wand carefully
4. blow gently
5. touch one with your finger and watch what happens

ACTIONTITLE: MAKING THE CAKE

1. read the directions 4. mix it, pour it, cook it
2. gather the ingredients 5. eat and enjoy
3. break eggs

ACTIONTITLE: WALKING THE DOG

1. attach the hook part
2. open the door, exit, walk, holding the end firmly
3. encourage sitting at the street corner
4. pick up poop and dispose of it
5. continue “controlled” walking

ACTIONTITLE: MAKING A CHOCOLATE SUNDAE

1. scoop it our into a bowl 4. eat and enjoy
2. pour chocolate 5. Lick bowl and fingers
3. sprinkle

18
Remarks:
o Beyond using the line master examples, teachers and students can brainstorm
for common nouns that can be described in a variety of ways. For example,
while “modem” is quite specific, “parent” can readily be described in five
increasingly specific ways and would probably work for the game. This trial-
and-error activity, by itself, can be interesting and challenging for students.

o This game works well at all ages. Younger kids love the acting. Older students
can take it a step further and write the action out in complete, properly
sequenced form, taking note of the ambiguous wording and how it could be
misinterpreted. Many kids enjoy coming up with action sequences. Disorder is
an excellent creative thinking, cognitive activity.

B. Name Game
This game is either competitive or cooperative, depending on how the teacher
wants to use it. A game of reasoning, it facilitates understanding for concise, accurate
defining of words, and hence, of problem situations.
 Players: Whole class as two teams (competitive), or individuals or partners
(cooperative)

 Materials:
o Teacher information on vague-to-specific defining words (see “Possible
Name Game Words and Clues” on page 86)
o A team counting list on overhead or board that allows players to see the
accumulating points or the sheets of paper used by individuals or partners.

 Rules:
If playing in teams, the team with the highest score wins; if playing as
individuals or as partners, individual scores are kept only as personal challenges.
 Game at a Glance:
o Teams determine which team starts, perhaps by playing Rock, Paper,
Scissors or doing a coin flip. After the first “call,” or guess, teams alternate
calling for the rest of the game
o The teacher provides the first “clue,” a vague, abstract, or indistinct
descriptor. See “Possible Name Game Words and Clues.” Chances are
players will not be able to guess, or “call,” the correct name.
o The teacher provides the next “clue” on the list.

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 o Teams alternate “calling” what they think the word is. If a team guesses
correctly, that team gets the number of points listed beside the “clue.” As
clues become more specific, and hence, guessing becomes easier, fewer
points are awarded.

 Example. (based on Team A and Team B)

o Teacher provides the clue word “edible” (worth 5 points).
o Team B has won the coin toss and guesses “pizza” (0 points). (Note: If the
team had guessed the word “pomegranate,” they’d have earned 5 points,
and the teacher would move to the next word.)
o Team A guesses “cake” (0 points).
o Teacher provides the next clue, which is “fruit” (worth 4 points).
o Team B guesses “apple” (0 points)
o Team A guesses “orange” (0 points).
o Teacher provides the next clue, “many edible seeds” (worth 3 points).
o Team B guesses “grapes” (0 points).
o Team A guesses correctly and gets three points.

Possible Name Game Words and Clues

POMEGRANATE FOOTBALL
Edible (5) Sport equipment (5)
Fruit (4) Team sport (4)
Many edible seeds (3) Small and brown (3)
Bright red (2) Pigskin (2)
Eat seeds only (1) Oval-shaped (1)
PENCIL TEXTBOOK
School tool (5) Resource (5)
Long or short (4) Big or small (4)
Filled with graphite (3) Informative, portable (3)
Wooden and pointy (2) Can be boring (2)
Utensil for writing (1) Hardback manuscript (1)
GRAPEFRUIT SODA
Edible (5) Ingestible (5)
Natural (4) Contained (4)
Fruit (3) Sweet (3)
Sphere (2) Fizzy (2)
Juicy (1) Liquid (1)

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REFERENCES
R. N. Aufmann, J. S. Lockwood, R. D. Nation, & D. K. Clegg, Mathematical Excursions, 3rd
Edition, Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning, 2013..

R. Nocon, & E. Nocon, Essential Mathematics for the Modern World, C & E. Publishing
House, 2018.

P. Tannenbaum, Excursions in Modern Mathematics, Pearson Education, Inc., 2018.

Main Campus in Marawi City.

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