Pam  00:01

Hey fellow mathematicians. Welcome to the umpteenth recording of the podcast for Math is Figure-Out-Able. I'm Pam Harris, and Kim Montague is on with me. And we are going to get this blasted thing recorded today if it kills us. This episode is a MathStratChat episode. And it's a darn good thing we like MathStratChat because, okay, I'm just going to tell you right now. We've had all of the tech hangups that you could have trying to record a podcast, but we are bound and determined to bring you this MathStratChat episode. Because every Wednesday evening, I throw out a math problem on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, all the social media. People from around the world chat about the strategies they use. It's super to see everyone's thinking.

Kim  00:44

Okay, so this Wednesday, our Math problem... 

Pam  00:46

We can do it, Kim! We can do it!

Kim  00:47

I know. I mean, this has been a thing. Alright, the problem is 4,000...

Pam  00:52

18th times the charm. Sorry, 4,000. I'm here. I'm here. 4,000.

Kim  01:02

Oh, gosh. 4,102. 

Pam  01:04

Yes.

Kim  01:04

Plus 3,895. So, listeners, we're wondering how you would solve this problem. Pause the podcast. Solve it any way you want. Problem is 4,102 plus 3,895. Solve it, and then come back to hear how we solved it.

Pam  01:20

Okay, I'm dying to go first, so I'm going to go first. 

Kim  01:23

Yep.

Pam  01:23

And this feels very... I'm going to channel my inner Kim, my inner Over strategy, and I'm going to start on 4,102. I just wrote that on my paper with a number line. And I'm going to add to that 4,000 because that's a bit too much. But that's easily just 8,102. But I added. I'm going to play a little I Have, You Nee 3,895. If I just add to that 105, then I would have that 4,000. I added too much, so I'm going to take off that 105. So, if I backup 105 from 8,102. Let's see. Backup 100 would be 8,002. I'm okay. I'm alright. But I still have to subtract 5, so that would be 7,005 from 2... Or sorry, subtract the 2 first, then the 3. 7,997. Yes? 

Kim  02:13

Yes. 

Pam  02:14

Yes. Woah!

Kim  02:15

I appreciate your Over strategy. And it's actually not what I did this time.

Pam  02:21

Oh, you're going to raise me. You appreciate, you see my Over strategy and raise me a better? Fine. Be better.

Kim  02:27

Well, I don't know if it's better, but when I saw these numbers, I was kind of thinking more just about place values but left to right. So, I saw the 41 hundred and the 28 hundred and just knew that was 79 hundred. And then, the 2 and the 95 is 97. So, I kind of out about like in chunks of hundreds, and then the 2 and 95. So, I'm calling it 7,997.

Pam  02:54

Okay, so let me just make sure I understand what you're saying.

Kim  02:57

Yep.

Pam  02:57

Out of 4102, you saw 41 hundred.

Kim  03:00

Right. 

Pam  03:01

And out of 3,895, you saw 38 hundred?

Kim  03:05

Yeah, so I kind of just focus on the 41 and the 38 and said...

Pam  03:08

Hundreds. 

Kim  03:09

41 hundred and 38 hundred is 79 hundred. 

Pam  03:13

Okay.

Kim  03:14

And then...

Pam  03:14

I have the leftover 2 and 95 is 97. Huh. So, that is a good lesson to look to the numbers first, before you do anything real spiffy. Like, you could just add those by place value. You could just look at the 4,000 and 3,000 is 7000. The 100 and 800 is 900. The 0 and 90 is 90. And the 2 and the 5 is 7. Notice, how you went big to small, not small to big. Because that is our intuition, right? It's to deal with the big numbers first. Cool. 

Kim  03:45

Right.

Pam  03:45

I like it. Alright, excellent. Alright. Well, we can't wait to see your strategy. I wonder if it was like one of ours or something entirely different. We would love it if you would represent your thinking and take a picture of your work or screenshot on your phone and tell the world on social media. And while you're there, check out what other people did and comment on their thinking.  Yeah, and tag me on Twitter at @PWHarris. Or Instagram, PamHarris_math. Or Facebook, Pam Harris, author mathematics education. And use the hashtag MathStratChat. And make sure you check out the MathStratChat problem that we'll post every Wednesday around 7pm Central Time, and then hop back here to hear how we're thinking about the problem. We love having you as part of the Math is Figure-Out-Able movement. Especially when the podcast recording equipment works. 

Kim  04:31

Yes.

Pam  04:31

Let's keep spreading the word that Math is Figure-Out-Able.