Math is Figure-Out-Able!

#MathStratChat - July 17, 2024

Pam Harris, Kim Montague

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on July 17, 2024. 


Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies.


Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.

Twitter: @PWHarris

Instagram: Pam Harris_math

Facebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics education


Want more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!

Pam  00:00

Hey, fellow mathers! Welcome to the podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able. I'm Pam.

 

Kim  00:06

And I'm Kim.

 

Pam  00:07

And this episode is a MathStratChat episode, where we chat about our math strategies. Every Wednesday evening, I throw out a math problem on social media, and people from around the world chat about the strategies they use. And we love it when ya'll comment on each other's thinking.

 

Kim  00:21

Alright, this Wednesday, our math problem was 699 plus 952. How would you solve this problem? Pause the podcast. Solve however you'd like. The problem is 699 plus 952.

 

Pam  00:36

Okay. I'm going to try to be you a little bit.

 

Kim  00:40

Okey doke.

 

Pam  00:41

I'm thinking about what you did last week where you Overed in a way that was not very comfortable for me. So, I'm going to see if I can make my brain do that a little bit. So, if I'm thinking about 952 and instead of adding 699, I'm going to add 700. So, I'm going to think about 9 and 7 to help me think about 16. So, it's like 900 and 700 is 1,600. But then I have to tack on that extra 52, so I have 1652. But I added 1 too many, so it's actually 1651. Bam. 

 

Kim  01:16

Nice.

 

Pam  01:17

Kim, I'm so glad you did that last week. That's really making my brain.

 

Kim  01:20

Yay! 

 

Pam  01:20

Yeah, I don't usually skip over the 1,000 all that well. I usually choose to do something else. So, it makes me feel more powerful (unclear). 

 

Kim  01:27

Awesome, fantastic. Well, I was like you because I wanted to move marbles.

 

Pam  01:34

Mmhm. 

 

Kim  01:34

So, I swapped the 600 and the 900 in the problem to make 999 plus 652. And then, yeah, it's just 1,000... Well, I took 1 from the 652. Gave it to the 999. So, I have 1,000 plus 652. 

 

Pam  01:54

651?

 

Kim  01:55

Yes. I wrote 651 on my paper. 1,651

 

Pam  02:00

And this is an example of one of those problems where you end up with literally... In the way I wrote it. Because the 652 was first on my paper. I wrote 651 plus 1,000.

 

Kim  02:09

Yeah.

 

Pam  02:10

But if you read it the other way, it's 1,000 plus 651, which is just 1,651. I love it when the question is the answer, you know? 

 

Kim  02:17

Yeah.

 

Pam  02:17

What is 1,000 and 651 (unclear).

 

Kim  02:19

(unclear).

 

Pam  02:21

It's typically a sign that you were probably using relationships and solving, not just mimicking procedures. So, brilliant when you get to that place. Cool.

 

Kim  02:29

Super cool. Alright, we can't wait to see what you do every single week. We love it when you join us on MathStratChat and let us know how you're thinking about the problems. It's super fun for us and for everyone else when you comment on each other's strategies, so keep that up. 

 

Pam  02:44

Yeah, thanks for doing that. Ya'll, we post these problems on Wednesdays around 7pm Central Time. When you answer, feel free to tag me, and make sure you use the hashtag MathStratChat. Then join us here to hear how we're thinking about the problem. How we're thinking? Yes, did I say that, right? I was trying to figure out how I was going to say the end of this different. And all of a sudden I'm like, "What did I just say? I don't even know." Then join us here to hear how we're thinking about the problem. Okay, now I want to say something different here instead of "We love having you," we could say... 

 

Kim  03:11

But we do love having them. 

 

Pam  03:12

Well, I know. The math is Figure-Out-Able movement is awesome, and it's better because of you. Because Math is Figure-Out-Able.