Math is Figure-Out-Able!
Math teacher educator Pam Harris and her cohost Kim Montague answer the question: If not algorithms, then what? Join them for ~15-30 minutes every Tuesday as they cast their vision for mathematics education and give actionable items to help teachers teach math that is Figure-Out-Able. See www.MathisFigureOutAble.com for more great resources!
Math is Figure-Out-Able!
#MathStratChat - July 9, 2025
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on July 9, 2025.
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 0:00
Hey, fellow mathers! Welcome to the podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able. I'm Pam.
Kim 0:06
And I'm Kim.
Pam 0:07
And this episode is a MathStratChat episode because 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 comment on each other's thinking.
Kim 0:19
Okay, so this Wednesday, we have 90% of 150. How are you going to solve this problem? Pause, solve it, and then come on back to hear how we are going to solve it.
Pam 0:31
I could
Pam 0:31
go a couple different directions.
Kim 0:35
Yeah. You
Kim 0:37
want to go first?
Pam 0:38
Sure.
Kim 0:38
Okay.
Pam 0:40
I'm going to think about 150% of 90.
Kim 0:43
Okay.
Pam 0:44
So, 100% of 90 is 90. It's like the whole thing. And 50% of 90 is half of 90, so that's 45. And 145 is 135. And do you know how I did 90 and 45? I thought about
Pam 1:03
angles.
Kim 1:03
Yeah, I was going to say, I bet you did.
Pam 1:08
Yeah.
Pam 1:08
Yep, yep, yep.
Kim 1:08
Love it.
Pam 1:08
That's just something I've done a lot of.
Kim 1:09
Yeah.
Pam 1:09
Okay, what were you thinking?
Kim 1:09
Very cool. I'm going to go over, so I'm going to say 100% of 150 is 150.
Pam 1:09
Yep.
Kim 1:09
I'm going to back up 10% of 150, which is 15. And 150 minus 15 is 135.
Pam 1:20
Oh, I love it.
Kim 1:21
Very good.
Pam 1:22
Nice strategies. Ya'll, we can't wait to see what you do each week. Join us on MathStratChat and let us know how you think about the problems. And comment on each other's strategies.
Kim 1:31
Yeah, Pam posts the problem every Wednesday at 7:00 pm Central. When you answer, tag her, and use the hashtag MathStratChat. Then join us here to hear how we're thinking about the
Kim 1:41
problem.
Pam 1:42
Ya'll, we love having you as part of the Math is Figure-Out-Able movement. Math is Figure-Out-Able!