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 - September 17, 2025
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on September 17, 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
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Facebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics education
Want more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!
Pam 0:01
Hey, fellow mathers! Welcome to the podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able. I'm Pam.
Kim 0:07
And I'm Kim.
Pam 0:07
And this is a MathStratChat episode because we're going to chat about our math strategies. Ya'll, 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,
Kim 0:20
so this Wednesday, our math problem was which is larger? One-half of four-sevenths or one-fourth of eight-sevenths. How would you solve this problem? Pause the podcast. Solve it however you'd like. The problem is one-half of four-sevenths or one-fourth of eight-sevenths. Which is larger.
Pam 0:38
Alright, Kim, I'm going to go first today. I don't know why, but I am going to.
Kim 0:42
Alright.
Pam 0:43
You're laughing because we're both trying to figure out our brains today. Okay. I'm going to think about four-sevenths as 4 things. So, I'm going to say one-half of four things is 2 of those things. So, one-half of four-sevenths is two-sevenths. And so, then I'm going to find one-fourth of 8 things. One-fourth of 8 is 2. So, one-fourth of eight-sevenths is two-sevenths. So, I'm going to call them equivalent. Neither is larger.
Kim 1:10
Okay, trying to think about what I want to say that's differently. So, one-half of four-sevenths... Yeah, you said one-half of 4.
Pam 1:19
Mmhm.
Kim 1:19
Huh. So, I think last week, I tried to compare. So, same thing here. So, this time I can compare a half and a fourth and one-fourth is half of a half. And I'm going to say that eight-sevenths is double four-sevenths. So, it's this relationship of one is half and the other one is double. So, you know Double Halve, the strategy we really love. I can't seem to (unclear). So, if I double one of the dimensions, like if these are dimensions of a rectangle, and I half the other dimension, then I know that they must be equivalent.
Pam 2:03
Okay, so from one-half to one-fourth you halved.
Kim 2:07
Mmhm.
Pam 2:07
From four-sevenths to eight-sevenths, you doubled it.
Kim 2:10
Yes.
Pam 2:10
So, halve, double and so they're equivalent. Another nice reasoning way. Good job.
Kim 2:15
Yeah, thanks.
Kim 2:16
Alright, we can't wait to see what you do every week. Join us on MathStratChat, and let us know how you think about these problems, and comment on each other's strategies.
Pam 2:24
We love it when you comment on each other's strategies. Ya'll, we post the problems on Wednesdays around 7:00 pm Central time. When you answer, tag me and use the hashtag MathStratChat, then join us to hear how we're thinking about the problem. We love having you as part of the Math is Figure-Out-Able movement. Math is Figure-Out-Able!