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 22, 2026
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In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on July 22, 2026.
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
[00:00:01.140] - Pam
Hey, fellow math-ers. Welcome to the podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able. I'm Pam Harris.
[00:00:08.060] - Kim
And I'm Kim Montague.
[00:00:09.500] - Pam
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.
[00:00:23.480] - Kim
Okay, so this week our math problem was if two-fifths of a candy bar weighs 15 ounces, how much does one-fifth of the candy bar weigh? How would you solve this problem? Pause the podcast. Solve it however you'd like. The problem is if two-fifths of a candy bar weighs 15 ounces, how much does one-fifth weigh?
[00:00:42.440] - Pam
Bam.
[00:00:45.920] - Kim
Do you want to go?
[00:00:50.040] - Pam
Sure. Okay, I'll go first. So, if two 1/5s, 2 parts, two 1/5s of the candy bar weighs 15 ounces, then one 1/5, one-fifth is half of two-fifths. So, if two-fifths is 15 ounces, one-fifth is going to be half of that. And half of 15 is 7.5 ounces.
[00:01:13.540] - Kim
Okay.
[00:01:14.280] - Pam
Alright, what do you got?
[00:01:16.110] - Kim
I also recognized that the one-fifth was half as much of the two-fifths, but, you know, that stupid two-fifths for me. I said if 40% of a candy bar is 15 ounces, what's 20%?
[00:01:26.660] - Pam
Ah, those fifths scream percent to you.
[00:01:29.660] - Kim
Yeah. So, also 7.5 ounces.
[00:01:32.830] - Pam
You were thinking about percent, and then, but you still then half it. Nice, alright, great.
[00:01:36.840] - Kim
Alright, we can't wait to see what you do every week. Join us on MathStratChat, and let us know how you think about the problems, and then comment on each other's thinking.
[00:01:45.330] - Pam
Y'all, we post the problems on Wednesdays around 7:00 p.m. central. When you answer, tag me and use the hashtag #MathStratChat. And then join us here 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!