Boat Current Problem
It takes a boat 3 hours to travel downstream and 7 hours to travel upstream. The speed of the current is 4 km/h.
What is the speed of the boat in still water?
Formula: (rate)(time)=distance
Can you see this in the downstream upstream rectangles shown below?
The blue smooth side of the blocks represent unknown numbers – in this problem we call them b.
b = speed of boat in still water – no current
c = speed of current
across = rate = b + c and b – c
up = time
total rectangle = distance
You can take this problem further and solve for distance. Simply replace the b’s in the downstream upstream rectangles with 10’s and count up the total of each rectangle. The distance is 42 km.
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Set up the information. The first rectangle represents rate, time, and distance downstream. The second rectangle represents rate, time, and distance upstream. -
Count what you have. -
Take away what’s same on both sides. -
Can’t see anything same to take away on both sides – add a zero pair to help. -
Take away what’s same on both sides. -
Push like kinds together. -
Reshape to see common factor of 4. -
Exchange ten 4’s for four 10’s. -
Want to know about 1b not 4b. Cross out the same common factor or same hidden 1’s on both sides to find out what 1b is.
To help children understand the problem draw a picture or create a tangible example of the problem.
Boat Current Problems
– Float a paper or toy boat in water
– Use a bathtub and water to create a stream and current or go outside to a small stream
Airplane Wind Problems
– Fly a paper airplane in the air
– Use a household fan to create wind or go outside on a windy day
Children should always be accompanied by an adult when playing near water or operating an electrical device.
Move from the concrete to the abstract.
– Create a tangible example of the problem
– Draw a picture of the problem
– Build a model of the problem and reshape to solve
– Draw the model
– Write the symbols that represent the model
Use the blocks to introduce higher math concepts to all ages.
Don’t throw all of this at them at one time.
– start with setting up the first rectangles
– then count the over, up, and total of each
– when they are comfortable with this introduce the problem solving steps
The concept stays the same – only the numbers change.
– start off with simple problems – small numbers
– slowly increase the difficulty – bigger and bigger numbers
At the same time students are learning about these higher math concepts they will be honing their basic math skills.