Making an Organized List
Another strategy for solving problems is making an organized list.
By making a list, you can count the number of options you have when you need to make a decision.
For example: A sandwich shop has three sandwich specials: tuna (T), chicken
(C), or turkey (Tk) with one of these: lettuce (L), tomato (To), or sprouts (S). Make a list of the different sandwiches
you could order.
Organized List of Combinations:
|
|
tuna
sandwich with lettuce -- (T) with (L) |
|
|
tuna
sandwich with tomato -- (T) with (To) |
|
|
tuna
sandwich with sprouts -- (T) with (S) |
|
|
chicken
sandwich with lettuce -- (C) with (L) |
|
|
chicken
sandwich with tomato -- (C) with (T) |
|
|
...
etc. |
Can you finish the list? How many combinations did you get?
Activity 1: Imagine that you are going away for a few days and you cannot bring a large
suitcase. It makes sense to pack items that can be mixed and matched to get the most of your outfits. Suppose
that you have 2 pairs of pants in black and brown and one pair of jeans. You can also bring three shirts - one white,
one tan, and one blue. How many different outfits can you make from these six pieces of clothing? Make a list
showing each outfit. Write down the total number of outfits possible.
Activity 2: For this problem, there are ten clowns
at the circus. Their names are Smiley, Sour Joe, Bozo, Elmer, Giggles, Floppsy, Sticks, Shorty, Rainbow, and Squeaky. The
clowns come out into the crowd in pairs. List all the different ways that the clowns can be paired together.
Activity 3
Now, write down your phone number.
Using the letters on a telephone, list the different combinations of three-letter or four-letter words your phone number spells. Remember
that most of the numbers on the phone have three different corresponding letters on them. Check phonespell.org to find combinations you didn't list.
