Problem of the Month 1

GUIDELINES
1. Understand – Make sure you understand what the question is asking. If you need clarifications, please ask Ms. Scannell, Ms. DeGante or Ms. Trask.

2. Process – There is often more than one way to get to a solution. You may want to consider some of the following questions.

How do you get started?
What approaches should you try?
Where did you get stuck?
What drawing, chart, graph, or model can you use?

3. Solution - State your solutions as clearly as you can. Include any drawings, graphs, and lists and so on that you used to help you. Defend why you believe your solution is correct or the best possible answer. Your explanations should be written in a way that will be convincing to someone else.

Bobo and the Zoid Tank

Bobo was walking down the street one day, minding his own business, when he saw a sign in the window of a pet store offering “MAGIC ZOIDS” for only $1.00 each. Since he didn’t have anything else to do that day, and he had a spare dollar, he decided to buy a “Magic Zoid.”

Bobo took the zoid home and put it in his 55-gallon fish tank. It looked like a normal zoid to him, so he couldn’t understand why the pet store called it magic. The next day, Bobo looked in the tank and was shocked to discover that he now had two zoids! The new fully-grown zoid seemed to have appeared out of nowhere!

On the following day, Bobo was again shocked: his tank now held four zoids. When the number of zoids doubled again the next day, he began to worry that his fish tank might run out of space. He called the pet store and found out that he could keep two zoids for every 5 gallons of water.

Please help Bobo by finding the answers to these questions.

1 – How many zoids can Bobo keep in his fish tank?

2 – If he bought the original zoid on October 1, on what date would his fish tank be too small to hold all the zoids?

Good Luck!

Write your name and math teacher on your answer paper.  Put your complete answer in the box labeled POW - it should be in your core classroom.


**math problem from G. Tsuruda

This week....

Monday, September 5: Labor Day - School Holiday

Tuesday, September 6:  Regular Day Schedule

Wednesday, September 7:  Minimum Day Schedule - students dismissed at 1:38pm; Parent Conferences 1:50-3pm

Thursday, September 8:  Minimum Day Schedule students dismissed at 1:38pm; Parent Conferences 1:50-3pm and 6-7:30pm

Friday, September 9:  Super Minimum Day Schedule-Students dismissed at 12:35pm