Blog John Silver

Your son or daughter has word problems for science homework. How do you help your children become successful word problem solvers? Help your child by developing a process that he can apply to a variety of problems. Recognize that effectively completing word problems requires a series of logical steps. The first strategy is to understand the language content of the problem. The second is recognizing that a science word problem is an application of algebra. Third, the values described in the problem are interconnected. Fourth, determine the appropriate algebraic equation for the problem. Finally, document the entire problem solving process.

 1. Successfully completing science word problems requires good reading comprehension skills. Word problem solvers cannot effectively complete the word problem without understanding the problem itself. What information in the problem is important to solving an equation? What information can be discarded? Distance, time and speed are important quantities that would be listed in a problem about a car’s speed. The color of the car would have no impact in solving the problem.

2. Word problems in science are applications of algebraic expressions, or equations. Good word problem solvers distinguish between the givens in the problem and the value which is to be calculated. The givens always include both numbers and units. The value to be calculated only has a unit. The unit describes the measurement involved.

3. Successful science word problem solvers see how the mathematical expressions in the statements are interconnected to each other. How would such a problem solver complete this example?
Sam drives her green car at 40 kilometers per hour. How far will she travel in 2 hours?
A good strategy to use is to first look for numbers combined with science-related terminology describing measurements, or what is given, or known, in the problem. Speed can be measured in kilometers per hour. Time can be measured in hours. The phrases, 40 kilometers per hour and 2 hours, are given, or are the known quantities, in the example. The speed and the time are interconnected. Speed is a ratio of distance and time. The word problem will also include a value without a number, or the unknown. The phrases “How many” or “How much” or “What is” are good clues to this value. The unknown quantity is distance, distinguished by the phrase, “how far”.
The color of her car, green, is irrelevant to solving the problem.

4. Successful problem solvers determine the appropriate algebraic expression, or equation, for the problem. The appropriate equation to use for the example is: distance equals speed multiplied by time, or mathematically, d = speed * t. Now the problem is mathematical in nature. By substituting 40 kilometers per hour for speed and 2 hours for time, the problem solver gets an answer of 80 kilometers. Note that the answer includes both a number and a unit. Sometimes the equation needs to be rewritten by applying algebraic rules, so the unknown quantity is on one side of the equals sign all by itself.

5. Successful problem solvers document their thinking process by writing out each step that he uses to solve the problem. The example above is rather basic, which most students can discover without writing out their work. Science word problems are also applications of science content. With more challenging science content, the corresponding word problems may, at first, seem too difficult. Breaking down the problem into simpler steps, which includes writing out the mathematical work, often helps create success. By writing down each given, unknown, equation, mathematical step, and answer, more challenging science word problems are less difficult. By first applying the problem solving process to basic problems, the successful problem solver will soon develop a method to apply to more difficult science word problems.

You can help your children develop a successful process that they can use to solve science word problems and become effective word problem solvers. First, understand the problem’s language content. Second, recognize that science word problems are applications of algebra. Third, the quantities used in problems are interconnected. Fourth, decide upon the appropriate algebraic equation to solve each problem. Finally, document the problem solving process.

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Strangers to the GED often think that I’m thick skinned. They can’t seem to get a rise out of me with their jokes about the skills of drop outs and GED graduates. I don’t have much to say to people who think that education is a joke. Or believe education exists in today’s public schools. There are some inner-city schools where survival is more important than education. Where even teachers who want to return home have learned to leave the students alone!

To many students, a teacher is that adult in the front of the classroom who gives out meaningless busy work. The teacher is probably thinking when do I get to teach and see the light bulbs come on. So why are both dysfunctional? I think it’s because they aren’t sharing the same space. Sure they’re all in the same classroom but not in the same social space. Between gangs, parents, and the social life of the neighborhood kids aren’t ready to get with school if they can avoid it. Those at the bottom of the pecking order are trying not to be noticed by those at the top.

Teachers are distracted by millions of surveys, meetings, discipline and trying not to get knifed or shot by the little darlings in their classrooms. Not only are teachers expected to teach but they’re:

• Expected to do it for free or little to nothing.
• Not to take time for a family life.
• Teaching kids what their parents should have.
• Solving the gang violence problem in the classroom.
• Expected to make the children learn.
• The reason your self-certified genius failed school this year.
• Teaching because they couldn’t do anything else.

Add to the mix school administrator’s who may never have been in the classroom or can’t teach in the classroom. A school board that will never see inside a classroom or a struggling student. They typically wouldn’t recognize a teaching environment not described in the NEA handout for school boards. Stir this to a lumpy consistency of what the h..l is this supposed to do?

Businesses and colleges get the end product which is focused on itself. The “Me” generation around whom the universe revolves. My life is too important to be interrupted by education. “What do you mean I have to keep my mouth shut? Why do I have to know that?”

So the magic solution is?

1. The state and school boards knows what is to be taught.
2. The state tests to find schools not teaching effectively or the curriculum.
3. These schools get the teachers and resources they need!
4. Principals are solving the problems and informing the school board before the current school year is up.
5. Teachers are teaching what works getting the students to pass curriculum tests and performance goals.
6. Parents are providing disciplined children. If not, paying fines or going to jail. Schools are too expensive to become daycare centers. Help for parents to provide resources their children need for their education is available and offered.
7. Children are mentored, they have the right not to fear for their life. They will be heard and in turn must listen. They will learn, acquire test skills and grow to do many new and strange things.
8. Students will see the real world. Inside of jails, emergency rooms, pregnant teenagers, corporations, police cars, and even talk to political leaders.
9. History of this nation will be taught not white washed. Schools are not social incubators or laboratories for liberals viewpoints

If parents want their students to be taught more; then provide the resources. Allow teachers to go out in public and solicit the resources they need. Let them have some TV time to show what’s going or is a problem.

I want schools to have access for their students by the Internet and virtual teaching classrooms staffed by interns and teachers. Online education is a practical reality for more students every day. Schools must deal with it and use it. Yes, this means that PC’s will have to be available for students . Either privately or publicly owned.

Let’s raise our expectations for our students above the level of “Beavis and Butthead.” That we live in a republic not a democracy! As citizens we reserve the right to change our cities and leaders as we see fit. Not as a czar sees fit. We may not always get what we want or even what we deserve but we should be able to try and better ourselves. Justice is not in the courtroom but in the hands of responsible citizens.

NO Judge, lawyer, policeman, or politician is responsible for my rights. I should not have so many that I can’t keep track of them! By George we are expected to be able to read, write, find a job and just maybe think.

As you work your way through the GED process you encounter weird unexplained things. I remember especially the math test. After I studied math. The people running the testing service wouldn’t let me take the GED math test. They would let me take a math pre-GED math test only. If I passed I could take the real GED math test! Well I passed the pre-test. Now I could take the real GED math test.

The reasoning was that they only wanted people who could pass to sign up for the test. So to pass the GED math test I had to take two tests! If I was stupid I only took one test. If I was smart I had to take two tests. Perhaps they didn’t want the real GED test to be overused?

In my state you can’t get the GED if you want a high school diploma too. You can’t have both. What are you going to learn by the ninth grade that’s not on the GED? Possibly a language I guess. At age seventeen you can get a GED. I guess the state wants you to drop out of high school once you get a GED. When I was in high school, no one told me I could choose between a GED or a diploma.

To validate the GED test series currently being given to GED students high school graduates took the GED test. 60% of the high schools graduates passed the GED at the current levels approved for a GED student. In other words, 40% of the high school graduates failed the test that GED students take. Yet, they get a high school diploma! No one said life was fair I guess.

I remember how the virtues of a diploma over the GED were being extolled. Since the pass rate for the GED is 60% for high school graduates and 100% GED graduates. I guess the GED is more demanding. That’s probably the penalty for not being born here or graduating from high school. Education is overrated in the USA. People who don’t go to college aren’t worth much. Those who don’t graduate high school aren’t worth anything.

I can deal with “player” hating. To hate based on educational attainment is stupid! Yet, our society is happy to indulge in it. For a many of our youth the prison system is the finishing school of choice instead of college. The government would rather pay for prisons and guards, then schools and teachers. Schools and teachers costs are cheaper though.

Why does a prisoner get a GED or college degree while in prison instead of out of prison? Because someone motivated him or her to do so! Oh, by the way, prisons have a little thing called discipline. I remember the ad that says that “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” I agree, if that mind has to live for many years.

Why can’t our public schools teach? Could it be the need for three administrators for every teacher? Could it be that lazy teachers have been promoted out of the school classrooms? Could it be that the classroom has no students who are ready, able, and willing to learn? Would any sane person attempt to teach children in a public school system run by the NEA?

Somehow parents and teachers who DEMAND RESULTS from students are viewed as child abusers, evil torturers who should be cast aside into eternal darkness. It’s a shame you don’t have to get a license to be a parent! We won’t let kids drive a car without one. But we will let adults try to raise a kid with no idea of how. A child who can’t understand no is not very educatable.

Why does society believe it’s the depth of a belief in a child that’s important. Not the depth of knowledge a child has. A lot of money is thrown away at the altars of image and political correctness. Where is this world where no losers live? Where children are fed, housed, and say yes sir? It like parents have disappeared and we have house sitters in our homes. Schools have become daycare centers for the future adults of the nation. Kids have it hard today. They have to raise their parents and themselves!