Portfolio Assignments

There will be seven portfolio assignments during this summer session. These will be problems that each of you is going to write with the task of illustrating a particular prescribed problem solving strategy. These problems should have at least three different mathematical steps to them! Try to make the problems interesting and relevant to children's lives. Have fun and use your imagination!

INSTRUCTIONS: Write your very own multi-step story problem that can be solved and will be solved most effectively using the prescribed problem solving strategy below:

a. Portfolio 1 due on 6/23/2004: draw a diagram or use a picture (choose exactly one of these strategies!)

b. Portfolio 2 due 6/28/2004: make a list of all the possibilities or eliminate possibilities (choose exactly one of these strategies!)

c. Portfolio 3 due 6/28/2004: guess and check

d. Portfolio 4 due 6/30/2004: use sub-problems or patterns (choose exactly one of these strategies!)

e. Portfolio 5 due 7/6/2004: use algebra

f. Portfolio 6 due 7/6/2004: solve an easier related problem

g. Portfolio 7 due 7/7/2004: use Venn Diagrams or use working backwards (choose exactly one of these strategies!)

Please organize your writing in the following format: Problem, Prescribed Strategy, Solution, Verification, Comments for Teachers. The Comments for Teachers section can include ideas for (a) extending or generalizing the problem, or (b) reflective comments about which topics this problem illustrates within the middle school mathematics curriculum.

The entire portfolio problem is assessed on a scale of 20 points.

Prescribed Strategy: Two (2) points are given for specifying which problem solving strategy your problem is illustrating.

Problem: Eight (8) points are given for this section of the assignment which contains the wording of the actual problem:

• Two (2) points are given for a problem that can be best solved using the prescribed strategy in the assignment.
• Two (2) points are given for writing a problem that illustrates an important mathematical idea.
• Two (2) points are given for an interesting story.
• Two (2) points are given for clarity and good use of language. 

The remaining ten (10) points are assigned as follows:

• Two (4) points for a complete and correct Solution.
• Three (3) points for a brief Verification.
• Three (3) points for the Comments for Teachers section.

IMPORTANT: Please type and staple one of the scoring tables below to each of your portfolio assignments:

Portfolio Problems Scoring Guide

Category

Possible Score(s)

Strategy

0

1

2

Problem

appropriateness

math idea

story

clarity& language

0

1

2

Solution

0

1 2

3 4

Verification

0

1 2

3

Comments for Teachers

0

1 2

3

Total: /20