Date: Wed Oct 16 08:31:36 PDT 2002
Student's Name: Victoria
Answer(or question to Mentor): Problem solution: It think that the answer is 6.4 miles.
Rationale: It takes 5 seconds for the sound of thunder to travel a mile.
32 sec. between the lighting and the thunder
32 divided by 5 equals 6.4
6.4 miles away
Date: Wed Oct 16 17:36:32 PDT 2002
Student's Name: Victoria
Answer(or question to Mentor): CHALLENGE PROBLEM:
solution: I think that the answer for
1)is .00094697 feet.
a) is 6,000 per minute.
b) is 360,000 per hour.
c) is 8,640,000 per day.
d) is 6,048,000,000 per week.
e) is 2,419,200,000,000 per month.
f) is 2,903,040,000,000,000 per year.
rationale:
1)1 mile = 5,280 feet 5,280 divided by 5,280 = .00094697 feet
a) 100 x 60 = 6,000 per minute
b) 60 x 60 = 3,600
3,600 x 100 = 360,000 per hour
c) 3600 x 24 = 86,400
86,400 x 100 = 8,640,000 per day
d) 8,640,000 x 7 = 60,480,000
60,480,000 x 100 = 6,048,000,000 per week
e) 6,048,000,000 x 4 = 24,192,000,000
24,192,000,000 x 100 = 2,419,200,000,000 per month
f) 2,419,200,000,000 x 12 = 29,030,400,000,000
29,030,400,000,000 x 100 = 2,903,040,000,000,000
Date: Fri Oct 18 13:25:52 PDT 2002
Student's Name: Victoria
Mentor Reply: Hello Victoria. My name is Petra and I am your mentor. You did an excellent job answering the Problem of the Week. Your answer is correct and I can clearly see how you solved it. In your rationale, you did not say why you divided 32 by 5. Although it is correct to divide, could you tell me why you choose to divide? What was your reasoning?
In the Challenge Questions, you need to rethink question number 1. It is correct that 1 mile = 5,280 feet. Why did you divide 5,280 by 5,280? Is it true that 5,280 divided by 5,280 equals .00094697? Try plugging that equation into a calculator again. Think about what it means to the problem that 1 mile equals 5280 feet. What should you do with this number? What are you trying to find out?
Question number 2 is correct until part e. For a, b, c, and d, you had a great approach. When you solved parts e and f, you changed your strategy. Think about why you multiplied the numbers that you did in parts a, b, c, and d. What do you do differently in parts e and f? What do the numbers that you are multiplying together mean?
I can’t wait to hear back from you. Keep trying on the challenge problem. I know you will get it.
Petra
Date: Sat Oct 19 19:02:05 PDT 2002
Student's Name: Victoria
Instructor Comments: Petra,
Great challenge on the rationale. You might also want to add a further incentive such as "Suppose that you wanted to explain your thinking to a friend in your class who was confused. Can you find a way to explain why division makes sense?"
Check the answer to Challenge question #2 part D. I think it is also incorrect.
The probe questions are good, it will be fun to see if they help her.
Dr. Bowers
Date: Mon Oct 21 17:02:54 PDT 2002
Student's Name: Victoria
Mentor Reply: Hello Victoria.
My name is Petra and I am your mentor. You did an excellent job answering the Problem of the Week. Your answer is correct and I can clearly see how you solved it. In your rationale, you did not say why you divided 32 by 5. Although it is correct to divide, could you tell me why you choose to divide? What was your reasoning? Suppose you wanted to explain your thinking to a friend in class who was confused. Can you find a way to explain why division makes sense?
In the Challenge Questions, you need to rethink question number 1. It is correct that 1 mile = 5,280 feet. Why did you divide 5,280 by 5,280? Is it true that 5,280 divided by 5,280 equals .00094697? Try plugging that equation into a calculator again. Think about what it means to the problem that 1 mile equals 5280 feet. What should you do with this number? What are you trying to find out?
Question number 2 is correct until part d. For a, b, and c you had a great approach. When you solved parts d, e and f, you changed your strategy. Think about why you multiplied the numbers that you did in parts a, b, and c. What do you do differently in parts d, e, and f? What do the numbers that you are multiplying together mean?
I can’t wait to hear back from you. Keep trying on the challenge problem. I know you will get it.
Petra
Date: Mon Oct 21 19:50:04 PDT 2002
Student's Name: Victoria
Answer(or question to Mentor): I’d divided because if sound travels one mile in five seconds then to find out
how far it would travel in 32 seconds you divide the total time by the time per
mile
I know that sound travels one mile per 5 seconds. 1 mile = 5280 feet, so
sound travels 5280 feet per 5 seconds or 1056 feet per second.
d) 8640000 x 7 = 60480000
e)60480000 x 4 = 241920000
f) 241920000 x 12 = 2903040000
Date: Sun Oct 27 22:21:24 PST 2002
Student's Name: Victoria
Mentor Reply: Hello again Victoria.
Fabulous job! Thank you so much for your clear explanation of why you divided. All of the challenge problems that you resubmitted are correct. I am very impressed. I can’t wait to work with you on the next problem.
Petra
Date: Sun Oct 27 22:32:11 PST 2002
Student's Name: Victoria
Instructor Comments: Petra,
Thanks for writing back, I know she will appreciate it! They are checking their final comments from the mentors on Monday. I am glad that you were able to push her to write a bit more, it will be intersting to see if she does better on the next one. That is when you know you have made a difference!
Dr. Bowers
Date: Sun Oct 27 23:19:14 PST 2002
Student's Name: Victoria
Mentor Reply: Hello again Victoria.
Fabulous job! Thank you so much for your clear explanation of why you divided. All of the challenge problems that you resubmitted are correct. I am very impressed. I can’t wait to work with you on the next problem.
Petra
