Grades 3-5 Math Problem Solving in Action_ Getting Students to Love Word Problems

Problem Types Across the Curriculum ◆ 53

Figure 3.22 Perimeter Problems

Finding the perimeter

of a rectangle

Finding the missing

side of a rectangle

Finding the

area of a

rectangle

Finding the

area of a

square

Finding the

perimeter of a

square

Tammy’s table is 4 m

by 2 m. What is the

perimeter? What is the

area?

Tammy’s table has

an area of 8 square feet.

It’s length is 4 feet.

How long is its width?

Tammy’s rectangle

swimming pool was

12 meters wide. It

covered an area of 84

square meters. What

is the length of the

pool?

The perimeter of a

square is 800 cm?

How long is each

side?

Tammy’s

table is 4 m

by 2 m. What

is the area?

Tammy’s

kitchen is

10 meters

long and 9

meters wide.

What is its

area?

Tammy’s table

is a square.

One of the sides

is 2 m. What is

the area of the

table?

A square shed

has sides that

are 4 feet long.

What is the

shed’s area?

Tammy’s

square table has

an area of 16

square meters.

What are the

sides?

Open–ended perimeter

problems

Finding the

perimeter of an

irregular polygon

Perimeter

decimal

problems

Perimeter with

multiplicative

comparison

Perimeter with

comparative

elements

Farmer John planted

a garden with an area

of 30 square feet. What

could the possible

dimensions of the

fence be?

Tammy has a U-

shaped table. What

is the length of the

inner side? What is

the perimeter of the

entire figure?

Granny’s

garden is

1.5 times

as long as

it is wide.

It is 5 feet

wide. How

long is it?

What is the

perimeter?

What is the

area?

A small

rectangle

garden is twice

as long as it is

wide. If the

area is 8 square

feet, find its

dimensions.

The width of a

small rectangle

garden is 3

inches less than

its length. If

the area of the

rectangle is 28

square inches,

what is its

8ft. (^)? width?
4ft.
4ft.
2ft.
2ft.
3ft.
3ft.
Distance Problems
I think it is really important to teach students how to think about distance
problems. It is in all the standards, but I never see it emphasized in the
actual teaching of measurement problems. However, this is one of the most
typical situations that we do in life. People calculate distance all the time.
It is relevant, familiar and important. There should be map problems
across the year (see Figure 3.23).