1. E.P.S.E Problem Solving Model
TEKS Basic Understandings Underlying mathematical processes. Many processes underlie all content areas in mathematics. As they do mathematics, students continually use problem-solving, language and communication, and reasoning (justification and proof) to make connections within and outside mathematics. Students also use multiple representations, technology, applications and modeling, and numerical fluency in problem-solving contexts.

2. The student is expected to:
(8.14) Underlying processes and mathematical tools.
The student applies Grade 8 mathematics to solve problems connected to everyday experiences, investigations in other disciplines, and activities in and outside of school.
The student is expected to:
(A) identify and apply mathematics to everyday experiences, to activities in and outside of school, with other disciplines, and with other mathematical topics;
(B) use a problem-solving model that incorporates understanding the problem, making a plan, carrying out the plan, and evaluating the solution for reasonableness;
(C) select or develop an appropriate problem-solving strategy from a variety of different types, including drawing a picture, looking for a pattern, systematic guessing and checking, acting it out, making a table, working a simpler problem, or working backwards to solve a problem. T A K S O B J E C I V 10

3. E.P.S.E Problem Solving Model
Explore
Plan
Solve
Examine

4. Explore – Fact Finding Read the whole problem
carefully. Reread if necessary.
What facts do you know?
(List them.)
3. What do you need to find out? (Write the question.)

5. Plan – How will I solve this problem?
1. Explain what strategy or strategies you will use to solve the problem without using numbers or number words.
2. Estimate when appropriate using your strategy. (You may use numbers here.)

6. Solve – Find the answer Use your plan to find the answer.
Show all your work.
3. Rewrite the question (as a sentence.) using the answer.
4. Circle the answer in the sentence.

7. Examine – show the answer is reasonable
1. Did you answer the right question(s)?
2. Does my answer make sense?
Compare the estimate to your answer
reverse the operation(s)/solve backwards
use common sense!

8. E.P.S.E Problem Solving Model
Explore – Fact Finding.
Read the whole problem carefully. Reread if necessary.
What facts do you know? (List them.)
What do you need to find out? (Write the question.)
Plan – How will I solve this problem?
Explain what strategy or strategies you will use to solve the problem without using numbers or number words.
Estimate when appropriate using your strategy. (You may use numbers here.)
Solve – Find the answer.
Use your plan to find the answer.
Show all your work.
Rewrite the question(s) using the answer. (As a sentence.)
Circle the answer sentence.
Examine – Show the answer is reasonable.
Did you answer the right question(s)?
Does my answer make sense?
· Compare the estimate to your
answer.
· Reverse the operation(s) / Solve
Backwards…
· Use common sense!
EXAMPLE!!

9. The following table shows the number of pages in novels that Chloe read for pleasure each month during the school year.
If Chloe read only 125 pages during the month of May, which measure of data changed the most, the mean, median, or mode?
Month
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
March
April
Number of pages read
370
393
380
376
396
372
385
391
8.12A

10. E.P.S.E Problem Solving Model
Explore – Fact Finding.
Plan – How will I solve this problem?
Solve – Find the answer.
Examine – Show the problem is reasonable.
EXAMPLE!

11. Jerome is planning to paint the walls of a game room
Jerome is planning to paint the walls of a game room? The room measures 16 ft by 25 ft and has 8 ft ceilings. He will put 2 coats of paint on these walls. Each gallon of paint will cover 400 square feet. How many gallons of paint will he need?
8.14A

12. E.P.S.E Problem Solving Model
Explore – Fact Finding.
Plan – How will I solve this problem?
Solve – Find the answer.
Examine – Show the problem is reasonable.
EXAMPLE!

13. Julia estimated that it would take her 4 hours to write a page report. It actually took her only 38 minutes to write the first page of the report. If she keeps writing at this same rate, by how many hours did she overestimate the time it would take her to complete the report?
8.1B

14. E.P.S.E Problem Solving Model
Explore – Fact Finding.
Plan – How will I solve this problem?
Solve – Find the answer.
Examine – Show the problem is reasonable.
EXAMPLE!