Max Maths, Year 4, Learn together, Word problems (2)

In a practical maths scenario for Year 4 students, they are presented with a word problem that involves organising transportation for a school trip. The problem states that there are 95 people in total who need to travel, and each coach available can accommodate 35 passengers. To solve this, students are encouraged to use a bar model for visualisation. By representing each coach as a bar with a capacity of 35, it becomes clear that two coaches can only transport 70 people, which is insufficient. However, three coaches can transport a total of 105 people, which, although it exceeds the required number, ensures that there is a seat for everyone. Therefore, the school must hire three coaches to accommodate the entire group for the trip.

Another word problem invites the students to explore the concept of division and multiplication through money sharing between two individuals, Padma and Jade. They jointly have $84, and it is known that Jade possesses twice the amount that Padma does. To figure out the distribution, a bar model can be used to represent the money each has. Assuming Jade has two shares and Padma has one share, the total amount of $84 is divided into three equal parts. This means that each share is worth $28, and consequently, Jade, with two shares, has $56, while Padma has $28. Through this visual and mathematical approach, students can easily comprehend the relationship between the amounts and calculate how much money Jade has.