Woodridge Summit Academic
Challenge
March 2016
“ A dime by any other name is ……..”
These problems are in order of increasing difficulty. Choose the one that fits your math ability and
solve the problem. People at home can help you. Usually, you’ll need to submit your answer using the RE-C format from the attached form. Occasionally a poster or chart might be a better way to show an
answer. Feel free to be creative.
Be certain to put the title of your problem, your name and your teacher’s name on the form when
you submit it.
All solutions are due to in the Summit Challenge Box in the Library by or on March 25th NO LATE
SUBMITTALS ACCEPTED. Students who successfully complete the challenge with the correct answer
and a logical explanation of their mathematical thinking will receive a certificate and their name listed in
our Academic Challenge Board. Happy problem solving!
Problem A
Sort dimes with a partner, showing the ways 15 dimes can be sorted into 4 different
groups so that each group has a different number of dimes. Is 0 a group? Is there more
than one answer? Did you find all the possible groupings? Show your work.
Problem B
Read You Can’t Buy a Dinosaur with a Dime: Problem-solving in Dollars and Cents
(Ziefert2003). If you bought a dinosaur that costs 50¢ and you paid with $1, how many
ways could you receive your change if at least 1 coin were a dime? Start with the ways
that use the fewest number of coins. How many different possibilities are there?
Represent your answer.
Problem C
Arrange 11 dimes into a circle. With a partner, take turns removing 1 or 2 dimes.
Whenever it is your turn, you may remove 1 or 2 dimes. It is your choice. If you
remove the last dime, you are the Survivor. Can you figure out a strategy so that
you can always be the Survivor? Now use 13 dimes. Will your strategy still work?
Explain how your strategy works.
Problem D
Save a dime at a time. If you dropped 1 dime a day into your piggy bank, how
many dimes would you save in a week? In 2 weeks? If you dropped in 2 dimes a
day, how many dimes would you save in a week? In 2 weeks? Represent the
results. If everyone in your entire class dropped 1 dime each day into the piggy
bank, what would be the total number of dimes saved in 1 week? Represent the
total amount saved for the entire class.
Problem E
Frankie plays nickel and dime games at the arcade. She has $ 0.90 to
spend. Today Frankie has already played 3 games that cost 1 dime each
time. How many other games can she play? Is there more than one
possibility? Explain your solution to a friend.
Problem F
José’s pocket change consists of 13 coins—pennies, nickels, and dimes.
José has more dimes than pennies and more dimes than nickels. The
number of each coin is divisible by 2. How many of each coin does José
have? Is there more than one possible solution? Share your results.
Problem G
10 cents
5 Swedish fish
5 pieces of bubble gum
2 peppermint patties
2 butterscotch candies
2 striped candy sticks
20 cents
10 gummy worms
2 candy oranges slices
2 red licorice sticks
2 lengths of candy dots
5 chocolate coins
50 cents
1 box of lemon heads
1 box of jelly beans
1 box chocolate raisins
1 box sweet tarts
1 foot length of taffy
Candy-pa-looza. How many candies and which types of candy can each student
buy from the Olde Tyme Candy Shoppe if Daryl has 3 dimes, Quint has 5, Jeremiah has 8,
and Janet has 10? Illustrate the various combinations. Create 3 different groupings for
each student.
Problem H
Jump for dimes. Jenny, Penny, Lenny, and Kenny are participating in a
fundraiser by performing jumping jacks for 30 seconds. Each jump
represents a dime donated to charity. The total number of jumps is
78. Jenny’s, Penny’s, and Lenny’s total number of jumps is divisible by
5, but Kenny’s is not. His total number of jumps is a prime number.
Penny has the most jumps. Jenny has the fewest jumps. Lenny has twice as many jumps as
Jenny. Work with a partner to determine how many jumping jacks each student did and
how much money they collected for charity. Share your results with the class
Problem I
A school carnival ticket costs $2.50. Keith has $5 in dimes and quarters.
If he pays for his ticket with 4 more dimes than quarters, how many
dimes and quarters does he give the attendant?
How many dimes and quarters does Keith have left to spend at the
carnival? Is there more than one possibility? Explain your solution to a
friend.
Problem J
Every day, Bryce gets 9 more dimes for his coin collection. Every fourth
day, he gives some of the 9 dimes to his cousin. He shares the same
number each time. If he begins with 11 dimes on the first day, on which
day will Bryce have exactly 98 dimes? How many dimes will Bryce have on
the eighth day? How many will he have on the ninth day? How many dimes
does Bryce share with his cousin? Explain your solution.
pg. 3
Woodridge Summit Academic Challenge
Math Problem Submittal Form
Name ______________________________________________________________
Grade _________ Teacher’s name_______________________________________
Date _________________________
The problem I am solving is Problem Name _________________________________
Using the R-E-C Problem Solving Strategy for this problem
R = Restate the question that you are trying to solve.
E = Explain the steps that you took to solve the problem. You can use words, pictures and
numbers to help you explain the steps. This step is explaining your thinking which is a very
important part of solving problems. You may attach more paper if needed.
C = Conclude This is the answer to the problem.
pg. 4