5th grade "high math"

[jgpix]

Hi all,

My 5 th grader was given a packet of challenging word problems. I have not done this stuff in so long that I don't even know where to begin. I want to understand how this works. I need the process. The basic idea of the word problem is this: Suzie wants to break the high score of the game which is 118. In the game she has to move a frog across the street , jumping on obstacles to smash them along the way. She gets 5 points for smashing worms, 13 for bugs, 9 for birds, and 3 for soda cans. How many of each item must she smash before she breaks the high score?

These are not the exact values or even the right wording. But I am just trying to understand the process.

Thanks

[maggiemagnet]

Suzie wants to break the high score of the game which is 118. In the game she has to move a frog across the street , jumping on obstacles to smash them along the way. She gets 5 points for smashing worms, 13 for bugs, 9 for birds, and 3 for soda cans. How many of each item must she smash before she breaks the high score?

Does she have to find the exact value 118, or any combination that gets 118 or more, or all combinations that get 118 or more, or something else?

[jg.allinsymbols]

Hi all,

My 5 th grader was given a packet of challenging word problems. I have not done this stuff in so long that I don't even know where to begin. I want to understand how this works. I need the process. The basic idea of the word problem is this: Suzie wants to break the high score of the game which is 118. In the game she has to move a frog across the street , jumping on obstacles to smash them along the way. She gets 5 points for smashing worms, 13 for bugs, 9 for birds, and 3 for soda cans. How many of each item must she smash before she breaks the high score?

These are not the exact values or even the right wording. But I am just trying to understand the process.

Thanks

Does the question ask for any combination that works? Best to do would be, give the exact problem description, word by word.
Your child would want to find a sum of numbers that gives a score of 118.
5 points for worms
13 points for bugs
9 points for birds
3 points for soda cans

What seems troubling at first, is that this is a multivariable problem and is asked to a fifth grade student. Presently, I can only suggest to look for a combination of counts for each scoring object which works, and I'm not sure yet if there is only one answer, or more than one answer. Is your child in fact studying some algebra? Are any relationships among the scoring objects also given?

[ ]*5+[ ]*13+[ ]*9+[ ]*3=118
What whole numbers can be fit into each pair of square brackets?
Note that you cannot allow more than 9 bugs because 9*13=117 and therefore any further single point scoring object will make the score exceed 118.

[jgpix]

I forgot to include one critical piece of this problem:

She smashes 26 items.

What combination of items does she need in order to break the high score?

[maggiemagnet]

I forgot to include one critical piece of this problem:

She smashes 26 items.

That's a fairly important piece of info! We still don't know if she's looking for exactly 118 points, or if she just needs any combo that clears that score. If the second way, then there's loads of ways. 26*5 = 130 is more, so 26*13 and 26*9 are enough too. So is 20*3+6*13. So there's lots of ways to answer this.

[jgpix]

Well here is the real question here: is there a formula or equation you can plug these numbers into, or is it just a matter of trial and error until you get it?