Lesson 9 — Activity 2: Interpreting Visuals and Identifying Key Words


Getting Ready



Step 1: Understand the Problem


As you learned in the previous activity, the first step to solving a math word problem is to understand the problem.


Two strategies that can be used to do this are interpreting visuals and identifying keywords. You will look more closely at these two strategies in this activity.


Interpreting Visuals



Pictures, charts, tables, and graphs are visual clues that can be used to help solve word problems.


To use these clues:


  • Read the title of the visual.
  • Read axis titles, column headings, and subheadings.
  • Read the print under, beside, or above visuals.
  • Compare and analyze pictures, bars, lines, or markers.
  • Find trends or patterns.
  • Discuss the information with classmates or others.
  • Ask questions.
  • Reread to connect the information in word problems to the information in visuals.


Examples of visuals:

Pictures:

Images may accompany the text of a word problem.
Dinosaurs once roamed the Earth. Many were plant eaters.
Charts
Flower Pot Colour

Number of Flowers Growing

Red
8

Green

3

Yellow

6

Purple

5


Graphs
Height of Students (in cm):
160
   
120

   
80

   
40

   
0

   
 
Paul

Carlos

Julie



Identifying Keywords


Keywords are also called clue words and offer valuable hints to help solve word problems.

To use keywords:
  • Read over the problem several times.
  • Identify and underline the keywords.
  • Determine their meanings.


Keywords often provide clues about which math operation to use. When you are solving word problems, use the chart below to help you figure out the math operation to use.

       

Chart of Keywords

Images courtesy of www.imagesgoogle.com and K&E Studio


Go to the next page to try a Self-check Activity on identifying keywords in word problems.