Problem-solving and modelling

task planning workbook

Essential Mathematics
July 2020

200528
 © State of Queensland (QCAA) 2020
Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 | Copyright notice: www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/copyright —
lists the full terms and conditions, which specify certain exceptions to the licence. |
Attribution: ‘© State of Queensland (QCAA) 2020’ — please include the link to our copyright notice.

Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority

PO Box 307 Spring Hill QLD 4004 Australia
154 Melbourne Street, South Brisbane
Phone: (07) 3864 0299
Email: office@qcaa.qld.edu.au
Website: www.qcaa.qld.edu.au
Contents
How to use this workbook __________________________________ 1
Before you begin, make a plan ______________________________ 2

An approach to problem-solving and mathematical modelling ____ 3

Stage 1: Formulate ________________________________________ 4

Stage 2: Solve ____________________________________________ 5

Stage 3: Evaluate and verify_________________________________ 7

Stage 4: Communicate _____________________________________ 8

Pre-submission checklist __________________________________ 10

Glossary ________________________________________________ 11
 How to use this workbook
To complete a Problem-solving and modelling task, you need to:
• engage with the learning experiences presented by your classroom teacher (e.g. practice
questions, online tutorials, videos and worked examples)
• connect with your teacher to discuss questions and clarify learning experiences
• use the instrument-specific standards and any teacher feedback you may have received to
determine if you are on the right track
• make sure you know the dates for checkpoints and how you are going to provide the required
evidence of your progress to your teacher.
This workbook provides a framework for you to organise your thoughts and plan your time.
You will start by planning what you need to do in order to meet your checkpoints and submit your
task on time. You will use an approach to problem-solving and mathematical modelling to
organise your thoughts. The workbook takes you through a series of prompting questions to help
you understand the problem, how to solve it, how to evaluate your solution and how to
successfully communicate what you have done. Finally, you will use the pre-submission checklist
to make sure you have covered all aspects of the task.

Problem-solving and modelling task planning workbook Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
Essential Mathematics July 2020
Page 1 of 11
 Before you begin, make a plan
To complete any project, making a plan that includes milestones will help you to manage your
time and stay on track. List what you need to do and when you need to do it by (including the
checkpoints set by your teacher). Make sure the tasks you list are specific and actionable.
Use the flowchart on the next page to help you think about this.

Timeframe Milestone 
Issue date: Task issued
___________

Week 1
Complete by:
___________

Week 2
Complete by:
___________

Week 3
Complete by:
___________

Week 4
Complete by:
___________

Submission Submit completed task

date:
___________

Problem-solving and modelling task planning workbook Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
Essential Mathematics July 2020
Page 2 of 11
 An approach to problem-solving and
mathematical modelling
Once you understand what the problem is asking, design a plan to solve the
problem. Translate the problem into a mathematically purposeful
representation by first determining the applicable mathematical and/or
statistical principles, concepts, techniques and technology that are required to
make progress with the problem. Identify and document appropriate
assumptions, variables and observations, based on the logic of your proposed
solution and/or model.
In mathematical modelling, formulating a model involves the process of
mathematisation — moving from the real world to the mathematical world.

Select and apply mathematical and/or statistical procedures, concepts and

techniques previously learnt to solve the mathematical problem to be
addressed through your model. Possible approaches are wide-ranging and
include synthesising and refining existing models, and generating and testing
hypotheses with primary or secondary data and information, as well as using
standard mathematical techniques to produce a valid solution.
Solutions can be found using algebraic, graphic, arithmetic and/or numeric
methods, with and/or without technology.

Once you have described a possible solution, consider the reasonableness of

your solution and/or the utility of the model in terms of the problem. Evaluate
your results and make a judgment about your solution/s to the problem in
relation to the original issue, statement or question.
Explore the strengths and limitations of your solution and/or model. Where
necessary, go back through the process to further refine your solution and/or
model. In mathematical modelling, you must check that the output of your
model provides a valid solution to the real-world problem it has been designed
to address.
This stage emphasises the importance of methodological rigour, and that
problem-solving and mathematical modelling is not usually linear and involves
an iterative process.

The development of solutions and models to abstract and real-world problems

must be capable of being evaluated and used by others and so need to be
communicated clearly and fully.
Communicate your findings systematically and concisely using mathematical,
statistical and everyday language. Draw conclusions, discussing the key
results and the strengths and limitations of the solution and/or model. Where
appropriate, offer further explanation, justification and/or recommendations
framed in the context of the initial problem.

Problem-solving and modelling task planning workbook Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
Essential Mathematics July 2020
Page 3 of 11
 Stage 1: Formulate
Prompting questions Your answers
What is the problem
asking you to do?

What observations
(information/data) do
you need?
Where are you going to
find these?

What sub-topics and/or

subject matter from the
syllabus will you use to
solve the problem?

What assumptions do
you need to make?
What are some good
reasons for these
assumptions?

How will you use

technology to develop
your solution?

Problem-solving and modelling task planning workbook Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
Essential Mathematics July 2020
Page 4 of 11
 Stage 2: Solve
Prompting questions Your answers
What calculations and
other mathematical
procedures do you need
to do?
e.g. drawing and/or data
display constructions
You might like to
complete some of them
in this space.

Problem-solving and modelling task planning workbook Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
Essential Mathematics July 2020
Page 5 of 11
 Prompting questions Your answers
What is your solution to
the problem?

Have you checked your

calculations and other
working are accurate?
You might like to
complete some of them
in this space.

Have you used both

simple and complex
subject matter to solve
the problem?

Problem-solving and modelling task planning workbook Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
Essential Mathematics July 2020
Page 6 of 11
 Stage 3: Evaluate and verify
Prompting questions Your answers
What was the original
issue, statement or
question on the
assessment task sheet?
Does your solution
address all aspects of
the task?

How do you know if your

solution is reasonable?
(i.e. does it make
sense?)
How have the
assumptions and
observations that you
used affected your
results?

Thinking about your

assumptions and
observations, what are
the:
• strengths (useful
features) of your
solution and/or model?
(Why?)
• limitations
(weaknesses) of your
solution and/or model?
(Why?)

Could your solution

and/or model be
improved?
If so, how (think about
the limitations)?

Problem-solving and modelling task planning workbook Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
Essential Mathematics July 2020
Page 7 of 11
 Stage 4: Communicate
Prompting questions Your answers

How will you structure

your response and
communicate your
findings?
You might like to use this
space to plan and outline
your response.

Problem-solving and modelling task planning workbook Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
Essential Mathematics July 2020
Page 8 of 11
 Prompting questions Your answers
What resources did you
use?
Where did you source
your data and any other
information
(observations) for your
task?
You might like to keep a
record of resources and
sources here and use it
to create a reference list.

Problem-solving and modelling task planning workbook Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
Essential Mathematics July 2020
Page 9 of 11
 Pre-submission checklist
Prompting questions 

Is your response written in the correct format?

Have you acted on feedback?

Have you described the task in your own words?

Is your writing clear, with correct spelling and grammar?

Have you communicated your solution and working clearly?

Have you included an introduction and conclusion?

Is the body of your response organised logically?

Have you used headings, or can your response be easily understood without them?
Have you included any necessary appendices (e.g. raw data, repeated calculations or other
notes)?
Is your response within the word and page limits?

Have you used correct mathematical terminology?

Have you used mathematical conventions correctly?

If you have used diagrams, have you referred to them in the text?

If you have used diagrams, have you described how they support your conclusions?

Have you correctly referenced any sources, information and data?

Problem-solving and modelling task planning workbook Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
Essential Mathematics July 2020
Page 10 of 11
 Glossary
Term Explanation
accurate precise and exact; to the point; consistent with or exactly conforming to a
truth, standard, rule, model, convention or known fact; free from error or
defect; meticulous; correct in all details
appropriate acceptable; suitable or fitting for a particular purpose, circumstance, context,
etc.
assumptions conditions that are stated to be true when beginning to solve a problem

concise expressing much in few words; giving a lot of information clearly and in a few
words; brief, comprehensive and to the point; succinct, clear, without
repetition of information
convention the generally agreed upon way in which something is done; in a mathematical
context this refers to notation, symbols, abbreviations, usage and setting out
document support (e.g. an assertion, claim, statement) with evidence (e.g. decisive
information, written references, citations)
evaluate make an appraisal by weighing up or assessing strengths, implications and
limitations; make judgments about ideas, works, solutions or methods in
relation to selected criteria; examine and determine the merit, value or
significance of something, based on criteria
limitations in mathematics, aspects or features of the solution and/or model that limit its
usefulness; weaknesses
model any depiction of a situation expressing a relationship between ideas in
mathematical terms
observation data or information required to solve a mathematical problem and/or develop
a mathematical model; empirical evidence
reasonableness of to justify solutions obtained with or without technology using everyday
solutions language, mathematical language or a combination of both; may be applied to
calculations to check working or to questions that require a relationship back
to the context
solution the result of a mathematical process undertaken to answer or resolve a
problem
statement a sentence or assertion

strengths in mathematics, aspects or features of the solution and/or model that make it
useful
technology digital technologies that go beyond simple computation or word processing

valid sound, just or well-founded; authoritative; having a sound basis in logic or fact
(of an argument or point); reasonable or cogent; able to be supported;
legitimate and defensible; applicable

Problem-solving and modelling task planning workbook Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
Essential Mathematics July 2020
Page 11 of 11