St. Paul University Iloilo
(St. Paul University System)
COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCES AND EDUCATION
General Luna Street, Iloilo City
Mathematics in the Modern World (GEC 3)
Chapter III: PROBLEM SOLVING AND REASONING
Name: __Hanna Carmela C. Desiderio____________________ Score: ______________________________
Course, Year & Section: ________BSOT - 1________________ Date: _______________________________
Performance Task
Direction: Answer the question below. Your response will be graded based on the attached rubric.
“Think of any problem that you have experienced in your life may it be in family, career or self. Explain how
you were able to overcome such problem using Polya’s Four-step Process of Problem Solving.”
Let’s consider a common family problem: Scheduling a Family Dinner where all members can attend. We’ll use
Polya’s four steps of problem-solving:
Understanding the Problem
The family has five members: two working parents, two children who are currently enrolled in college, and one
member who is still in high school. It is challenging to find a time that works for everyone in the family to sit down
together for dinner because everyone's schedules and obligations are different.
Devising a Plan
The plan could involve collecting everyone's schedules and determining the times of day when there are common
gaps in activity. Because of schedule conflicts caused by work and school, the family may want to think about having
dinner on the weekend rather than during the week.
Carrying Out the Plan
The parents may wish to establish a communal online calendar into which all family members may enter their
respective plans. After all of the schedules have been entered, they will be able to search for a common window of
unoccupied time. They could suggest having the dinner the following weekend if there isn't a time that works for
everyone during the weekdays.
Looking Back
Following dinner, the family will have an opportunity to discuss this procedure. The time that was chosen, did
everyone find it to be a good one? Did everybody have a good time at the dinner? As a result of this introspection,
they will be able to make the appropriate adjustments for upcoming family dinners.
Always keep in mind that honest communication and adaptability are the keys to successful problem-solving. If it
means spending more quality time together as a family, everyone should be willing to make some minor adjustments
to their schedules.
