Strategies

(A) Paul's Wheel of Reasoning

Source: https://www.criticalthinking.org/ctmodel/logic-model1.htm#

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(B) Polya's 4 Principles of Problem Solving 
Link: https://math.berkeley.edu/~gmelvin/polya.pdf


Step 1: Understand the problem

• Do you understand all the words used in stating the problem?
• What are you asked to find or show?
• Can you restate the problem in your own words?
• Can you think of a picture or diagram that might help you understand the problem?
• Is there enough information to enable you to find a solution?

Step 2: Devise a plan
A partial list of strategies

• Guess and check
• Look for a pattern
• Make an orderly list
• Draw a picture
• Eliminate possibilities
• Solve a simpler problem
• Use symmetry
• Use a model
• Consider special cases
• Work backwards
• Use direct reasoning
• Use a formula
• Solve an equation
• Be ingenious

Step 3: Carry out the plan

Step 4: Look back

• To reflect and look back at what you have done, what worked, and what didn’t.
• Doing this will enable you to predict what strategy to use to solve future problems.

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