APSMO’s popular Problem of the Week on our Facebook page will be incorporated into the new APSMO website as an additional resource for teachers and parents.

Posted on Facebook by Dr Heather McMaster for some time, the Problem of the Week focuses on the application of problem solving strategies in the real-world. From estimating how long her hair will grow during the COVID lockdown, through to calculating the height of a Norfolk Pine or the fastest 100m runner in recent Olympic history, Dr McMaster’s problems are a fun way to incorporate problem solving in the classroom day to day.

“I started posting the Problems of the Week as a way of keeping in touch with APSMO’s Facebook community. My aim was to encourage discussion and to get students (and parents and teachers) to think about how they can use mathematics to solve real world questions. Now, I find myself looking at the world through the lens of problem-solving… whether I am on the farm, at a café, or on the road, I am constantly thinking about what would make a good Problem of the Week!” said Dr McMaster.

With the launch of our new website at the end of 2021, Dr McMaster’s problems and their solutions will be incorporated into a special section of the site and can be used as an additional resource by teachers and parents in the classroom or at home.

We hope that you find them interesting!