Word problems

Question

Miss Peters had 21 pencils to give her students. She bought 35 more pencils. How many does she have now

Answer 1

If she gave away 21 pencils and bought 35, she now has 35.

 

If she bought 35 pencils and added them to 21 pencils, she had 56 pencils--did she give them all away, or did she give one to each student? 

 

How many she has now depends on how many students she had, and when she gave pencils away, and how many to each student, etc.

 

So you see that a little more information ought to have been given in order for us to answer precisely.

 

This ought to make for an intersecting debate with the class. It might give everyone an appreciation of exactness anbd completeness in asking questions.