Grade 6

by Jill Safro

NEW YORK • TORONTO • LONDON • AUCKLAND • SYDNEY

MEXICO CITY • NEW DELHI • HONG KONG • BUENOS AIRES

© Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources Math Word Problems Made Easy: Grade 6
Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the activity sheets from this book for classroom use. No other part of this
publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information
regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

Cover design by Maria Lilja

Interior design by Holly Grundon
Interior illustrations by Mike Moran

ISBN 0-439-52974-3
Copyright © 2005 by Jill Safro
All rights reserved.
Printed in the U.S.A.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 40 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05

Math Word Problems Made Easy: Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 C o n t e n ts

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The Fantastic Five-Step Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

The Amazing Eight Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

1 Choose an Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2 Guess and Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3 Draw a Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4 Make a List, Table, or Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
5 Identify Too Much or Too Little Information . . . . . . . . . . 18
6 Find a Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
7 Use Logical Reasoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
8 Work Backward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

The Happy Hundred Word Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Number and Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Algebra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Geometry and Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Probability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Reasoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

© Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources Math Word Problems Made Easy: Grade 6
 I n t ro d u c t i o n
hen it comes to ranking math skills, problem solving is on
W top of the list. Literally. It’s number one on the process
standards listed in the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics
(NCTM, 2000). According to the National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics (NCTM), “Problem-solving should be the central focus
of all mathematics instruction and an integral part of all mathematical
activity.” In other words, problem solving is what math is all about.
When learning to read, we learn to recognize the letters of the
alphabet, we practice letter–sound relationships, and we learn
punctuation. But the goal is to eventually read text. The same goes
for math. We learn how to recognize and write numerals, decipher
symbols, determine numerical order, and work with operations like
addition and subtraction. But what matters most is what we can
do with these skills—applying what we know to solve problems in
daily life.
Math Word Problems Made Easy: Grade 6 is designed to help you
help students sharpen their problem-solving abilities (and share a
chuckle or two along the way). This book is divided into three main
sections to help you:

The Fantastic Five-Step Process

he first section describes a simple five-step problem-solving
T process and an introductory lesson you can share with your
students. This process can be used with every math word problem
they might encounter. This is a valuable concept to introduce at
the beginning of the year and practice with students so that they
will have an approach they can rely on as they encounter various
types of problems throughout the year.

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

4 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
The Amazing Eight Strategies
ection two takes a look at the different types of problems
S students might encounter and describes eight strategies to
consider when solving them. We discuss each strategy and provide
sample problems (and solutions) so students can practice and
master the strategy. You may want to introduce a new strategy every
week, so that students will be thoroughly familiar with all the basic
strategies and have had practice with them by the end of the second
month of the school year.

The Happy Hundred Word Problems

ere you’ll find 100 word problems that focus on math
H concepts specific to sixth grade. They’re all written so
students will find them interesting and fun.
The problems are arranged by mathematical standards. There
are sections for Number and Operations, Algebra, Geometry,
Measurement, Probability, and Reasoning. The problems are
printed two to a page, leaving plenty of room for students to show
their thinking. Use the problems to introduce concepts, practice
strategies, or as an end point to check for understanding.

earning a consistent problem-solving approach, becoming

L familiar with and practicing effective problem-solving
strategies, and applying these ideas in word-problem contexts
help students become more effective problem solvers and
mathematicians. And with Math Word Problems Made Easy:
Grade 6, they just might enjoy themselves while doing so.

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

Grade 6 5
© Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 The Fantastic
Five-Step Process
hat do you do when you first encounter a math word problem?
W This is what we need to help students deal with. We need to
help them develop a process that they can use effectively to solve any
type of math word problem. The Five-Step Process will help students
organize their interpretation of and thinking about word problems.
The best way to help students understand the process is to
demonstrate how to use it as you work through a problem on the board
or overhead. Make a copy of the graphic organizer below. You can blow
this up into a poster or provide each student with his or her own copy
to refer back to as you bring students through this introductory lesson.
What can we
ELIMINATE?

LVE
Y and SO
ION?
s the

STRATEG se a
QUEST
What i

Choo
e
t a TS?
e th

W FAC

r
r

swe
an SE?
ha

he N
es t SE
E
Do AK
M

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

6 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
Step 1: What Do We Know?
Begin by writing this problem on the board or overhead.

Every year, Wienerville, Wisconsin, has a hot dog-eating

contest. This year, there were four contestants. Little
Frankie Footer ate 58 dogs. His brother Benny ate
3 times as many. Their friend, Phyllis, ate 180. Her
brother Doug didn’t eat any. Benny says he won the
contest. Did he? How many dogs did he devour?

Read the problem carefully. What are the facts? Have students
volunteer these orally. Write them on the board.

Frankie Footer ate 58 hot dogs.

Benny ate 3 times as many as Frankie.
Phyllis ate 180 hot dogs.
Doug didn’t eat any.

Encourage students to write down the facts. This will help them focus
on what is important while looking for ways to put it in a more accessible
form. Can we arrange the facts in a way that will help us understand the
problem situation? For instance, maybe it would be helpful to draw what
we know, or put it in a list, or make a table. Sometimes it’s helpful to
arrange numbers from lower to higher or higher to lower, especially if we
are asked to compare.

Step 2: What Do We Want to Know?

What is the question in the problem? What are we trying to find out? It
is a good idea to have students state the question and also determine how
the answer will be labeled. For example, if the answer is 180, then 180
what? 180 pumpkins? 180 fish? In this case, it’s hot dogs.

We want to know two things:

1. Did Benny win the contest?
2. How many hot dogs did Benny eat?

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

Grade 6 7
© Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Step 3: What Can We Eliminate?
Once we know what we’re trying to find out, we can decide what is
unimportant. You may need all of the information, but usually there
is some extra information that can be put aside.

We can eliminate the fact that Doug didn’t eat any

hot dogs. Obviously he didn’t win the contest.

Step 4: Choose a Strategy

or Action and Solve
Is there an action in the story (for example, something being taken away or
shared) that will help decide on an operation or a way to solve the problem?

Since we know that Benny ate 3 times as many as

Frankie, we need to multiply Frankie’s total (58) by 3:

58 x 3 = 174

Benny ate 174 hot dogs! That’s less than Phyllis’s 180.
He lost the contest, because 180 is a greater number
than 174.

Step 5: Does My Answer Make Sense?

Reread the problem. Look at the answer. Is it reasonable? Is it a sensible
answer given what we know?

It makes sense. 180 is higher than 174, and 174 is

higher than 58. If the product was lower than 58,
that would be a problem because the product of two
positive numbers cannot be lower than the multiplicand.

Try a few different word problems using this “talk through” format with
students. You can use sample problems from this book. Ask students to
take a stab at the problem themselves first, and then do the step-by-step
process together. Practicing the process in this way helps make it a part of
a student’s way of thinking mathematically.

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

8 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 The
A mazing E ight
Strategies

W hile we should
encourage the use of the
Five-Step Process to approach
Tip
any problem, Step 4 (Choose a As students learn about and practice
Strategy or Action and Solve) using these strategies to solve
problems, ask them to create their own
includes a wide range of choices.
word problems. You can list the math
Some common strategies that concepts you want them to use in the
are helpful to teach and practice problems (such as multiplication or
are listed on the next few pages, fractions) and even the strategy that
along with sample problems. must be used to solve it. Students use
Students should have experience these parameters to create their own
with all of the strategies. The problems, which they can share and try
out with one another. As students
more practice they have, the
begin to play with these elements, their
easier it is for them to choose a knowledge of how problems work
strategy that fits the problem grows, as does their confidence when
and helps deliver an answer. encountering new problems.

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

Grade 6 9
© Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Strategy 1:

C hoose an O peration

E ven the most straightforward problem

requires a mathematical operation to solve it.
The question is, which one? After examining the
information presented in a problem, students must
decide which operation (addition, subtraction, Choose an operation
multiplication, or division) they should use to solve it.
Instruct them to read the problem and look for key
words and phrases, such as “all together” or “more than” that may help move them
in the right direction when choosing an operation. Then have them write an actual
equation and solve.
Sa m ple P rob lem

Uncle Otto ate a whole pumpkin pie in 21 minutes flat. Cousin

1
Orville ate a whole pie in — of that time. How long did it take
3
Orville to eat the pie?

Solution

1
Otto ate the pie in 21 minutes. Orville’s time was — of
3
that. One operation we could use to figure out Orville’s time

is division. With the information in the problem, we can

create an equation:
21 ÷ 3 = ?
Answer: It took Orville 7 minutes to eat the whole pie.

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

10 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 9 + 7 = 16 + 4 = 20 – 7 = 13
Sa m ple P rob lems

1. Omar found 56 cents under a couch cushion! He lost half through a hole in
his pocket. How much did Omar lose?

2. Villesville, Virginia, was founded on November 18, 2004. In what year will it
celebrate its bicentennial (that’s its 200th birthday!)?

1
3. Speedy Spotty can run a mile in 33 minutes. Fiesty Fido can do it in — the
3
time. How long does it take Fido to finish a mile-long run?

4. The Micro Motel is the tallest tower in Tiny Town. It’s 10 times taller than
Tony’s Tiny Trumpet Store. Tony’s store is 2 inches tall. How tall is the Micro
Motel?

A nsw e rs
1. 28 cents (subtraction) 3. 11 minutes (division)
2. 2204 (addition) 4. 20 inches tall (multiplication)

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

Grade 6 11
© Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Strategy 2:

G uess & C heck

I f you’re not sure how to tackle a word problem,
begin with a reasonable guess to get you started.
Urge students to apply their estimation skills. This is the
key to making a “reasonable” guess. Even just this first
step is worth practicing. Then when a first attempted
answer is arrived at, consider whether the answer is
reasonable, too high, or too low. This is the “check” part guess & check
of Guess and Check.
After considering the answer, have students decide if
they need to revise and if so, how. Would a higher answer make sense? A lower answer? Try
the following problem on the board and think aloud through the steps. Discuss the problem
with students as you decide on your first attempt. Explain why you chose that number and
how you are examining the number to determine if it is reasonable. Talk about how you are
adjusting your initial attempt and why.

Sa m ple P rob lem

Penelope Pig is eating her way through Cooter’s Candy-Coated Bugs Shop.
When she got there, there were two $5.25 chocolate-covered centipedes
on the display shelf. There were also ten $2 caramel-coated spiders and six
$1.50 cockroaches dipped in white chocolate. Penelope eats all but 3 of
the candy-coated bugs. The 3 bugs are worth $8.25. What’s left?

Solution
According to the problem, Penelope ate all but $8.25 worth of bugs and
only 3 bugs were left.
Let’s say one of each kind of bug is left: $5.25 + $2 + 1.50 = $8.75.
The sum is too high! It seems reasonable that one of the bugs left is the
centipede ($5.25) because its price will get us close to the desired total.
We know that the other two bugs must be the same kind. What would give
us the difference between the $8.25 total and the $5.25 centipede?
Let’s try the cockroaches: $5.25 + $1.50 + $1.50 = $8.25 The answer
checks out. Penelope did not eat 1 centipede and 2 cockroaches.

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

12 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
© Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Strategy 3:

D raw a P icture

D rawing a picture can help answer the question,

“What do we know?” Sometimes words do not
easily convey the facts. Sometimes they can even
confuse. By having students draw what they know,
the problem can become clearer, the facts more easily
manipulated, and relationships more quickly
discovered.
When students use drawings or diagrams to help draw a picture
solve problems, remind them to use simple symbols to
represent elements in a problem, such as stick figures for
people. Unnecessary details or coloring should be left out.

Sa m ple P rob lem

If there’s one thing the Frost family enjoys, it’s building snowmen.
Today, they built 12! They put black hats on half of the snowmen.
One third of the snowmen got red hats. After that, the Frosts ran
out of hats. So the rest are wearing wigs. How many snowmen are
wearing wigs?

Solution

Answer: 2 snowmen are wearing wigs

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

14 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 9 + 7 = 16 + 4 = 20 – 7 = 13
Sa m ple P rob lems

1. Randy the roofer finished 6 roofs today. Unfortunately, he was hired to do

14! Half of the unfinished roofs are covered in blue plastic. One-fourth of
the unfinished roofs are covered in red plastic. And the rest are covered in
polka-dotted plastic. How many roofs are covered with polka dots?

2. Carrie’s head is full of curlers. There are 16 in all. One-fourth of the curlers
are pink. There are twice as many green curlers as pink ones. The rest are
soda cans. How many cans are on Carrie’s head?

1
3. Morey mowed half of Mickey’s lawn. Matty mowed — as much as Morey
4
did. Midge mowed twice as much as Matty. How much of Mickey’s lawn has
not been mowed?

4. Mr. Mozzarella’s sixth-grade class is having a pizza party! Half of the pie is
covered with peanuts. One-third of the pie has pecans. The rest has
pistachios. How much of the pie has pistachios?

A nsw e rs
1
1. 2 roofs 3. —
8
of the lawn is unmowed
1
2. 4 cans 4. —
6
of the pie has pistachios

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

Grade 6 15
© Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Strategy 4:

Make a L ist,
Table, or Chart
T his strategy helps us identify and organize
what we know. For example, in problems
where combinations must be determined, listing all
possible combinations is essential to see if students
have considered all the possibilities. Setting up
tables or charts can also help reveal patterns or
relationships that may exist in sets of data.

make a list, table, or chart

Sa m ple P rob lem

Peter Pumpernickel is hosting a party to celebrate Sandwich

Appreciation Month. The cold-cut platter includes salami, bologna,
and pastrami. How many kinds of sandwiches can Peter’s guests
make?

Solution

To solve this problem, 4. salami and bologna

students should make a
5. salami and pastrami
systematic list to keep
track of all the possible 6. salami, bologna, and
combinations: pastrami

1. salami 7. bologna and pastrami

2. bologna Answer: 7 possible cold-cut

combos
3. pastrami

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

16 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 9 + 7 = 16 + 4 = 20 – 7 = 13
Sa m ple P rob lems

1. Crafty Carla is dressing a scarecrow for her garden. She has 4 shirts (brown,
green, blue, and pink), 2 kinds of pants (red velvet sweatpants and orange
velvet sweatpants), and 3 hats (a baseball cap, a top hat, and a ski cap).
How many different outfits can she make for the scarecrow?

2. Darius the doorman needs a new look. He has 4 hats (a beret, a captain’s
hat, a Statue of Liberty hat, and mouse ears). He has 3 types of shoes
(slippers, flip-flops, and tap shoes). How many combinations of one hat
and one type of shoes can he make?

3. The 6 members of the Beverly Hills Sandwich Appreciation Club are having a
meeting. Each member will serve a sandwich to every other member of the
club (but not themselves). How many sandwiches will be served at the
meeting?

4. Holly, Carlyle, Sarah Jane, and Bryan are competing in the Fourth Annual
One-Legged Race! They’re now on the last leg of the race. How many
different ways could they finish?

A nsw e rs
1. 24 outfits 3. 30 sandwiches
2. 12 combinations 4. 24 ways

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

Grade 6 17
© Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Strategy 5:

Identify T oo Much
or Too L ittle
I nformation
I n the real world, we sometimes encounter situations
in which we have too much or too little information
to solve a problem. The same goes in the math world.
Often, word problems contain information that isn’t
needed to find the solutions. In this case, it’s best to read
the question carefully, then go back and focus on the
numbers and facts needed to answer the question. Identify too much or
Suggest that students cross out any irrelevant facts and too little Information
numbers to simplify the word problem, if necessary.
Other times, a problem may be missing key bits of information necessary to solve the
problem. While such problems rarely appear on standardized tests, it’s good practice for
students to learn to identify what information they would need to solve such a problem.

Sa m ple P rob lem

Doogie McDougal is whipping up 72 different snacks for his

1
12th annual Blooper Bowl bash. He invited 138 guests—but only — 6
are coming. That doesn’t bother Doogie. He still makes 100 bowls
of nacho dip. He makes twice as many bowls of chili. How many
guests are coming to the party?

Solution
There is more information than we need to solve this problem.
The question is how many guests are coming to Doogie’s
1
party. To figure this, we divide 138 by 6 (since — of the
6
invited guests plan to attend). Answer: 23

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

18 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 9 + 7 = 16 + 4 = 20 – 7 = 13
Sa m ple P rob lems

1. Darla won the dance marathon! She danced 3 hours longer than Danny.
Danny danced 5 hours longer than Daryl. And Daryl danced 5 minutes more
than Myrtle. Is there enough information to figure out how long Darla
danced? Explain.

2. Horace bought 70 souvenirs at Stanley’s Souvenir Shack at 1:15 P.M.

Each souvenir cost $1.30 and weighed 17 pounds. He put $3.90 worth
of souvenirs in his backpack and $6.50 worth in his briefcase. He put the
rest in a wagon at 3:20 P.M. How much did Horace spend on souvenirs
at Stanley’s?

3. Patty Peters has two pools filled with prune juice. Pool One has 573 more
gallons of juice than Pool Two. What information do you need to figure out
how much prune juice Patty has in both pools?

4. It’s feeding time at the Zanyville Zoo. That means its 10:12 in the morning!
The zookeeper gives 600 candy apples to the 72 kangaroos. That takes 20
minutes. He throws 16 pecan pies to the 27 porcupines. That takes 15
minutes. Finally, he gives 837 peanut-butter sandwiches to 200 polar bears.
That takes a total of 18 minutes. At what time does the zookeeper finish
feeding these Zanyville Zoo residents?

A nsw e rs
1. No; we need to know how 3. How much juice is in Pool Two?
long Myrtle danced. 4. 11:05 A.M.
2. $91

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

Grade 6 19
© Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Strategy 6:

Find a P attern

U sing lists and drawing pictures can help reveal

patterns that may exist within the information
a problem supplies. To discover patterns, ask: What
relationships do you see between the numbers in the
problem? How far apart are the numbers from each
other? Do they increase or decrease by certain
amounts in certain ways? Remind students that
asking these questions will often lead to a good find a pattern
solution. [ART:
STRATEGY SYMBOL]

Sa m ple P rob lem

Rusty spent $10 to mail a 10-pound watermelon to his Uncle

Louie in Louisville. Rusty’s brother Bucky spent $12 to send a
12-pound watermelon. It cost their sister Cindy $14 to send Uncle
Louie a 14-pound watermelon. How much did sister Samantha
spend to send a 20-pounder to Uncle Louie? Answers

Solution

Notice how the dollar amounts in this problem match the

weights of the watermelons mailed. The pattern shows that
it costs a dollar for every pound of watermelon mailed. We
can surmise that a 20-pound watermelon would cost $20.
Answer: $20

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

20 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 9 + 7 = 16 + 4 = 20 – 7 = 13
Sa m ple P rob lems

1. Tony the tap dancer practices 20 minutes every Monday. On Tuesdays, he

practices tapping for 30 minutes. On Wednesdays, Tony taps for 40
minutes. If he continues this pattern, how long does Tony tap on Saturdays?

2. Gross Gus is so gross! He just burped, burped, sneezed, burped, burped,

and sneezed. Then he burped, burped, sneezed, burped, burped, sneezed,
and burped? If the pattern continues, what will he do next?

3. Chef Jeff is making a very special lasagna. The bottom layer is peanut butter.
The next layer is cream cheese. Next comes a layer of jellybeans, followed
by peanut butter, then cream cheese, then jellybeans. What is the next layer
made of?

4. Pink, pink, purple, green, stripes, stripes, stripes. Pink, pink, purple, green,
stripes, stripes, stripes, pink, pink, purple . . . What comes next?

A nsw e rs
1. 70 minutes 3. Peanut butter
2. Burp 4. Green

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

Grade 6 21
© Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Strategy 7:

Use L ogical
R easoning
L ogical reasoning is a way to help students
organize data and use the process of
elimination to solve problems. Logic boxes and logic
lines (see page 80) are helpful tools for organizing
facts and using the process of elimination.
use logical reasoning

Sa m ple P rob lem 1

Skippy, Steve, and Stanley Solution

are on their way to a family
reunion. One is traveling by From the clues, we know that Steve Blimp
Pogo
Balloon
Stick
hot-air balloon, another by won’t travel by blimp. Put an X in the
blimp, and the third by pogo logic box next to Steve under Blimp. Steve ✗ ✓ ✗
stick. Who’s on the pogo Stanley is afraid of pogo sticks so put Stanley ✓ ✗ ✗
stick? Use these clues to an X next to Stanley under Pogo Stick.
Skippy ✗ ✗ ✓
figure it out: Skippy loves balloons so put a check
• Steve is afraid of blimps. next to Skippy under Balloon, and X
• Stanley is afraid of pogo out Pogo Stick and Blimp. X out the rest of the Balloon
sticks. column. If Steve isn’t in the balloon or blimp, he must be
• Skippy loves balloons. on the pogo stick. Answer: Steve is on the pogo stick.

Sa m ple P rob lem 2

The airplane was invented after Solution

the telephone and peanut
butter. George Washington To solve, draw a logic line. We know that peanut butter
Carver invented peanut butter goes to the left of the airplane and that the telephone
after Alexander Graham Bell goes to the left of peanut butter. Answer: The telephone
gave us the telephone. Which was the first to be invented of the three.
invention came first?
First Last

telephone peanut airplane

butter

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

22 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 9 + 7 = 16 + 4 = 20 – 7 = 13
Sa m ple P rob lems

1. Ignacious Whistlewhite invented an electric pinwheel (no wind necessary!).

He invented it before he invented the glow-in-the-dark frying pan, but after
the edible wallpaper. He invented an underwater television after the edible
wallpaper, but before the electric pinwheel. What did he invent first? Use a
logic line to find out.

2. Troy, Trevor, and Trina are the Trippety triplets. They’re also super athletes.
One is a world-class swimmer. Another is a medal-winning bicyclist. The
third is a top tennis player. Who is the bike champ? Use the clues and a
logic box to find out.
• Trina needs a partner to play.
• Trevor is afraid of water.

3. There are four U.S. states that have names starting with the letter “A.”
Arkansas has more residents than Alaska, but fewer than Arizona. Alabama
has fewer residents than Arizona, but more than Arkansas. Which of the “A”
states has the greatest population?

4. Zach, Zeke, Jere, and Jerry brought their pet cat, fish, dog, and snake to the vet
for a checkup. But the vet’s brand-new assistant mixed up all the animals. Use
the clues and a logic box to help her figure out which pet belongs to who:
• Zeke is allergic to cats.
• Jere and Zeke are afraid of dogs.
• Jerry loves to watch his pet swim all day.

A nsw e rs
1. Edible wallpaper 4. Zach owns the dog, Zeke has the
2. Trevor is the bicycle champ snake, Jere gets the cat, and Jerry
owns the fish.
3. Arizona

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

Grade 6 23
© Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Strategy 8:

Work B ackward

W orking backward is a good

strategy to use when we know

Whow a problem backwards

orking
employThe
how it started.
up, butto
where webegin
ends up, but
when
don’tand
we is
trick
know
is adon’t
know
goodknow
to know
how itabout
to think
strategy to
how a problem ends
started. For example, if
Iusing
wentinverse
to the store and bought a hammer for $2.50
operations.
and the clerk gave me $2.50 change, how much
money did I give the clerk to begin with? It is still a work backward
matter
Sa of applying
m ple P robthe Five
lem Step Process and
organizing information first, but the trick here is to
know where to begin and to think about using
inverseDonovan Doogle
operations. bought
These types a bag of
of problems arepeanuts
a at the Dingaling
great Brothers
opportunityCircus.
to help He feeds
students seehalf
the the peanuts
usefulness to Elwood
of using letters orthe
symbols to
elephant. Then he gives 4 peanuts to Marvin the monkey.
represent unknown quantities. For example with the hammer problem we could think:
Donovan eats the last 3 peanuts himself. How many peanuts
I gave the clerk “x.” And since I got back $2.50 and the hammer costs $2.50 then
were in the bag to begin with?
$2.50 + $2.50 = “x.”

Solution

• To solve the problem, students can work backward. At the

problem’s end, Donovan ate 3 peanuts. Before that, he fed
Marvin 4 peanuts. That’s 3 + 4, or 7 peanuts.
• Before that, Donovan fed Elwood the elephant half of the
peanuts. He had 7 peanuts after that, so he must have had
twice as many peanuts before. That’s 7 x 2, or 14 peanuts.
Answer: The bag had 14 peanuts in all.
• Have students work forward to check the answer. See if
the problem works if Donovan began with 14 peanuts.

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

24 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 9 + 7 = 16 + 4 = 20 – 7 = 13
Sa m ple P rob lems

1. Mervin Moneybags went on a spending spree today. He spent half of his

money on a Slammy So-so baseball card. He spent $50 on a pair of
puppies. And he blew his last $25 on a broken bike. How much money did
Mervin spend today?

2. Anna finished the Walk-on-Your-Hands race in just 3 days! She walked one
mile today. Yesterday, she walked 3 times the distance she walked on the
first day. On day one, she walked 160 miles. (She spent the rest of the
week applying hand lotion.) How long was the race?

1
3. Aunt Eloise wrote all of her Happy New Year cards in one day. She wrote —
2
of them while she ate a burrito for breakfast. She finished off 43 cards
while she ate lima beans for lunch. And she did the final 57 while she
devoured a doughnut for dinner. How many cards did Aunt Eloise
write today?

4. Myron the muffin-maker made a special batch of huckleberry muffins this

morning. He sold half the batch to Rudy the roofer. Then he sold 18 muffins
to Bea the ballerina. He gave away half that amount to the Muffin Museum.
And he ate the last muffin himself. How many muffins did Myron make this
morning?

A nsw e rs
1. $150 3. 200 cards
2. 641 miles 4. 56 muffins

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

Grade 6 25
© Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 The
Happy H undred
Word P roblems

T he “Happy Hundred Word Problems” are organized by the NCTM content

standards. Within each standard section, problems are further organized and
labeled by the major math concepts typically found in sixth-grade math curriculums.
For example, Number and Operations is a large standard that includes concepts like
multiplication, division, fractions, and decimals. There are specific word problems here
for each of these concepts. The answers are provided in the answer key on pp. 77–79.
As you introduce a problem, remind students to use the Five-Step Process. Keep the graphic
organizer prominently displayed on a poster or chart, or give students a copy of their own
to refer to. On each page you will find two problems with space for students to show their
thinking. Encourage students to write down their solution process including any words,
numbers, pictures, diagrams, or tables they use. This helps students with their thinking and
understanding of the problem, while giving you more assessment information.
When assessing students’ work on word problems, two major aspects need consideration:
process and product. Observe students as they work on or discuss problems. Focus on what
they say, and whether they use manipulatives, pictures, computation on scrap paper, or
other strategies. When looking at their written products consider what skills they are
exhibiting as well as what errors or misunderstandings they may be showing. This is why
it is essential that students “show their thinking” as they solve a problem and explain
their rationale.
Finally, have fun! These problems are designed to appeal to kids’ sense of humor. Enjoy
the situations and the process. Using what they know to solve word problems gives students
a sense of mastery, accomplishment, meaning, and math power!

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

26 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 nu mb e r a n d op e rat i o ns
w h ole nu mb e r c om p u tat i o n

1 Whole Number Computation

The Bonks Zoo has a new mosquito exhibit.

They have 475 Mississippi Mud Mosquitoes
on display. That’s 5 times more than the
number of Boston Biters. How many Boston
Biters do they have?

2 Whole Number Computation

Carlos has $60 to spend at the candy

shop. He gets there at 8:50 A.M. He buys
12 gumdrops, 16 jumbo gumballs, and 6
two-pound jawbreakers. How many
pieces of candy did Carlos buy?

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 W h ole Nu mb e r C om p u tat i o n

3 Whole Number Computation

Jim Joseph Jinglehammer Smith is naming

every star in the universe! He is naming them
at a rate of 29,800 stars a year. He already has
350,000 names picked out. In how many years
will he run out of names?

4 Whole Number Computation

Hanson and Grittle left their house with a basketful

of pumpkins. To keep from getting lost, they
dropped a pumpkin every 50 feet that they traveled.
They dropped the last pumpkin at the 350-foot
mark. How many pumpkins did they drop?

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

28 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 W h ole Nu mb e r C om p u tat i o n

5 Whole Number Computation

Joanie got 732 jellybeans as a reward

for cleaning her room. She gave half to
Judy. Judy gave half of hers to Jessica.
Jessica ate 13 jellybeans. How many
does Jessica have left?

6 Whole Number Computation

Stella Steiner is having a stoop sale. She sold 6

times as many stoops from 3 to 5 P.M. as she did
from 1 to 3 P.M. From 1 to 3 P.M., she sold half as
many stoops as she sold from noon to 1 P.M.
From noon to 1 P.M., she sold 8 times as many
stoops as she sold in the morning. She sold 63
stoops this morning. How many stoops has she
sold so far today?

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 W h ole Nu mb e r C om p u tat i o n

7 Whole Number Computation

Warren Columbus sailed from

Florida to New York. He tipped
over every 255 miles. If the trip
was 975 miles, how many times
did he tip over?

8 Whole Number Computation

Rudy Rodin just finished a fabulous sculpture. In it,

1
he used — as many harmonicas as coffee cups,
8
and 1,000 times as many pairs of sunglasses as

he did coffee cups. He used 808,000 pairs of

sunglasses. How many harmonicas are in the

sculpture?

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

30 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 W h ole Nu mb e r C om p u tat i o n

9 Whole Number Computation

Hankee Stadium sells tickets one section at

a time. The left-field section holds 17,134
people. The section in right field holds
10,444 people. The upper deck fits 15,777.
The bleachers seat 12,001. And the section
behind home plate holds 11,111. The
Hankees sold exactly 37,332 tickets to
yesterday’s game. Which sections sold out?

10 Whole Number Computation

Winnie the Witch is trying out a new spell.

It calls for 33 ounces of salamander saliva.
Luckily, she has 6 jars of it. Jar A has
17 ounces, Jar B has 8 ounces, Jar C has
15 ounces, Jar D has 3 ounces, Jar E has
22 ounces, and Jar F has 27 ounces. Winnie
empties 3 jars, for a total of 33 ounces.
Which jars does she use?

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11 Whole Number Computation

Nervous Nigel woke up this morning and realized

he was going bald. That realization caused 100
hairs to fall off his head. He lost another 179 on
the drive to work. Another 232 hairs sprung off
Nigel’s head during a meeting with his boss. He
lost 78 hairs while he ate his lunch. (Nigel finds
meatloaf very stressful.) His last 37 hairs fell out
when he looked in the mirror before going to
bed. How many hairs did he start the day with?

12 Whole Number Computation

The Tooth Fairy is building a new

castle—out of teeth! She figures she’ll
need 55,000,000 teeth altogether. If she
collects 5,500,000 teeth a year, how
many years will it take to gather enough
teeth for her castle?

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

32 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 W h ole Nu mb e r C om p u tat i o n

13 Whole Number Computation

The S.S. Rustbucket is sailing from

Newark, New Jersey, to Newark,
Delaware. The crew has packed supplies
for the grueling journey. Each crew
member packed 88 chocolate bars, 72
granola bars, and 367 gumdrops. What
information do you need to figure out
how many gumdrops in all were brought
aboard the Rustbucket?

14 Whole Number Computation

Doctor Doo-alot is a very busy animal

eye doctor. She has to give vision tests
to 10 llamas, 172 porcupines, 76 seals,
and 42 fish. If each vision test lasts 2
minutes, how many hours will it take the
doctor to complete all the tests?

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 W h ole Nu mb e r C om p u tat i o n

15 Whole Number Computation

New York Pets running back Sneaky

Farber is quite the fumbler. He fumbled
7 more times against the Buffalo Bulls
than he did against the Chicago Bores.
He made 17 more fumbles against
Chicago than against the Dallas
Cowbells. He fumbled 6 times against
Dallas. How many times did Farber
fumble against the Bulls?

16 Whole Number Computation

Some people collect stamps—but

Stewie Stevenson collects envelopes!
He has half as many orange envelopes
as he has blue envelopes. He has 14
more blue envelopes than green ones.
He has 34 more green envelopes than
polka-dot ones. And he just got his
fourth polka-dot envelope today!
How many envelopes does he have
altogether?

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34 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 W h ole Nu mb e r C om p u tat i o n

17 Whole Number Computation

Thadeus’s Thanksgiving feast

was a major success! His guests
ate the whole 70-pound turkey,
35 pounds of popcorn, and all
700 pumpkin pies. Everyone at
the party ate the same number
of pies. Is there enough information
to figure out how many pies each
guest ate? Explain.

18 Whole Number Computation

The fine folks of Waxville, Wyoming,

made the world’s tallest candle. They
light it for a short time every day. As it
burned today, it shrunk 100 feet more
than it did yesterday. Yesterday, it shrunk
half as much as it did the day before. And
two days ago, it shrunk 500 feet. How
much did the candle shrink today?

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 W h ole Nu mb e r C om p u tat i o n

19 Whole Number Computation

Winnie the witch just got a new spell book—

Quick and Easy Spells for the Overworked
Witch. It contains 3 different spells that take
20 minutes each to complete, 5 spells that
take 9 minutes each, and 3 spells that take
4 minutes each. She performed 8 spells for
95 minutes. Which spells did she do? (She
didn’t repeat any spells.)

20 Whole Number Computation

Aunt Edna is knitting hats for her

5 nephews. She wants each boy to get
2 red hats and 3 green hats. How many
hats does she need to knit?

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

36 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 F rac t i o ns a n d D ec i m als

21 Fractions and Decimals

Before Gus became a ghost, he had quite a

few jobs. He spent 6 years as a waffle-maker,
earning $6.25 an hour. He spent 17 years as a
$4.25-per-hour doughnut delivery guy. And
he put pepperoni pieces on pizzas for 38
years. He got a penny a piece. How much did
Gus earn in a 7-hour shift as a waffle-maker?

22 Fractions and Decimals

Snyder’s Spiders sells arachnids for

$.10 apiece. Lulu’s Ladybugs sells
ladybugs for $.25 each. And Cora’s
Crawlies sells worms for $.55 apiece.
Donald spends a total of $9 on exactly
the same amount of each type of bug.
How many worms did he buy?

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 F rac t i o ns a n d D ec i m als

23 Fractions and Decimals

Marvin and Minerva have 2 hours to

spend at Howie’s House of Horrors.
They spend 16 minutes in the Hall of
Howling Hooligans. They spend 27.5
minutes in the Laundry Room of Terror.
And they spend 13.5 minutes in the
Dining Room of Disaster. How much
time do they have left?

24 Fractions and Decimals

It’s feeding time at the Bonks Zoo. The

monkeys get 6,000 bananas. The bunnies get

half as many carrots as the monkeys get

1
bananas. And the zookeepers get — as many
3
peanut-butter-and-jellyfish sandwiches as the

bunnies get carrots. How many sandwiches do

the zookeepers get?

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

38 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 F rac t i o ns a n d D ec i m als

25 Fractions and Decimals

Magico the magician has 6

volunteers from the audience. He
plans to saw each one in half. And
then he will saw the halves in half.
How many pieces of volunteers will
he have at the end of the trick?

26 Fractions and Decimals

Carlos is having trouble carrying all the

candy he bought this morning. He puts half

1
of it in a 6-wheeled wagon. He puts — of it
4
in his pocket. And he eats the rest. What

information do you need to figure out how

many pounds of candy Carlos ate?

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 F rac t i o ns a n d D ec i m als

27 Fractions and Decimals

Eloise Elderberry just got her

weekly allowance. She put the
whole $1.79 in the bank. At that
rate, how much will Eloise have
if she saves her allowance for
two years?

28 Fractions and Decimals

Morey, Murray, and Francis all spent the

same amount of time studying for the
spelling test. (Francis and Murray failed.)
1
If they spent a total of 16 — minutes
2
studying, how much time did each
student put in?

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

40 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 F rac t i o ns a n d D ec i m als

29 Fractions and Decimals

Bruno is a blimp pilot. He earns $11.94 for

every mile he flies. He earned 4 times as much

on Saturday as he did on Sunday. And he

1
earned —
16
as much on Sunday as he did on

Monday. On Monday, he earned $3,056.64.

How far did Bruno fly on Saturday?

30 Fractions and Decimals

Anna Fofanna went crazy at the Groomingdale’s

“After Groundhog Day” sale! She bought
4 designer wheels for her hamster, Huey. She
spent exactly $69.57 on the 4 wheels. Which of
the following did she NOT buy?
Moochie Wheel: $16.99
Roach Wheel: $13.45
Looie Baton Wheel: $27.00
Prouda Wheel: $43.08
Kat Speed Wheel: $12.13

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 F rac t i o ns a n d D ec i m als

31 Fractions and Decimals

On the second day of school, Edwina aced her first

pop quiz of the year. Edwina spent 17 seconds on

each of the first 77 questions and 16 seconds on each

9
of the last 23 questions. In all, she answered — of
10
the questions correctly. How many questions did

Edwina get wrong?

32 Fractions and Decimals

Wendell the weight lifter set a new

personal record. He lifted 3 of the
following 5 items: a 168-pound
mailman, a 16.5-pound jar of jam,
a 17.5-pound pair of clown shoes,
a 125.5-pound case of coconuts,
and a 175.5-pound rock. Which 3
items combined for a 317.5-pound
lift for Wendell?

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

42 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 F rac t i o ns a n d D ec i m als

33 Fractions and Decimals

Stan and Fran are hosting a dinner party.

Their marshmallow-meatloaf recipe

serves 117. They invited 642 people to

1
the party, but only — plan to attend.
6
Will Stan and Fran have enough

meatloaf if they follow their recipe?

34 Fractions and Decimals

Fran wants to buy Stan a new outfit for

their big dinner party. She picks out a
plaid jacket for $19.97, a polka-dot
beret for $6.99, and zebra-skin pants for
$431.02. She has $450.39 in her wallet.
Is that enough to pay for all 3 items?

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 F rac t i o ns a n d D ec i m als

35 Fractions and Decimals

Halloween is rough on the Tooth Fairy.

It’s her busiest season! This year, she

collected 800,000 molars. She picked

up twice as many bicuspids as molars.

1
And she gathered — as many incisors as
4
bicuspids. What is her tooth total for

this Halloween?

36 Fractions and Decimals

Dolly drank half a pitcher of clam juice.

1
Her daughter, Darla, drank — of what
4
was left. How much clam juice was left

after Darla was done?

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

44 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 F rac t i o ns a n d D ec i m als

37 Fractions and Decimals

The Tooth Fairy hired Chester

Choppers to brush her castle (it’s
made of teeth). Chester makes
$.25 a tooth. How much does he
earn by brushing the whole
55,000,000-tooth castle?

38 Fractions and Decimals

The Tooth Fairy has decided to get the

front of her tooth castle professionally

whitened. Out of the 55,000,000 teeth

in the castle, 1 are in the front. How

—
3
many teeth need to be whitened?

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 F rac t i o ns a n d D ec i m als

39 Fractions and Decimals

New York Hankee fan Lydia Vernon spent

$148.50 at the concession stand. Which
item did she NOT buy?
Hankee hat $42.25
Hankee bobblehead doll $30.25
Hankee magnet $16.00
Hankee shirt $60.00
Hankee hankie $85.00

40 Fractions and Decimals

The Kooky Cookie Company is coming

out with a new treat: cucumber-kiwi
cookies! Each batch requires 17 tons of
cucumbers. That’s 34,000 pounds! It
takes 2.5 times the amount of kiwis to
complete the recipe. How many pounds
of kiwis are needed per batch?

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

46 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 F rac t i o ns a n d D ec i m als

41 Fractions and Decimals

The president of the Kooky Cookie Company

makes 12 cents for every chicken-chip cookie

they sell. He makes 3 as much for every

—
4
tallbread cookie sold. For each quadruple-

fudge cookie, he gets 5 times what he makes

for one tallbread. How much does the president

earn for one quadruple-fudge cookie?

42 Fractions and Decimals

Professor Plump put a 23.5-pound weight on one

side of a scale and balanced it with 3 items on the
other side. He had these items to choose from:
a 4.5-pound rock, a 1.5-pound chunk of cheese,
a 3-pound pumpkin, a 10-pound cat, a 6-pound
book, and a 9-pound clock. What 3 items balanced
the scale?

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 F rac t i o ns a n d D ec i m als

43 Fractions and Decimals

Doctor Doo-alot has prescribed a full

set of contact lenses for Spencer, the
8-eyed spider. The final bill came to
$400.80. How much did each lens cost?

44 Fractions and Decimals

Ivor, the ice-cream man, is preparing

12 cones. Half of the cones have 2 scoops,

1
— have 3 scoops, and the rest have 1 scoop.
4
1
Half of the 2-scoop cones have sprinkles, — of
3
the 3-scoop cones have sprinkles, and all of the

1-scoop cones have sprinkles. How many cones

have sprinkles?

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

48 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 F rac t i o ns a n d D ec i m als

45 Fractions and Decimals

Doctor Doo-alot speaks 3 different plant

languages. Today, the doctor spent 2 hours

1
speaking to daisies. He spent — less time
3
speaking to his pine tree as he did with the
1
daisies. And he spent — the time he gabbed
4
with the tree chatting with the fern. How long

did the doctor talk with the fern?

46 Fractions and Decimals

Pandora is painting the bottom of her

pool. It’s a pretty shade of pink! She

1
paints — of the pool before lunch.
3
She paints 5 of what’s left after lunch.
—
6
Then she runs out of paint. How much

of the pool is unpainted?

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 F rac t i o ns a n d D ec i m als

47 Fractions and Decimals

Poor Peter lost twice as much money in

May as he did in April. And he lost three
times as much money in April as he did
in March. In March, Peter lost $2,375.51.
How much money did he lose in May?

48 Fractions and Decimals

Big Benny is the new burrito-eating champion of

the world. He ate 2.5 times as many burritos as
Large Lenny. Lenny downed 7.25 times as many
burritos as Burly Bonnie. And Bonnie devoured
3 times as many as Tiny Tilly. Tilly ate 2 burritos.
How many burritos did Big Benny eat?

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

50 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 F rac t i o ns a n d D ec i m als

49 Fractions and Decimals

Busby filled the bathtub so he could

soak his aching back. One-fifth of the
water splashed out when he stepped
into the tub. Three times that amount
splashed out when he sat down. How
full was the tub for Busby’s bath?

50 Fractions and Decimals

Winnie the witch has a new flying broomstick.

It uses olive oil as fuel. Winnie started the day

3 gallons of oil. By the end of the
with 3 —
4
1
day, she had used — of the oil. How many
3
gallons of olive oil did she use today?

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51 Fractions and Decimals

Louie Libra finally balanced his antique scale.

He placed a 67-pound pumpkin on one side
of the scale. On the other, he placed 3 of
the following items: a 27.5-pound turkey,
a 26-pound bowling ball, a 22.5-pound paper
weight, a 23.5-pound piece of chocolate, an
18-pound rock, and a 16-pound book. Which
3 items balanced the scale?

52 Fractions and Decimals

Vito, the vendor, sells hot dogs at every

Paramus Puppies game. One hot dog sells
for $7.69. He sells an average of 23 hot
dogs per inning. How much money does
Vito make in a full 9-inning game?

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 F rac t i o ns a n d D ec i m als

53 Fractions and Decimals

Carmine ate half his candy Chocolate

bar. Then he cut the rest in
half. He gave one half away
and cut the rest in half. He
gave half of that away. How
much of the original candy
bar does Carmine have left?

54 Fractions and Decimals

1
Pilar promised Paul — of her pecan pie.
2
1
Thurman gets — of what’s left. How
3
much of the whole pie does Pilar give

to Thurman?

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55 Fractions and Decimals

Someone swiped the not-so-famous painting

“Whistler’s Uncle Joe” from the Museum of

Mediocre Art! The guard discovered the theft

1
today at 3:17 P.M. He called the police — of an
12
3
hour later. They caught the crook 2 10
— hours

later at a donut shop next to the museum. At

what time did they make the arrest?

56 Fractions and Decimals

Matty bought 3 different items at the

Snack Shack. He spent a total of $4.41.
What did he buy?

Snack Shack Menu

Fried Olive $.25
Fried Lemon $3.05
Fried Lobster Lips $.79
Fried Cantaloupe $1.11

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54 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources
 Alg eb ra

57 Algebra

Wanda wears purple for the whole

month of March. In April, it’s nothing
but blue. May is maroon, and June is
green. In July, she wears purple again.
In August, it’s blue. September has
Wanda wearing maroon. If this pattern
continues, what color does she wear
in December?

58 Algebra

Doctor Peter Pawpaw is a podiatrist

specializing in puppies and parrots.
Today he examined the exact same
number of each. In all, he checked
180 paws and claws! How many
parrot patients did he see today?

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 Alg eb ra

59 Algebra

Master magician, Gary Goudini, has a

bag full of beans. He pulls out a green
bean followed by a pinto bean, a lima
bean, garbanzo bean, garbanzo bean,
green bean. Then it’s pinto, lima,
garbanzo, garbanzo, green, pinto, lima.
If this pattern continues, what kind of
bean does Gary get next?

60 Algebra Cleveland,
Ohio

Otis Owens loves to travel. He’s

already taken 10 trips this year. First
he went to Cleveland, then Orlando,
Kalamazoo, and Buffalo. Next he
went to Orlando, Kalamazoo,
Buffalo, Kalamazoo, and Buffalo.
Where did he visit on his tenth trip?

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 Alg eb ra

61 Algebra

Beauford is on his way to his new

school. His mother says it’s only a hop,
skip, and jump away—he hops, skips,
and jumps the whole way there! If this
pattern continues, what is his 32nd
move—a hop, a skip, or a jump?

62 Algebra

Floyd is an Olympic hammer thrower.

His first throw is 55 feet. His second
throw is 52 feet, and his third throw is
47 feet. His fourth throw lands 40 feet
away. Throw five lands 31 feet away. If
this pattern continues, how far would
his sixth throw fly?

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63 Algebra

Beulah bought a brush for a buck.

She paid for it with change. How
many different coin combinations
might she have used if she paid
with at least 3 quarters?

64 Algebra

Apple, apple, pear, pear, apple,

apple, banana, pear, apple,
apple, pear, pear, apple, apple,
banana, pear, apple, apple,
pear, pear, apple, apple. What
comes next in this pattern?

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65 Algebra

Dashing Darwin has some dynamite

dance moves. First, he does a split,
then a spin, then a split, and a leap
into the air. Then he does a split, a
spin, a split, a leap, and a split.
What would Darwin do next if he
continues this pattern?

66 Algebra

Doctor Doo-alot treated an equal

number of cats, parakeets, and fish
today. In all, his 18 patients had 36 legs.
How many fish did he treat today?

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67 Algebra

Aunt Edna baked a 29-layer cake. The

bottom layer is lemon flavor. On top of
that, there’s a layer of butterscotch.
Then there’s watermelon, chocolate,
lemon, butterscotch, watermelon, and
so on. If this pattern continues, what
flavor is on top?

68 Algebra

Stripes, plaid, polka dots, stripes,

stripes, plaid, plaid, polka dots, polka
dots, stripes, plaid, polka dots, stripes,
stripes, plaid, plaid, polka dots, polka
dots. What comes next in this pattern?

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69 Algebra

The I.E.W.P. (Incredibly Expensive Wireless

Phone) Company just announced its new
rates. At midnight, a one-minute call costs
$.50. At 4:00 A.M., it costs $1 for a one-
minute call. At 8:00 A.M., a one-minute call
costs $1.50. If this pattern continues over
a 24-hour period, how much does a
one-minute call cost at 8:00 P.M.?

70 Algebra

Bertha loves bowling. She knocks

down one pin with her first ball.
(No one said she was any good!)
Ball two hits 3 pins. Ball three hits
5 pins. The fourth ball topples
10 pins (strike!) and the fifth ball hits
one pin. With the next three balls,
she hits 3, 5, and 10 pins. If this pattern
continues, how many pins would Bertha
hit with the tenth ball?

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71 Algebra

For Eddie’s first birthday, his Aunt Edina

gave him $3.79. She gave him $7.58 for
his second birthday. And for his third,
Aunt Edina gave Eddie $15.16. This year,
Eddie got $242.56. Based on this
pattern, how old is Eddie now?

72 Algebra

It isn’t easy being a snowman in April.

On Monday, Smedley melted 0.6 inches.
On Tuesday, he melted 1.1 inches.
On Wednesday, he melted 1.6 inches.
If this pattern continues, how much will
he melt on Friday?

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73 Algebra

When Ollie was 3, he was 36 inches tall.

At 4, he was 38 inches tall. By age 5, he
was 41 inches tall. At age 6, he stood
45 inches tall. If this pattern continues,
how tall will Ollie be at age 8?

74 Algebra

Roy is relaxing. He spends 17 minutes

in a hammock. Then he floats in the
pool for 29 minutes. He follows that
with 42 minutes in the hammock.
Next, he floats for 56 minutes.
Continuing this pattern, how long will
his next stay be in the hammock?

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75 Geometry and Measurement

Ernie Erkoliani invented a battery-operated

umbrella. The battery lasts 13 hours, 45 minutes
per charge. Ernie turned it on at 7:02 P.M. and
used it until 9:47 P.M. The next day, it was still
pouring. Ernie turned on the umbrella at
6:21 A.M. and used it until 2:51 P.M. How
much more time does Ernie have before
he will have to recharge the battery?

76 Geometry and Measurement

The new supersonic speedy train is

pretty amazing. It has a swimming pool!
The pool measures 4 feet deep, 10 feet
wide, and 15 feet long. How many cubic
feet of water can the pool hold?

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77 Geometry and Measurement

Otto is almost finished with his new

photography book, Noses of North
America. The book is in the shape of a
right triangle—to look like a nose. The
base of the book measures 9 inches. Its
height measures 12 inches. What is the
area of the book?

78 Geometry and Measurement

Hairy Harry’s beard grew

5 inches in 2003. In 2002 it
grew 15 centimeters. In 2001,
it grew 0.1 meter. In which year
did Hairy Harry’s beard grow
the longest?

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79 Geometry and Measurement

Thadeus’s Thanksgiving feast was just too much! He

started cooking the 70-pound turkey at 11:00 A.M.

At 11:30 A.M., he purchased 35 pounds of popcorn. He

baked 700 pumpkin pies and half as many giblet-chip

cookies. At 8:30 P.M., the turkey was finished cooking. His

2
guests arrived at 6:00 P.M. They immediately ate — of the
3
cookies! How long did it take Thadeus’s turkey to cook?

80 Geometry and Measurement

Crafty Carla is cutting her cousin Cora’s

tablecloth into 1-foot square napkins.
The table cloth measures 9 feet by
9 feet. (Cora has a big table.) How
many napkins can Carla make?

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81 Geometry and Measurement

Farmer Phil planted a 1.25-mile row

of apple trees. He planted a 7.50-mile
row of plum trees. And he planted a
27.75-mile row of peach trees. How
many kilometers* of trees did he
plant?

* 1.6 kilometers = 1 mile

82 Geometry and Measurement

It’s hard work being a 10,000,037-year-old

ghost. Just ask Gus. He haunts the house at

1
423 Maple Street. He spends —
4
of the day

rattling chains, 45 minutes a day opening

and closing creaky doors, and 120 minutes

a day moaning. How many hours does Gus

spend rattling chains?

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83 Geometry and Measurement

Farmer Fredo planted 18 acres of

tiger lilies. He planted half as many
acres of lion lilies. And he filled the
rest of his farm with leopard lilies. He
ended up with 3 times as many acres
of leopard lilies as lion lilies. How big
is Fredo’s farm?

84 Geometry and Measurement

The Kooky Cookie Company is famous

for its square cookies. Each one is
3 inches wide. How many cookies
would it take to stretch a mile*?

* 1 mile = 5,280 feet

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85 Geometry and Measurement

Howie’s House of Horrors is 126 miles

from Marvin and Minerva’s beach
bungalow. If they rollerskate at a steady
rate of 2 miles per hour, how long will it
take them to get to Howie’s?

86 Geometry and Measurement

The New Jerkey Turnpike has a toll

booth every 1.3 miles*. (It’s free to get
onto the road.) How many feet apart are
the toll booths?

* 1 mile = 5,280 feet

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87 Geometry and Measurement

Marty built a house out of 2-inch-square

sugar cubes. The front of the house is
2 feet wide and 18 inches high.
How many sugar cubes make
up the front of Marty’s
house?

88 Geometry and Measurement

Brenda, Brandon, and Brendan are triplets.

They were arguing about who is the tallest
of the three. Brenda is 5 foot, 2 inches tall.
Brandon measures 61 inches tall. Brendan
stands at 1.6 meters* tall. Who is the tallest?

* 1 meter = 3.281 feet

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89 Probability

Chef Stef is making today’s Blue Plate Special. Each

plate comes with a main dish, side dish, and a dessert.
How many different combinations are possible with
these options?

Main Dish Side Dish Dessert

Meat Loaf Mashed Potatoes Carrot Cake
Tofu Loaf Mashed Tomatoes Cheesecake
Ham Mashed Lima Beans Soybean Cake

90 Probability

Lil, Jill, and Phil are at the movie theater.

How many different ways can they sit
beside each other?

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91 Probability

Kyle bought his kitten 3 new pairs of

sneakers: a red pair, a blue pair, and a
green pair. How many different
combinations of new sneakers could
Kyle’s kitten wear?

92 Reasoning

Ernie, Bernie, Stanley, and Laverne brought gifts

for Aunt Ethel’s 80th birthday. One brought her a
kitten. Another brought a yellow mitten. Another
brought some salami, and the last brought a ping-
pong paddle. Who brought what? Use these clues
and a logic box to find out:
• Ernie and Bernie are allergic to cats.
• Laverne lost one of Aunt Ethel’s yellow mittens.
• Ernie owns a salami store.

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93 Logic and Reasoning

The National Marble League has ordered new uniforms for all
of its teams: the Weehawken Wonders, the Moonachie Maulers,
the Guttenberg Goons, and the Paramus Pounders. One
uniform has polka dots. Another has a picture of a parakeet.
One team wears pinstripes, and the last has a picture of a pair
of pigeons. Which team has which uniform? Use these clues
and a logic box to find out:
• Polka dots are illegal in Paramus and Weehawken.
• Guttenberg and Paramus have no birds on their uniforms.
• The parakeet is the official town bird of Moonachie.

94 Logic and Reasoning

It’s snack time at the zoo. The giraffe, lion,

elephant, and monkey are all enjoying a bite
to eat. One is munching on a banana. Two are
chewing on carrots. And the last is eating a
bowl of cereal. Who’s chomping on what? Use
these clues and a logic box to find out:
• The monkey hates bananas.
• The lion isn’t eating cereal or a banana.
• The elephant is using a spoon.

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95 Logic and Reasoning

The Shrimpson family is going to Carney Island amusement park.

Burt, Lucy, Mildred, and Gomer each have a favorite ride. One
loves the pirate ship. One can’t get enough of the bumper cars.
Another says the merry-go-round is number one. And the other
loves the haunted house. Which ride is Mildred’s favorite? Use
these clues and a logic box to find out:
• Gomer hates rides that go in circles.
• Burt is wearing an eye patch and carrying a treasure chest.
• Lucy doesn’t like rides that move.

96 Logic and Reasoning

The Cow Television Network has announced its new

Monday night schedule. Who Wants to Be a Cow? will
be on before The C.O.W. And Everybody Loves Cows
will be on before Who Wants to Be a Cow?, but after
The Cow of Queens. Which of the shows will be on
first? Draw a logic line to find out.

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97 Logic and Reasoning

It’s playoff time! Unfortunately, the New York Blankets, the

Boston Toe Sox, the Arizona Diamond Rings, and the Minnesota
Triplets won’t be there. To get their minds off their stinky
seasons, the teams are taking vacations. One is exploring New
York. Another is vacationing in Boston. One is having fun in
Arizona. And one team is seeing the sights of Minnesota. Which
team stayed home for vacation? Use these clues and a logic box
to find out:
• The Blankets are in the Southwestern United States.
• The Toe Sox are visiting the Statue of Liberty.

98 Logic and Reasoning

Ed, Fred, Ned, and Ted all have

potato collections. Fred has more
potatoes than Ted. Ned has more
potatoes than Fred, but fewer
potatoes than Ed. Who has
the fewest potatoes?
Use a logic line to
find out.

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99 Logic and Reasoning

It’s time for the final race of the

Snail Olympics. The American snail
finishes before the German snail,
but after the Irish snail. The Irish
snail finishes before the French
snail, but after the Swedish snail.
Who won the race? Use a logic
line to find out.

100 Logic and Reasoning

Murray, Minnie, and Molly Morton are at the

Mama Meatball restaurant with their pet
poodle, Pepper. They ordered a plate of fried
chicken, a seaweed salad, a bucket of bones,
and a chicken potpie. Who ordered what? Use
the clues and a logic box to find out:
• Murray can’t eat fried food.
• Molly is a vegetarian.
• Pepper hates chicken.

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 A nsw e r k ey

Number and Operations Fractions and Decimals

Whole Number Computation 21. $43.75

1. 95 mosquitoes 22. 10 worms

2. 34 pieces of candy 23. 63 minutes

3. He’ll run out of names in year 12. 24. 1,000 sandwiches

4. 7 pumpkins 25. 24 pieces

5. 170 jellybeans 26. We need to know how many pounds

of candy Carlos started with.
6. 2,331 stoops
27. $186.16
7. 3 times
1
28. 5 —
2
minutes
8. 101 harmonicas
29. 64 miles
9. Right field, upper deck, and home
plate 30. Prouda Wheel

10. Jars B, D, and E 31. 10 questions

11. 626 hairs 32. The jar of jam, the case of coconuts,
and the rock
12. 10 years
33. Yes
13. We need to know how many
members are in the crew. 34. No

14. 10 hours 35. 2,800,000 teeth

3
15. 30 times 36. — of the pitcher
8

16. 120 envelopes 37. $13,750,000

17. No. We need to know the number 38. 18,333,333 teeth

of guests at the feast. 39. The Hankee hankie
18. 350 feet 40. 85,000 pounds of kiwis
19. 3 20-minute spells, 3 9-minute 41. 45 cents
spells, and 2 4-minute spells
42. The cat, the clock, and the rock
20. 25 hats
43. $50.10

44. 7 cones

45. 10 minutes
1
46. — of the pool
9

47. $14,253.06

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48. 108.75 burritos 73. 56 inches tall

1
49. — full 74. 71 minutes
5
1
50. 1 —
4
gallons of olive oil

51. The turkey, the chocolate, and the

book
Geometry and
52. $1,591.83 Measurement
1
53. —
8
of the original candy bar 75. 3 hours
1
54. — of the pie 76. 600 cubic feet of water
6

55. 5:40 P.M. 77. 54 inches

56. A fried olive, a fried lemon, and 78. In 2002

a fried cantaloupe 1
79. 9 — hours
2
80. 81 napkins
Algebra 81. 58.4 kilometers
57. Blue
82. 6 hours
58. 30 parrots
83. 54 acres
59. Garbanzo bean
84. 21,120 cookies
60. Buffalo
85. 63 hours
61. A skip
86. 6,864 feet
62. 20 feet
87. 108 sugar cubes
63. 13 different coin combinations
88. Brendan
64. Banana

65. A spin
Probability
66. 6 fish
89. 27 combinations
67. Lemon
90. 6 different ways
68. Stripes
91. 5 different combinations
69. $3

70. 3 pins

71. 7 years old

72. 2.6 inches

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Reasoning
92. Ernie brought salami, Bernie
brought a ping-pong paddle,
Stanley brought a kitten, and
Laverne brought a mitten.

93. Weehawken has pigeons,

Moonachie wears the parakeet
uniform, Guttenberg wears polka
dots, and Paramus wears pinstripes.

94. The giraffe is enjoying a banana, the

lion and monkey are eating carrots,
and the elephant is eating a bowl of
cereal.

95. The merry-go-round

96. The Cow of Queens

97. The Minnesota Triplets

98. Ted

99. The Swedish snail

100. Murray had chicken potpie, Minnie

got fried chicken, Molly ordered
salad, and Pepper chowed on
bones.

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 Lo g ic Box

Lo g ic l i n e

Math Word Problems Made Easy:

80 Grade 6 © Jill Safro, Published by Scholastic Teaching Resources