EVALUATING IN MATH

• When you have been learning to do all different kinds of math, you have probably heard the word solve used a lot. By now when you see the word solve, you understand that it means to figure out the answer to the math problem you are  given. As you are getting older, you may see other words used in math directions. There may be some that you have never heard before, and you just need to learn the new vocabulary. It can be even more confusing when you see a word you think you understand, but it’s being used in a different way.

• You may have learned the word evaluate when you  were asked to decide if something was good or bad, or if an  author did a good job sending a message in his/her writing.  This year, you may begin to see the word evaluate used in a different way.

• Sometimes math directions with say something like:

Evaluate the following problems. When it is used in math, evaluate can be a synonym for solve. Do you see the smaller   word, value, inside the word evaluate? When you evaluate math, you say what its final value is, after the equation is solved.   You are being asked to solve the math problems and write down the answers. As with any kind of math work or tests, it is always a good idea to show your work. Showing your work lets the teacher know what you understand, and you may get some points even if you end up with a wrong answer.

Name:__________________________________

Answer the following questions based on the  reading passage. Don’t forget to go back to the  passage whenever necessary to find or confirm   your answers.

1) What does it mean to solve a problem?

2)  Why might the word evaluate be confusing when you see it in math for the   first time?

3)What does the word synonym mean in the third paragraph?

4)  Why is it important to always show your work when you do math?

5)  What does evaluate mean in math?