Lesson: Road Sign Problem
Student
Teacher
Extensions
See the bus problem followup to the road sign problem.
Contrived problems fill textbooks. This approach helps student deal with them in a useful way. (Make sure you see the bus problem teacher page.)

Some thoughts about the word-problem problem by thoughtful bloggers:

Ben Orlin
https://mathwithbaddrawings.com/2015/01/28/the-word-problem-problem/

Dan Meyer
https://blog.mrmeyer.com/2010/one-of-many-reasons-why-students-hate-algebra/



Source: Original Version 1.0 developed at CIESE- 
Center for Innovation in Engineering & Science Education (2007)
Revised 10.24.19 currently under construction