In this section, we will examine your, rather than your students', approach to a question. As you solve the problem, think about the strategies you're using and the steps you're following. By analyzing your own problem-solving, you are experiencing the importance of reflection (also known as metacognition) in the problem solving process. With more experience in both solving problems and reflecting on your own approach to the problems, you will become more effective in developing the Problem Solving Process Standard as a foundation of mathematics instruction and learning in your classroom.

Pentominos are figures made from five squares. Each square must touch at least one other square from corner to corner and side to side. For example, this is a pentomino: However, this is not a pentomino: Two pentominos are considered the same if one can be rotated or reflected to look like the other. These two pentominos are considered the same:

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