Algebra Word Problem: How Old is That Dog? (Age Puzzle) + VIDEO

This is a challenging word problem. The audience for this worksheet includes: gifted, homeschool, and students who need enrichment activities. Also suitable for homework & flipped classrooms (we have an accompanying video).

In this practice problem, we find out how old two dogs are. Hidden in the problem is all the information you need. This is based on the age puzzle from Diophantus (an ancient Greek mathematician).

We're learning ALGEBRA at Socratica High, by solving real world problems. Like...
How Old is that Dog? We work the whole problem, step by step, in this video.

You don't have to be afraid of word problems in math class anymore, because we're going to solve them with you. We'll show you how to translate the sentences in math word problems into "math language." Each sentence becomes an equation. You'll identify your "knowns" and "unknowns," and pretty soon, with practice, you'll feel comfortable solving these kinds of problems on your own.

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We recommend:
Algebra by Socratica High on YouTube
Video series includes calm, short lessons, as well as word problems solved in full. 

Study Tips by Socratica on YouTube
Video series on how to study smarter, not harder.

How to Be a Great Student by Kimberly Hatch Harrison
The true story of how a smart kid had to figure out how to actually study. 
Available as e-book and paperback.

This work was made possible by The Socratica Foundation.
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The Socratica Foundation is an educational nonprofit with the mission to build the essential, universal knowledge base every student needs to succeed. We provide a solid educational foundation in the three timeless pillars: literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking. https://www.socratica.org