AICE Thinking Skills Chapter 1 Vocabulary

Problem

a question that needs to be answered

Heuristic

A process or attitude which enables you to tackle problems and situations you have never encountered before

The skill of creating fruitful questions is AT THE HEARTof developing a personal heuristic

Axiomatic

vital for understanding this problem, and almost all similar problems

Example: the Earth's gravity when trying to start off in the best possible way in a pool game.

Essential

necessary for understanding this problem

Example: the angle and the force at which the ball is hit when trying to start off in the best possible way in a pool game.

Peripheral

having some influence on the outcome of this problem

Example: tilt in the table and asymmetries in the balls themselves when trying to start off in the best possible way in a pool game.

Irrelevant

could have no influence on the outcome of this problem

Example: the temperature of the room when trying to start off in the best possible way in a pool game.

Indexical (example)

Where the meaning of truth of a statement depends on who says it

Example: the length of hair someone will grow in a lifetime. Could be different for your friend, sibling, girlfriend/boyfriend, mom, and dad

Constant (example)

an element, condition, or data value that remains completely unchanged

Example: the force of gravity on Earth or the number of people in a family

Variable (example)

Certain values that may vary

Example: the length of all the water bottles in the world each

Discrete Variable (example)

are things you can count, rather than things you can measure
finite set of values (ex. 2 siblings)

Continuous Variable (example)

are things you can measure, rather than things you can count

=take any value on a number line

example: liters when measuring the volume of a water bottle

Physical Model (example)

Make or buy a model to practice on
Should be similar to the “real thing”; the more alike, the better!

Example: For example, if you want to find the best way to start a pool game, buy a board and practice the opening and analyze the many angles and ways you can start the game.

Symbolic Model (example)

• Study the logic and laws behind it

• =diagramming

• Writing relationships symbolically (or algebraically)

• Basic relations expanded upon more complex ones

Example: Writing a diagram of what would happen if you hit a pool ball to another pool ball, at a certain angle and velocitiy

Computational Model (example)

Computer simulator; interactive 2D (or 3D) picture
May have control over things (ex: angle of the hit)
Be on the lookout: how close is this simulation to real life?

Example: Playing 2 player games pool or game pigeon and studying the ways you can start

January (days in the month)

31

February (days in the month)

28 days in standard years and 29 during a leap year

March (days in the month)

31

April (days in the month)

30

May (days in the month)

31

June (days in the month)

30

July (days in the month)

31

August (days in the month)

31

September (days in the month)

30

October (days in the month)

31

November (days in the month)

30

December (days in the month)

31