Crossing the river

This task is about using problem-solving strategies to explore situations mathematically.
crossing-the-river-people-canoe.png
 
Two men and two children want to cross a river. None of them can swim, but they can paddle a canoe.
They only have one canoe, which will only hold one man at a time or two children. The boat can only go across the river if someone is in it. 
 
How do both the men and both the children get across the river in the least number of trips?
  • Cut out the people and the canoe from your River template sheet.
  • Cut a slit in the canoe where shown so that you can place people 'in' the canoe.
  • Use the figures, the canoe, and the River template sheet to solve this question.
  • In the table below write down who is in the canoe on each trip and the order in which the trips are made.
Trip number
Who is in the canoe?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
River template sheet
 
 
crossing-river-river-crocodiles.png
 
crossing-river-cutout-people-canoe.png