Problem Solving: Valentine's Day Treat

Valentine's Day Treat challenges students to list all of the possible sundaes that can be made if students choose one ice cream and one topping from the cafeteria list. Note that students must choose a topping for this problem, otherwise they are simply buying ice cream which doesn't count as a sundae.


This problem may be solved using various methods and is accessible to students of all levels.  Some students may simply list the various combinations.  Other students might elect to use a probability tree.  Others might use a more developed concept of combinations in counting and naming the various combinations.  All are valid methods of solving this problem and reflect students' current understanding of the concept of combinations.


Download  Valentine's Day Treat which includes the student handout and a sample solution.