A Trade-Off Needs a Goal
Match the cards using the notes about Lowest cost, Fastest arrival, Greatest capacity and Lowest stated emissions.
About 15 minutes, plus any extended practice
Supplied materials
- Paper and pencil; drawing or spoken answers are welcome.
- Topic notes: Lowest cost: the smallest stated monetary total. Fastest arrival: the shortest stated travel time. Greatest capacity: the largest stated load carried. Lowest stated emissions: the smallest comparable emissions total in the supplied model.
- Original exercise cards: Fictional costs: road $8, rail $6; rail wins this criterion. / Fictional times: road two hours, rail four; road wins. / Fictional loads: van ten boxes, train one hundred; train wins. / Fictional equal-load totals: route A 4 units, route B 7; A wins. / Fictional times: ferry three hours, bridge one; bridge wins. / Fictional loads: boat eighty boxes, truck thirty; boat wins. / Fictional equal-service totals: plan C 9 units, plan D 5; D wins. / Fictional costs: boat $4, truck $9; boat wins this criterion.
Learn the idea
Comparing plans requires a goal and constraints. Lowest cost, fastest arrival, greatest capacity and lowest stated emissions are different criteria. A plan that wins one criterion may lose another. These fictional comparisons isolate one feature; they do not prove a universally best transport system.
Lowest cost: the smallest stated monetary total. Fastest arrival: the shortest stated travel time. Greatest capacity: the largest stated load carried. Lowest stated emissions: the smallest comparable emissions total in the supplied model.
Find the goal on the card. Compare cost, travel time, load size or the stated emissions total only for that goal. Read the notes and the word cards. You can write, draw or say your answer.
- Read the four notes. Find the words Lowest cost, Fastest arrival, Greatest capacity, Lowest stated emissions.
- Find the goal on the card. Compare cost, travel time, load size or the stated emissions total only for that goal.
- Read the worked answer. Then try the other cards and explain which words helped you choose.
- Choose two different examples: one for Lowest cost and one for Fastest arrival. Explain how their clues differ.
See the method in action
Worked example: The card says: “Fictional costs: road $8, rail $6; rail wins this criterion.” That matches Lowest cost. Lowest cost is the smallest stated monetary total. Compare the note for Greatest capacity: Greatest capacity is the largest stated load carried. That is a different clue.
Check your reasoning
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Helpful tips
- Find the goal on the card. Compare cost, travel time, load size or the stated emissions total only for that goal.
- If you are unsure, ask an adult to read the card again. Match what this card says; do not add a new event or detail.
See the answer and explanation
Fastest arrival
The card says: “Fictional times: road two hours, rail four; road wins.” That matches Fastest arrival. Fastest arrival is the shortest stated travel time.
Take it further
New card: “Fictional costs: boat $4, truck $9; boat wins this criterion.” Match it with a note, then point to or say the words that helped. Check: The card says: “Fictional costs: boat $4, truck $9; boat wins this criterion.” That matches Lowest cost. Lowest cost is the smallest stated monetary total.
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More practice: try new cases
Choose an answer for each problem. Explain your method on paper, then use the feedback to decide what to revisit.
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Check the subject sources
These LifeStarter passages, scenarios and exercises are authored for this Academy with AI assistance and review. External resources keep their publishers’ terms. A grade label suggests a starting level; it does not establish alignment with your school’s complete requirements.