This classic problem promoted communication of mathematical ideas and a variety of classroom solution. Students applied and adapted a variety of appropriate strategies to solve the problem, recognizing that the strategy required them to start at the end of the of the problem (each sailor received seven coconuts and one left over); performing the inverse operation at each step. Students also monitored and reflected on the process of their mathematical problem solving during their group "share", communicating their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to their classmates and teacher.