In this paper some unusual open-ended problems are presented, which have been “tried and tested” in secondary school. The main focus is not on calculation but rather on all the steps necessary before the calculations can begin. “Here is a situation. Think about it!” (Henry Pollak) Such exercises are indispensable toward the introduction of skills inherent in mathematical modelling where the emphasis is not on algorithmic procedures but rather on the higher order skills of translation, interpretation, and evaluation of the real life problem in terms of the mathematical model and its solution(s).