Math Challenge Problems

This summer I've been sharing some of my favorite math enrichment problems with a small group of students via Zoom. It occurred to me that others might enjoy these. 

For starters, a list of useful strategies to keep on hand.

The next problem is VERY old--take some of the social situation references from the early 1960s:

Here are the clues. Use them to name each player that fields each of the nine positions on the diamond.

Clue # 1 – Andy dislikes the Catcher

Clue # 2 – Ed’s sister is engaged to the second baseman

Clue # 3 –  The center fielder is taller than the right fielder

Clue #  4 – Harry and the third baseman live in the same building

Clue # 5 – Paul and Allen each won 20 dollars from the pitcher at pinochle

Clue # 6 – Ed and the outfielders play poker during their free time

Clue # 7 – The pitcher’s wife is the third baseman’s sister

Clue # 8 – The catcher, pitcher, and infield except for Allen, Harry and Andy are shorter than Sam

Clue # 9 – Paul, Andy and the shortstop lost 150 dollars each at the racetrack

Clue # 10 – Paul, Harry, Bill and the catcher lost to the second baseman at pool

Clue # 11 – Sam is undergoing a divorce suit

Clue # 12 – The catcher and the third base each have two children

Clue # 13 – Ed, Paul, Jerry, the right fielder and the center fielder are bachelors, the others are married

Clue # 14 – The shortstop, third baseman and Bill each won betting on a fight

Clue # 15 – One of the outfielders is either Mike or Andy

Clue # 16 – Jerry is taller than Bill. Mike is shorter than Bill. Each of them is heavier than the third baseman.

Who plays each position?

CTD Parent Seminar April 27, 2013 in Evanston

(now that the workshop has been completed, I've added several links that touch on the kinds of activities we did today)

Geoboard Workshop

Introduction:  Back-to-back activity

• communicating mathematically
• listening, following instructions
• geometric shapes
• coordinate systems -- locating a point in a  plane using two pieces of information

Squares on a geoboard (see also this page)

• measurement:  area of square, rectangle, right triangle; length of line segment
• problem solving strategies--solve a simpler, similar problem; change your point of view
• extensions: representing irrational numbers as lengths; discovering Pick’s Theorem; Pythagorean Theorem

  

Fourths on a geoboard

• fractions
• areas of irregular shapes
• line symmetry
• rotational symmetry
• congruent regions
• equal regions
• vocabulary:  vertical, horizontal, congruent, equal, reflection, rotation, line of symmetry, angle of rotation
• extensions: halves, eighths

Aunty Math for math challenges

The DuPage Children's Museum sponsors a web page with math challenges for K-5 children. The whole web site is worth exploring!