mathmarsha blog: math puzzles

Showing posts with label math puzzles. Show all posts

Monday, August 3, 2020

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?

Friday, July 29, 2011

Commercially available mathematically-rich manipulatives and games

Math manipulatives

for example:

tangrams
Explore geometry and measurement ideas using 7 easy pieces: similar triangles, equal areas, angle measures, etc. A wide variety of tasks are available to make this work well with students of all ages.

Wooden Geoboard 8 X 8 Single
So much more than making a shape! Explore length, area, Pick's Formula, irrational numbers, composing and decomposing regions, congruence, and more.

attribute blocks
One of the central math tasks of early learners is classification. This manipulative allows the student to consider classifying pieces based on shape, color, size, and thickness.

pattern blocks

Note: The photo at the top of this blog shows a pattern block design tucked into a hinged mirror. I think it illustrates the beauty of the WOODEN blocks, which I much prefer to the only slightly less expensive plastic ones.

Pentominoes

All the shapes you can make in a plane when 5 congruent squares are connected along whole sides. The 12 pieces can be fitted together to make rectangles (6x10, 5x12, 4x15, 3x20) and many other shapes.

origami

Games

I do not recommend so-called games that are designed to make your child practice math facts--they are boring! The 24-game, featured below, gets the same job done many times over and is fun and exciting. The other games are strategy games which promote logical reasoning and thinking ahead. The ones you can play with young students are Continuo, Gobblet, and Set, since they rely more on visual/spatial thinking than number knowledge.

Quarto Game