Scott KimNueva SchoolMarch 11, 2011

INVENTING

MATHEMATICALPUZZLES

Puzzles

Solving

Inventing

Demo

Demo

Why?

Why?What’s missing from math education?

Language Reading Writing

What’s missing from math education?

Language Reading Writing

What’s missing from math education?

CREATIVE

Language Reading Writing

Problem solving

Math

What’s missing from math education?

Language Reading Writing

Problem solving

Math

What’s missing from math education?

?

Language Reading Writing

Problem solving

Problem posing

Math

What’s missing from math education?

Problem posing

Language Reading Writing

Problem solving

Problem posing

Math

What’s missing from math education?

Problem posing

PUZZLES

How?

INVENTINGMATHEMATICAL

PUZZLESis a great way to explore the

CREATIVE SIDE OF

MATHEMATICS

How?

Sudoku

Sudoku

Sudoku

1. Fill in the blanks

1. Fill in the blanks

• One solution• Many solutions• No solutions

2. Add a theme

Put inside a larger story

2. Add a theme

Change appearance

2. Add a theme

Add extra meaning

3. Easy to Hard

3. Easy to Hard

3. Easy to Hard

Levels = secret of videogamesRequires testing

Putting it all together

Putting it all together

mathfair.com

Putting it all together

Kids present puzzles they made

Putting it all together

With added themes and levels of difficulty

4. Change the rules

4. Change the rules

Change the size

4. Change the rules

Change the region shapes

4. Change the rules

Change the goal

Conclusions

How to invent mathematical puzzles

1. Fill in the blanks2. Add a theme3. Easy to hard4. Change the rules

MathematicsArtCOMMUNICATION

INVENTINGMATHEMATICALPUZZLE

Sis a great way to explore

the

CREATIVE SIDE OF

MATHEMATICS

INVENTINGMATHEMATICALPUZZLE

Sis a great way to explore

the

CREATIVE SIDE OF

MATHEMATICS

Interested in family puzzle gatherings?

Email me: scott@scottkim.com