One of These Things Is Not Like the Others

Puzzle on 9/18/17

Take a close look. Can you tell which one is different? Take another look. Can you find another one that is different?

Every Monday morning, students are presented with a new thought-provoking puzzle like the one in the above picture. If they share their answer and reasoning with me, they earn bragging rights by adding  their names on the board.

I’ll let you in on a little secret…. There is no “correct” answer because there are many different answers. It all depends on how you look at it.

Take this puzzle for example. Most students chose U because it is the only one with curves. But some students chose T because it was the only one with a line that goes across at the top.Other students chose A because the line in the middle created a hole in the letter.  Other students chose N because it is the only letter with a slanted line in the middle.  

Why math puzzles? For one thing, puzzles are a great way to develop and strengthen reasoning and logical thinking skills that are necessary in math. Puzzles also help students learn to persevere with a difficult or complex task. Students tend to give up on a math problem if they feel it’s too challenging. Because these puzzles are fun and and engaging, it’s not uncommon for students to spend time looking at the weekly puzzle to determine their answer.

But there's one other reason I like these math puzzles and it has nothing to do with developing logical thinking skills. These puzzles give me an opportunity to interact with students that I might not otherwise have a chance to see throughout the week. Students will stop me in the hallway to share their thinking and are so excited when I tell them they are correct and can write their names on the board. Since there are no incorrect answers, students feel successful and proud that they have figured it out.

Students aren’t the only ones getting into these puzzles. Teachers and other staff members are enjoying them too!