Baffling Bacteria
Students determine when bacteria would outweigh them, if it were left to double every 20 minutes. Building Block Dilemma
Given the first three-block towers, students determine the number of blocks needed for any number tower. Charmin® Choices
Students determine which toilet tissue is the better buy. Checkerboard Dilemma
Students determine how many squares are on a checkerboard. Day Lily Dilemma
Students determine the number of day lilies in all, after following a pattern in their reproduction. Dense Rocks
Students estimate the weight of a rock which cannot physically be weighed. Division of Labor
Students determine the number of hours two people work. Euler's Dilemma
Students investigate Euler's rule for classifying figures. Fat Intake
Using a food diary, students determine how well they've followed the recommended guidelines for percentage of fat in their diets. Gears
Given three gears, and a number of teeth in two of the three gears, students determine the number of teeth in the third gear. Handshake Problem
Students determine the total number of handshakes that would take place among a group of people shaking each other's hands. Locker Dilemma
Students determine which lockers will be open, and which closed, after other students have open and closed them. Meeting Dilemma
Students try to determine when their teachers can find time to meet. Nine Fish
Students determine how to put nine fish into two tanks. Olympic Trophy Design
Students design a trophy topped with a scaled figure of the typical middle level student. Phone Chain
Students determine the most efficient phone chain. Poker Game
Students identify the amount of time it takes to exhaust the possible seating arrangements for a poker game. Population in 2020
Students estimate the population of the United States in the year 2020. Runners' Dilemma
Two friends are running at different speeds. Students determine when one will catch up with the other. Sheep Herder's Dilemma
Given a diagram of a sheep corral, students determine how many ewes will end up in each of 4 pens given particular directions. Stained Glass
Students determine the amount of glass and metal needed for a stained glass window. Staircase Dilemma
Students predict the number of blocks required to build a staircase and to find a pattern. Swinging Time
Students conduct an investigation to determine the slowest beat that could be produced by a metronome made with 60 centimeters of string. Table Hopping
Students determine the number of tables needed to seat a given number of people. The Twelve Days of Christmas
Students use the Twelve Days of Christmas song to determine the number of gifts received and to project the number and range of gifts. Tower of Hanoi
Students determine the number of moves it takes to solve a problem using spindles and disks. Townhouse Tribulation
Students determine the number of square feet of brick required for a group of townhouses. Variable Dilemma
Students solve a series of letter equations by substituting numbers. |
