Give your students practice measuring distances with a ruler. Select a set of random points and photocopy them. A child must first try to guess the constellations (and name them). Then it is time to take out a ruler and figure out the solution. For each point, the student draws a line to its two closest neighbours. When they’ve completed a point they should circle it so they don’t get confused.
PS. In the video above, the “goldfish” and the “sunglasses” use the same stars! So even though we guessed everything wrongly, we should still give ourselves a supernova clap on the back for this minor victory.
Mathematics is the most beautiful and most powerful creation of the human spirit.Stefan Banach
Standards for Mathematical Practice
MathPickle puzzle and game designs engage a wide spectrum of student abilities while targeting the following Standards for Mathematical Practice:
MP1 Toughen up!
This is problem solving where our students develop grit and resiliency in the face of nasty, thorny problems. It is the most sought after skill for our students.
MP3 Work together!
This is collaborative problem solving in which students discuss their strategies to solve a problem and identify missteps in a failed solution. MathPickle recommends pairing up students for all its puzzles.
MP6 Be precise!
This is where our students learn to communicate using precise terminology. MathPickle encourages students not only to use the precise terms of others, but to invent and rigorously define their own terms.
MP7 Be observant!
One of the things that the human brain does very well is identify pattern. We sometimes do this too well and identify patterns that don't really exist.