Puzzle Fun




Do you like to do puzzles? I have so much fun with puzzles (I wish I had more free time that I could sit and do puzzles). I think that is why I enjoy the current topic in Pre-Calc class, Trig Identities. They are just like puzzles. You try one piece or one identity and if that doesn't work then you try another. You keep trying until you find one that fits and allows you to simplify the expression. You have to have patience with this. As we learn more identities we will have more puzzle pieces to try and it will take longer. I hope you are ready for some fun. If you have never liked puzzles before, maybe I can change your mind. By the way, we have a puzzle project coming up before Christmas break.

Comments

R G Dewar said…
I can't say I always liked Pre-Calc, but I did like those aspects where problem solving was involved. Not a big fan of puzzles either, but I like puzzles that make me think and problem solve rather than just match up pieces.
November 28, 2007 at 8:30 PM
Anonymous said…
I like puzzles, like word or number puzzles but i hate jig saw puzzles, they are boring and tedious. I think that i think in a way that i rearange things and like for patterns which is condusive to puzzle solving.

-Sam hayes
November 29, 2007 at 3:39 PM
Anonymous said…
I absolutely love to do puzzles. Whether it is a jigsaw puzzle, crossword, sudoku, solving a riddle, solving a brain teaser, or anything else, I love to do puzzles. It makes your brain work in different ways rather than the typical just reading something and answering questions, it stretches your mind in a different way and it also releases energy and stress off of the brain. That probably sounds corny but I just think puzzles are fun.
~Bri R.
November 29, 2007 at 6:09 PM
Anonymous said…
I also like to do puzzles. (jigsaws, word problems, you name it) I have a logistical mind so I enjoy doing logic problems and brain teasers. Also, I agree with Bri, puzzles make your mind think in different ways. There could be 2,3,4, or 5 ways to do one puzzle and different people may choose different ways. I enjoy the identites we're doing now because they're like puzzles, you have to try out different things before you find what works.

-Calley
November 29, 2007 at 6:53 PM
Anonymous said…
Im not a huge fan of puzzles but the trig identities that we are doing right now are fun. They require another form of thinking
November 29, 2007 at 7:13 PM
Anonymous said…
I also like puzzles because, like Bri, Calley, and Kameron said, they require you to think outside the box. The trig identities are my favorite so far in Pre-Calc because they're really satisfying to solve. And so that puzzle project coming up doesn't seem bad at all.
November 29, 2007 at 8:49 PM
Anonymous said…
I cannot say i am a puzzle lover but I do enjoy solving problems and figuring things out. This is probably why I'm enjoying the trig identities so much. I 100% agree with rosemary in that they are really satisfying to solve. It is a weird thing to admit but I cannot help but love the feeling of completing a math problem.
-Casey:]
November 29, 2007 at 9:52 PM
Anonymous said…
Life is a puzzle...and because puzzles often involve math, and because I like math, I guess I can say that I like my life and that I like puzzles :)

In all seriousness, I like puzzles very much because like Bri and Calley said, they require us to think outside the box. I also like how there can be many different ways to arrive at the same answer, and that they require an understanding of concepts instead of just memorizing facts.
November 29, 2007 at 10:04 PM
Anonymous said…
I agree with Sam H. i like math puzzles, but i don't like jigsaw puzzles. I don't mind word problems that much but i can live without them.
November 30, 2007 at 8:21 AM
Anonymous said…
I don't really like puzzles that much either but I do like what we're doing now. It brings me back to Alg2 for some reason and I loved Alg2 so its fun for me. I also agree with Calley its interesting how there are multiple ways that we can do one problem and be correct. I really like that aspect of what we're learning now.
December 1, 2007 at 11:48 AM
Anonymous said…
i have to agree with sam and kam in that math puzzles are fun compared to boring old jigsaw puzzles, those require no thinking but more guess and check.
I like what we are doing in class right now but i hope that mrs. taylor will give us the christmas gift of not assigning that puzzle project over winter break.
December 1, 2007 at 4:29 PM
Anonymous said…
I agree with Calley and Emma puzzles are interesting because there are usually
more than one way to solve them. I enjoy puzzles when i can solve them. It does
feel good after sending time on a puzzle to complete it. It is very rewarding.
Im curious to see what the puzzle project is going to consist of, i hope its fun.
-Jackie
December 2, 2007 at 2:27 PM
Anonymous said…
As Sam said I also like to do word and number puzzles but I am not a big fan of jigsaw puzzles. I dont have hte patience to sit at a table and do a huge puzzle when none of the pieces seem to be fitting together. Personally I dont like the identities that we are doing in class because they take along time for one problem and like RAvi said I am hoping that Mrs. Taylor will give us a break and not assign the project over Christmas break.
December 2, 2007 at 10:20 PM
Anonymous said…
I, too, enjoy doing word and number puzzles. Like Ravi, I enjo what we are doing in class with trig. identities right now. Hopefully our project wont be over CHristmas break...No one wants to do work over berak.
December 3, 2007 at 8:27 AM
Anonymous said…
I absolutely love puzzles. I wish I had more free time also. I like both number puzzles owrd puzzles, brain teasers and actaul board picture puzzles. I have a lot of patience for them because I enjoy them so much, along with the feeling of accomplishment that comes with finishing them. This sis why I enjoy finishign a probem with trig identities because it results in the same feeling. Also, I angre with Kelly I would very much appreciate that the project be due before break. Please and thank you.
Hillary-
December 3, 2007 at 10:05 AM
Anonymous said…
I agree with mostly everyone else. I love doing all different types or puzzles, especially logic and word puzzles. Like Hillary said, i really enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes along with finishing any type of puzzle. I like doing the Trig identities where you have to prove that they're equal because you know what you're working towards.
December 3, 2007 at 3:05 PM
Anonymous said…
I've never enjoyed puzzles except sodoku. I just don't have the patience for them. However, like Hillary, when I accomplish a puzzle, it's a good feeling to have. However, the whole process in between is often too tedious for me.
December 3, 2007 at 9:04 PM
Tim Mollins said…
Challenging puzzles are, in a sense, exciting to me. That feeling of not being able to figure something out just rattles my mind. When I'm in such a situation, I find myself trying relentlessly to figure out the solution.

It's really cool to me that others are seeing just how much fun math really is (I thought I was one of the few for the longest time...)It really seems like everyone is sincere about this being an enjoyable class. I'm so glad for the ability to just go into Pre-Calculus and have a good time. :)
December 4, 2007 at 1:21 AM
Matt said…
I am not a big fan of puzzles, i find that i lose interest in them fast, and find them annoying. I do not have enough patience to sit down and complete a puzzle. Although it is a good feeling when one is completed. Even though I don't love puzzles, I am enjoying Trig identities. I agree with what Kelly said, as fun as trig identites are, I hope we don't get a project over christmas break. :)
December 5, 2007 at 6:06 PM
Anonymous said…
I like word and number puzzles also, but, like Sam, i dont really do any jig saw puzzles. Trig identities, for me, has been my favorite thing so far. i like to rearange the tan, cot, sec, etc in order to only get sine because its like unscrambling letters, only in math form.
-Gil O'Neil
December 6, 2007 at 9:19 PM
Kayla H. said…
I love puzzles!! Jigsaw puzzles, sudoku, logic problems, word problems, crosswords, word searches---I actually do them for fun *gasp*! It's really cool when you figure something out and everything fits. I've liked Trig Identities so far, but the double-angle and half-angle ones have got me going nuts!
December 10, 2007 at 4:37 PM
Kristen said…
I can't say that i am a puzzle person. I mean I don't have the patience, like ricky said, to sit there and do a thousand piece puzzle that doesnt seem to work. I do enjoy the trig problems we are doing right now, however. They arn't extremly difficult and, like what Mrs. Taylor said, it is nice when u finally find the solution to the problem you have been rearanging around. I also agree with ravi and dont think we should have a project over christmas break =]
December 10, 2007 at 6:13 PM
Anonymous said…
I agree with Casey (way up at the top) the saticfaction of finishing any daunting task is reward enough to do it. I call it the "glow of achievement"
December 10, 2007 at 7:35 PM
Anonymous said…
Thankyou Sam, I'm glad someone shares my love for solving puzzles.

-Casey
December 10, 2007 at 7:50 PM
Anonymous said…
Okay, recommenting on my comment. Puzzles are fun if they arent too hard. This new puzzle project is insanely hard and time consuming. i think that in order to find the answer im going to have to get lucky some time, but i havent yet. If anyone has a tip on how to find the solution or at least where to start please share it. thanks,
Gil
December 16, 2007 at 5:21 PM
Anonymous said…
i agree with gil, i like sodoku and crosswords and logic type puzzles, but i dont have the patience for jigsaw puzzles, i get bored from them easily.

-Rockwell
December 18, 2007 at 12:40 PM
Kayla H. said…
Emma is right that a good deal of the stuff we do in this class brings us back to Algebra II, which is nice.
January 12, 2008 at 1:37 PM
Anonymous said…
I really like these puzzles because they require us to use prior skills. Like the fact that we have to factor in order to solve trig identities-- I never would have expected that in Algebra II. I agree with Emma and Kayla that a lot of the things we do relate back to our previous math classes; I'm really starting to see that math is all cumulative!
January 13, 2008 at 7:50 PM
Olivia said…
I love puzzles, esspecially ones for math money!!
September 7, 2012 at 1:21 PM
Anonymous said…
I love math money - such a neat idea!
September 16, 2012 at 3:12 PM
Olivia said…
Math money is possibly my favorite part about school
September 20, 2012 at 8:38 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Red Sox time is here!

Image
Everyone has reported to Spring training and the first pre-season game is Wednesday at 7:05. I am very excited, but I will have to skip this game because our boys basketball team has its playoff game at the same time and they are more important to me than the Redsox.
Read more

One School One Book

I have been reading the book "The Day the World Came to Town" and something is on my mind that I have to share with everyone. Can you believe how incredibly generous and trusting the people in Gander are? I would like to think that I would be the same, but I am not sure. I know that I would definately bring supplies to where ever the people were being placed, but I am not sure that I would open my house up to strangers. I couldn't get over how people were invited into the homes to take showers and the home owners would leave the house and tell them to make themselves at home. I would like to think that I could be that way, but I am not sure I would. What about you? Could you be that trusting of stangers?
Read more

What are you reading?

Have you read any good books lately? I am trying to find a great book for the incoming freshmen to read over the summer. The current freshmen class read "The Number Devil", but they didn't like that choice so I am trying to find something more enjoyable for the students. Right now I am reading "October Sky" by Homer Hickham. I am only 60 pages into the book, but I am enjoying the little that I have read. I would like to hear about any books that you have read and would recommend.
Read more