Why I love this problem: First, you can easily make this hands-on by asking students to stand in a circle, choosing a "skip number", and then passing a ball around to every nth person. Students can see for themselves exactly who touches the ball and who gets left out. Second, once you start …
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Two Coins
Why I love this problem: It’s accessible to anyone who can add, but can engage students of ALL ages. Plus, the problem starts with an open space where you can just explore BEFORE we ask an interesting question -- what numbers can you make with an unlimited supply of 3 and 7 coins? This gives all …
Beat the Tax Collector
Why I love this problem: At first, students usually think it is impossible to beat the tax collector. After some trial and error, they figure out it is possible to beat the tax collector. By this time, they are highly motivated to try and find the best possible set of paychecks and to explore other …