Issue 75: Christmas Puzzles

Subject(s): Mathematics | Age: 11-14 | 14-16 | Type: Teacher guidance | Publication Year: 2010 to date

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These four puzzles were initially published in 1917 but are now presented by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) in their Secondary magazine as starting points for mathematical exploration.

Each puzzle is accompanied by the period text and illustrations and a solution with further ideas to explore within the same theme.

Twelve mince pies is a spatial reorganisation puzzle

Mrs Smiley’s Christmas present, although set in a spatial context involves finding square numbers which are themselves square numbers

The Christmas pudding involves dissecting a circle in two parts of equal shape and size

The calendar puzzle concerns the prediction of which day a certain event would occur on.

URL: http://stem.org.uk/rx6ye

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