This lovely puzzle (for upper-elementary and beyond) is from Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky’s 1895 painting “Mental Calculation. In Public School of S. A. Rachinsky.” Pat Ballew posted it on his blog On This Day in Math, in honor of the 365th day of the year.
I love the expressions on the boys’ faces. So many different ways to manifest hard thinking!
Here’s the question:
No calculator allowed. But you can talk it over with a friend, as the boys on the right are doing.
You can even use scratch paper, if you like.
Thinking About Square Numbers
And if you’d like a hint, you can figure out square numbers using this trick. Think of a square number made from rows of pennies.
Can you see how to make the next-bigger square?
Any square number, plus one more row and one more column, plus a penny for the corner, makes the next-bigger square.
So if you know that ten squared is one hundred, then:
… and so onward to your answer. If the Russian schoolboys could figure it out, then you can, too!
Update
Simon Gregg (@Simon_Gregg) added this wonderful related puzzle for the new year:
Do you enjoy math? I hope so! If not, the links in this post just may change your mind.
Welcome to the 114th edition of the Math Teachers At Play math education blog carnival — a smorgasbord of articles by bloggers all around the internet who have great ideas for learning, teaching, and playing around with math from preschool to pre-college.
By the way, I found a cool, semi-self-referential trivia tidbit about our carnival number: 27 − 14 = 114. And if you put 114 dots into a 1←7 Exploding Dots machine, you’ll get the code 222. Pretty neat!
As you scroll through the links below, you find several puzzle graphics from the wonderful Visual Patterns website. Use them as conversation-starters with your kids: What do you notice? How does each pattern grow? For older students: Can you write a formula to describe how each pattern? What will it look at stage 43?
Pattern #7, Trees
A BIT OF FUN
Setting the mood: Enjoy this bit of seasonal fidgeting from Vi Hart (@vihartvihart).
If you don’t understand some of the references, that’s normal! Pick a phrase, Google it, and enjoy the fun of learning something new.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
And now, on to the main attraction: the blog posts. Some articles were submitted by their authors; others were drawn from the immense backlog in my rss reader. If you’d like to skip directly to your area of interest, click one of these links.
I’ve been following Sonya’s Arithmophobia No More blog for a couple of years, and I love the work she is doing. But this month, she’s teamed up with Lacy at Play, Discover, Learn (another great blog to follow!) to offer a humongous bundle of playful math.
You get math journaling pages, games, creative task cards, thought-provoking worksheets, and video training resources to help you build your child’s understanding of math from arithmetic to early algebra. Wow!
These activities are perfect for homeschooling families or anyone looking to supplement their child’s current math curriculum with effective discovery-based activities. If you’ve ever wondered what to do with those Cuisenaire rods you picked up on sale way back when, this bundle is for you.
I’m so looking forward to using some of these ideas with my elementary homeschool co-op kids next year!
If you’ve been reading my blog for very long, you’ve probably seen how much I love the blog, books, and classes available from the Natural Math folks.
Their newest book is just off the presses — Funville Adventures, a math adventure chapter book.
And until December 20, they’re having a holiday sale. Make your own bundle of any Natural Math books. Playful algebra, calculus for 5-year-olds, inquiry problems and more: Great deal!
(US customers only: We’re sorry we can’t offer bulk discounts for our international readers, but the complexities of international duties and tax laws are too much for this very small family business.)
Do You Know of Any Math Deals?
Apollonian greetings from my homeschool co-op kids, and best wishes for a grace-filled holiday season.
If you’ve seen a great deal or holiday price on a math resource you love, please share!
Add your deal to the comment section below, so we can all take advantage of the math joy this season.
Denise Gaskins' Let's Play Math 