E Brainteaser Puzzle
I recently ran across the E Brainteaser Puzzle. I immediately knew I *had* to create a version of this “E Puzzle” for my classroom. An excerpt of the book Quests and Quandaries: Exploring Intellectual Interests in Depth [link no longer exists] showed up in my google search results. It was through this excerpt that I discovered this delightful brainteaser.
In the E Brainteaser, students are given paper cut-outs of the letters C, E, and L. They are tasked with using all 3 letters (no overlapping allowed) to create a new letter E.
This can be achieved without flipping any of the pieces over, so this will make a perfect magnetic puzzle to put up on my classroom’s dry erase board.
The author of the book poses this as a way to have students practice the problem-solving strategy of “Change Your Perspective.” Because the book poses the question and immediately shares the solution (I guess it is a teacher’s guide…), I didn’t get a chance to attempt to solve this puzzle on my own.
I did give the puzzle to my husband to tackle to see how he would handle it. He tried many different configurations with little success. I ended up having to give him a hint. Once I did this, he immediately found the answer.
E Brainteaser Puzzle (PDF) (2420 downloads )
E Brainteaser Puzzle (Editable Publisher File ZIP) (1168 downloads )
If you’re going to use this e brainteaser puzzle with students, I would definitely recommend solving it yourself before presenting it in class!
Want more puzzles? Check out my puzzles page!
Puzzle Solutions
I intentionally do not make answers to the printable math puzzles I share on my blog available online because I strive to provide learning experiences for my students that are non-google-able. I would like other teachers to be able to use these puzzles in their classrooms as well without the solutions being easily found on the Internet.
However, I do recognize that us teachers are busy people and sometimes need to quickly reference an answer key to see if a student has solved a puzzle correctly or to see if they have interpreted the instructions properly.
If you are a teacher who is using these puzzles in your classroom, please send me an email at sarah@mathequalslove.net with information about what you teach and where you teach. I will be happy to forward an answer key to you.
Not a teacher? Go ahead and send me an email as well. Just let me know what you are using the puzzles for. I am continually in awe of how many people are using these puzzles with scouting groups, with senior adults battling dementia, as fun activities in their workplace, or as a birthday party escape room.
More Puzzles with Movable Pieces
- Christmas Tree Square Edge Matching Puzzle
- 8 Queens Puzzle
- Pentominoes Truck Puzzle
- Hawai’i Square Edge Matching Puzzle
- Pentominoes Parrot Puzzle
- Math Symbol Square Edge Matching Puzzle
- Avoid Three Game (and Challenge Puzzle)
- Thanksgiving Square Edge Matching Puzzle
- Veterans Day Square Edge Matching Puzzle
- Diwali Square Edge Matching Puzzle
- Pentominoes Mammoth Puzzle
- Halloween Square Edge Matching Puzzle
That was fun. I kept thinking, this is impossible, can't be done. Then I read the problem-solving strategy name, and it was easy. Very cool!
This link does not work – the download does not work.
I just updated the links to the files for the E Brainteaser Puzzle. So sorry about that! Thanks for letting me know they weren’t working. I really appreciate it!
Love the E Brainteaser Puzzle.