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Master the art of the squaring off puzzle! Rotate and arrange given rectangular pieces to create a perfect square, testing your problem-solving skills.
Thanksgiving Break is here, and I am oh so grateful for these few days off. This year has felt like one long learning curve as I figure out what life looks like as a teacher, wife, and mother of an almost seven month old who definitely keeps me on my toes these days.
When I first started blogging, people would often leave comments wondering where I had the time. I now completely understand this sentiment. So, instead of making more excuses about why I don’t have time to blog these days, let’s write a quick blog post!
One of my goals last year was to post a different magnetic puzzle on my dry erase board each week. I did post some magnetic puzzles, but I only ended up changing them out every few months or so.
This summer, when my kiddo was still a newborn who liked to sleep so mom could get some work done, I typed up a bunch of new magnetic puzzles. This year, I haven’t been perfect at changing out my magnetic puzzle every week, but the most time a single puzzle has stayed up on the dry erase board has been probably two weeks. I consider this a SUCCESS!
This past week, my students tackled the Squaring Off Puzzle from The Ultimate Clever Puzzle Book. This is the same puzzle book where I found the Big Magic Puzzle I shared earlier.
The book is out of print, but you can find used copies available on Amazon. It’s also free to borrow from Archive.org’s Virtual Library, but you may have to wait awhile if it’s checked out since there’s only one copy and each person can keep it for a maximum of two weeks.
The squaring off puzzle involves students arranging four given rectangular pieces to create a perfect square. The pieces can be rotated, but they may not be overlapped.
My students’ one complaint about this squaring off puzzle was that it was too easy. Since they often have to revisit a puzzle multiple times across the course of a puzzle to solve it, I think they were shocked when they figured it out on their first attempt!
Digital Version of Squaring Off Puzzle
Crystal Finch created a version of this puzzle in Google Slides.
Free Download of Squaring Off Puzzle
Squaring Off Puzzle (PDF) (1836 downloads )
Squaring Off Puzzle (Editable Publisher File ZIP) (732 downloads )
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.
Unknown
Monday 6th of April 2020
I'm missing something. How do you create a perfect square with these?
Sarah Carter (@mathequalslove)
Friday 15th of May 2020
Think outside the box!
veguspear
Monday 2nd of December 2019
interesting! I'm looking for game to improve my aptitude skill. this would help me. aptitude is really importance for some occupation, for exsample pilot. air traffic controller, doctor etc. and each of occupation need different aptitude skill Vegus168l เว็บพนันออนไลน์ , so if you want to be a pilot you have to your spatial skill.