Symmetric Square Puzzle
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Today I finally got around to taking down the last puzzle we tackled before Christmas Break. It is always my aim to switch out my puzzles on a weekly basis, but sometimes the hectic nature of the classroom prevails. This was a reminder that I haven’t shared this symmetric square puzzle here on the blog yet.
This Symmetric Square puzzle is from Robert Allen’s Mensa All-Color Puzzle Book. It’s an okay puzzle book for personal puzzling, but I struggled to find enough puzzles with classroom applications to really recommend it for teachers to purchase.
Students are given ten tiles which must be arranged in such a way that a square is formed in which each horizontal line matches up with a vertical line. You should notice quite quickly that this partial attempted solution does not work.
Only a day after I tweeted a picture of the puzzle on my dry erase board, Tracy Esposito was sending me pictures of student reflections after having her year 6 class tackle this puzzle. How awesome is that?!?
Puzzle Solutions
Puzzle solutions are available on a password-protected solution page. I do not openly post the puzzle answer keys because one of my goals as a resource creator is to craft learning experiences for students that are non-google-able. I want teachers to be able to use these puzzles in their classrooms without the solutions being found easily on the Internet.
Please email me at sarah@mathequalslove.net for the password to the answer key database featuring all of my printable puzzles and math worksheets. I frequently have students emailing me for the answer key, so please specify in your email what school you teach at and what subjects you teach. If you do not provide these details, I will not be able to send you the password.
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, or as fun activities in their workplace. Just give me enough details so I know you are not a student looking for answers to the puzzle that was assigned as their homework!
Your blog has inspired my teaching SO MUCH. I teach grade 7 in Vancouver BC. I hope you know how much we appreciate the effort you put into this blog. THANK YOU!
A little confused… The square piece has two 6s, and there is a 2×1 piece with a 0 & 9. Those are both obvious because they're underlined. Then there's a 3×1 piece that doesn't have any underlining, but based on the direction of the 5 it seems to read 5,8,6. Is the 6 not underlined on purpose, or just because it's unnecessary since the orientation of the 5 gives it away? Or are they supposed to struggle with if it's a 6 or 9?
That was just an oversight… It should be underlined.
Hi Sarah.
Thank you so much.
It's a great job you're doing here.