Grade 6 and 7 MYP Exploratory students have been tackling with the following questions for the last several weeks:
- What makes a good mathematics problem?
- How can a mathematics problem transcend time, culture and regional boundaries?
- What does solving an interesting mathematics problem tell us about ourselves?
Here is an example of such a problem:
“A colony is to be built for three dangerous criminals who are not allowed to have any contact with each other. Each criminal needs to have a direct route (a road) to three facilities, a library, grocery store and hospital. How is the colony to be built?”
Think about the following questions:
- How can you design the colony?
- What limitations are set, and how are they linked to YOU as a learner?
- What is the history behind this problem and where is the “mathematics” behind it?
- Is it even possible, and how can you know?
Those of you interested in tackling this problem are invited to do so and share their answers with their child’s Math teacher.
Bryan Landmann
HoD Mathematics
