This article describes the connection between a novel puzzle and uses of algebra to generalize the fewest moves to solve it.

The process of diffusion is described as the movement of a substance from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. In this article, the authors present a novel way to introduce students to diffusion through the use of an analytical puzzle. This exercise engages students in active learning through a thought provoking exercise…

This Solar System Puzzle Kit for grades 5-8, allows students to create an eight-cube paper puzzle of the solar system and may be duplicated for classroom use or used as a take home activity for children and parents. By assembling the puzzle, hand-coloring the bodies of the solar system, and viewing the puzzle's 12 sides, students can reinforce…

Five puzzles in which mathematical terms must be found in arrays of letters are presented. (SD)

The introduction of toys reversed the decline of the Valley Falls Branch Library, Cumberland, Rhode Island. (PF)

Five reproducible puzzles are presented which test students' skills in math, visual discrimination, and decoding. (MT)

The article discusses the use and some kinds of games as teaching aids in a classroom environment. (JA)

Reprinted are miscellaneous articles from The Mathematical Gazette dealing primarily with mathematical puzzles and mathematical enrichment. (CT)

Benjamin Banneker, a self-taught African American mathematician, kept a journal containing a number of mathematical puzzles. Explores four of these puzzles, 200 years later, with the aid of 21st century technology. (Author/NB)

This article describes the combinatorial thinking involved in computing one's score in the game of cribbage. It deals only with counting the hand; it does not describe the game in its entirety.

This study explores cultural differences between European American (n = 26) and Asian American (n = 17) parents' attributional ratings of children with Down syndrome. Links were examined among parents' attributions, reactions, and behaviors regarding their child's jigsaw-puzzle performance. Although the children's puzzle abilities did not differ,…

In a task choice situation, why do some students spontaneously choose challenging tasks while others do not? In the study, 114 undergraduate students were first asked of their perceived competence and interest in solving number puzzles at both individual and situational levels, and then asked to choose one puzzle from four difficulty levels. They…

"Exploring" is a magazine of science, art, and human perception, produced by Exploratorium in collaboration with other participating museums. This issue focuses on puzzles and problem solving. Brain teasers, puzzles, and the strategies for solving them are included. Features include: (1) "Homework Assignment #3" (Paul Doherty);…

This study investigated gender differences in preschoolers' problem solving. Ten boys and 10 girls from the same preschool class with a median age of 4 years 1 month from multicultural middle class families participated. Children were presented with a separate novel form board puzzle designed for young children each day for 3 days in a…