Challenging Our Minds Weblog

This is our version of the Soduko type puzzles. All of the puzzles are randomly generated so that every time the program is run, the puzzles are different. On Level 1, only nine numbers are missing. There are eighteen missing for Level 2 and twenty-seven missing for Level 3. As with all of the tasks in COM, we are trying to develop good methods of approaching a task, thinking about what you need to do to accomplish the task, making a plan and carrying out the plan in an organized, structured manner. We are not trying to teach people how to play the games, but rather we are using the games as a means to develop good thinking skills that can be used anywhere and in any situation.

I have observed, on many occasions, that when I ask a person to do Nines All Around, they will just immediately start in the upper left corner area without any analysis or study of the whole puzzle. Think about ways to simplify a difficult task and make it easier to do. Look for a row, column or red square group that only has one digit missing. Every time you place a digit, look at the row, column and red square that contains the digit you just put in to see if you created more easy answers. Usually there are more than one way to do something. Some ways are better than others. Most of the time there will be at least one way that is much better than the other ways. Spend a little time thinking about what would be the best way to accomplish what you are doing - in daily life and with your school work.

Task 2 - Pyramids - You will need to experiment with this a little to see what happens when you move the disks in different patterns. Do not just keep moving them until you stumble on the correct order. Watch what happens and think about the pattern. Where does the first move need to be? Does the position of the gold post make any difference? Once you gather all of this information you will be able to deduce the answer.

Task 5 - Deduce It - Although this task involves some math, it only requires simple addition and subtraction. Do not let it overwhelm you! If you have to use paper and pencil in the beginning go ahead but try to be able to do it in your head by the time you get to level three. This is not timed so you can take all the time you need. Talk aloud as you work the math part of the problems. Sometimes the first thing you need to do is not the first thing that you read in the problem. Sometimes the last thing you read is the first thing you should do when you start to solve the problem. Be structured! Always put the small numbers to the left and the larger numbers to the right so there is some order in your answers. Go ahead and form a hypothesis (in other words a good guess) of what an answer may be and put it on the screen. Then you can keep changing the numbers (with some system about it) until you find numbers that satisfy the problem.