Logic Puzzle Presentation

Your job is to learn all about a logic puzzle, present it to the class, and provide examples for the class to work on (in class). You will then move throughout the class, providing support and giving clues (if necessary) to ensure that as many people as possible are successful with your puzzle.

Here is a list of puzzles that you might want to consider:

-  strimko

-  shikaku

-  drop quotes

-  hanjie

-  skyscrapers

-  numberlinks

-  slitherlink

-  kakuro

-  fill-in

-  futoshiki

-  kenken

-  jigsaw puzzles

-  ripple effect

-  masyu

-  battleships

-  circle sums

-  hashi

-  tic-tac logic

-  abc path

-  hitori

-  kakurasu

-  menseki meiro (area maze)

Many of these games (and others!) are found / described at the following websites:

-  http://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/index.html

-  http://www.brainbashers.com/logicpuzzles.asp

-  http://www.griddlers.net/pages/help/nlp

Here’s the list of steps you need to follow (closely):

  1. Pick a puzzle – it can be one of the ones listed above… or not. However, it MUST be a puzzle of a sort that many different examples exist. In other words, do not just find a couple of “cool questions” that require a bit of logic to solve (“how do you get the fox, turnip, and goat to the other side of the river?” etc). If you do not choose one of the puzzles listed above, check with me before you proceed any further.
  2. Sign up for a day to present your puzzle to the class – we will have someone present to the class every second week or so.
  3. Learn a little bit about your puzzle – does it have other name(s)? Where was it invented? By who? When? How popular is it? Etc.
  4. Learn how to solve your puzzle – read the instructions for your puzzle and try solving a few EASY examples. Do you understand? Try a few more difficult problems. Don’t understand? Come see me for help (not promising I will do any better than you).
  5. Start figuring out some of the strategy for your puzzle – where are good places to start your puzzle? Are there certain places that you HAVE to “guess-and-check” or will logic always work? You can discover some of the strategies on your own (ideally) but feel free to look up stuff online as well.
  6. Find / copy / print puzzles for the class to solve – you must have at least one EASY puzzle, one MEDIUM puzzle, and one HARD(er) puzzle. You should be able to solve the EASY puzzle for sure, and hopefully the MEDIUM one too, but it’s totally okay if you can’t solve the HARD problem.
  7. Give your sheet of puzzles to Mr. Wadge – I will make enough copies for the class. Your puzzles should fit on one piece of paper
  8. Present to the class – after explaining your puzzle and handing out your sheet, your work is not over! You must move throughout the room and offer advice / support (where needed) without merely giving answers! You need to manage your time so that students can hear your presentation and still have ample time to work on the puzzles in class because…

…THE PUZZLES CAN NOT BE SOLVED OUTSIDE OF CLASS TIME!!!

Part of your mark will rely on you working on puzzles in class. Yes, you can work with others. Yes, you will get support from the presenter (and me). No, you are not expected to solve every single problem. But I want to see you actively striving to solve these problems (not relying on the genius who sits beside you). Your mark will be largely effort based (though I would hope that everyone could solve most of the EASY problems).

Because you can not solve the problems in class, you need to be in class on these days! At the end of the year, I will throw out your two lowest marks. Not being present counts as a “0”. So don’t miss more than two of these classes!