Numbered words
~Rajkishore
Playground Mathematics | Activities for the Mathematics ^Class | Rajkishore |September 2014|
www.teachersofindia.org | Azim Premji Foundation
Activity for Grade VIII
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Interdisciplinary (Numbers & English spelling)
Applicable to NCERT Grade VIII
Can be both learner-driven and teacher-assisted
Theme: Creating Number Puzzles & Games
Tools needed are dummy mobile keypad
Dictionary/Low end mobile phone
Playground Mathematics | Activities for the Mathematics ^Class | Rajkishore September 2014
|www.teachersofindia.org | Azim Premji Foundation
Objective
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Appreciation for patterns
Understanding the basics of number patterns
Using numbers to code messages
Breaking and making simple codes
Playground Mathematics | Activities for the Mathematics ^Class | Rajkishore September 2014
|www.teachersofindia.org | Azim Premji Foundation
Puzzles in the form are riddles are quite common. When puzzles are
coded, it adds more fun to it.
For example, when A is coded as 1, B as 2, C as 3, the code for the
word CAB is 312.
The limitation of this way of coding can be understood when we
convert CL into the number we get 312. There is no way we can
ascertain whether the original 312 is CAB or CL, as the code for L is 12.
Playground Mathematics | Activities for the Mathematics ^ Class | Rajkishore |June 2012
www.teachersofindia.org | Azim Premji Foundation
PRINT & DISTRIBUTE THIS AS PER CLASS NEED
When we use a keypad version of assigning digits to
letters, 2 can mean A, B or C and 9 can mean W, X, Y
or Z.
CUP, when coded this way it becomes 287 (as 2 stands
for C, 8 stands for U and 7 stands for P). Interestingly,
by the same coding, 287 also means BUS.
The idea of trying out various combinations and then
picking the meaningful word(s) helps them appreciate
the art of coding.
Let them guess the words that are number coded.
They are free to use a dictionary.
Playground Mathematics | Activities for the Mathematics ^Class | Rajkishore September 2014
|www.teachersofindia.org | Azim Premji Foundation
• 228 = more than 1 word is possible
Playground Mathematics | Activities for the Mathematics ^Class | Rajkishore September 2014
|www.teachersofindia.org | Azim Premji Foundation
• 543 = more than 2 words are possible
Playground Mathematics | Activities for the Mathematics ^Class | Rajkishore September 2014
|www.teachersofindia.org | Azim Premji Foundation
• 736 = 1 word is possible
Playground Mathematics | Activities for the Mathematics ^Class | Rajkishore September 2014
|www.teachersofindia.org | Azim Premji Foundation
• 333 = more than 1 word is possible
Playground Mathematics | Activities for the Mathematics ^Class | Rajkishore September 2014
|www.teachersofindia.org | Azim Premji Foundation
• 867 = 1 word is possible
Playground Mathematics | Activities for the Mathematics ^Class | Rajkishore September 2014
|www.teachersofindia.org | Azim Premji Foundation
• 738 = more than 1 word is possible
Playground Mathematics | Activities for the Mathematics ^Class | Rajkishore September 2014
|www.teachersofindia.org | Azim Premji Foundation
The game so far is to predict the word(s).
At the end of the class the learners are asked to think about the possible
uses of the digits 1 & 0 for this game. (All answers are welcome)
Playground Mathematics | Activities for the Mathematics ^Class | Rajkishore September 2014
|www.teachersofindia.org | Azim Premji Foundation
Related links for the teacher
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EGDCh75SpQ Do Numbers Really Exist?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predictive_text How a T9 dictionary in a mobile
phone predicts the word.
Playground Mathematics | Activities for the Mathematics ^Class | Rajkishore September 2014
|www.teachersofindia.org | Azim Premji Foundation