solve it
Annie Perkins and Pamela J. Wells
We encourage classroom teachers to pose this problem to their
students and submit creative
solutions to share with our
readers. Please include a brief
analysis of the specific strategy;
examples of original student
work or high quality digital images (include signed release for
student work found at http://
www.nctm.org/pubsforms/);
and your name, the school
name and address, and your
email address. Email submissions to Pamela J. Wells
at [email protected], by
January 15, 2017. Selected
student work will be published
and credited by first name.
(Answers on page 253)
DAVID FRANKLIN/THINKSTOCK
little problems with big solutions
Making Squares
Ms. Harper needs a large number of congruent squares for a craft project
for her students. She finds a large piece of cardboard that measures
588 cm × 630 cm. She would like to use all the cardboard, with no
waste, and wants the squares to be as large as possible.
1.What are the dimensions of the largest squares that Ms. Harper can
create without having any leftover cardboard? Remember that all squares
must be congruent. How do you know that no other larger size is possible?
2.How many squares of that size will Ms. Harper be able to create?
Ms. Harper decides that a nonsquare rectangle might work better for her
students’ craft project. She cuts the 588 cm × 630 cm piece of cardboard into 108 congruent rectangles with no waste.
3.What are the dimensions of the rectangles that Ms. Harper could create?
Are there any other dimensions she could have used? How do you know?
The solutions to Solve It, online at
www.nctm.org, are available to
NCTM members only.
196
CCSSM: 6.NS.B.4
SMP 1, 2, 3, and 4
MATHEMATICS TEACHING IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL
●
Vol. 22, No. 4, November 2016
Copyright © 2016 The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc. www.nctm.org.
All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed electronically or in any other format without written permission from NCTM.