Math Problem Solving Game

Posted by David Wetzel

Often there are times in class when students finish their work or test early. Instead of students twiddling their thumbs physically or mentally, give them a challenging math problem to solve. Problem solving in math promotes critical thinking and math reasoning skills, as students develop solutions to complex mathematical situations.

The Problem

A strategy game which takes advantage of the movements of a specific chess piece - the Knight.

Knights can only move 2 spaces forward and then 1 space to the right or left or 1 space forward and then 2 spaces right or left.

The Challenge

How can a knight in the lower left hand corner of a 5×5 grid visit each square exactly once?

The knight may not revisit a square.

The Procedures

Students can select anywhere to start on the 5 x 5 grid.

Place a 1 in the starting square.

Then place a 2 in the next square and so forth as the strategy game continues

One excellent characteristic of this game is that there are multitude of solutions. Here is one solution:

Extensions

Use different size grids, such as 8 x 8 or 6 x 6.

Additional Math Problem Solving Resources

12 Tips for Solving Word Problems

Math and Problem Solving Skills

Math Teaching Strategies that Challenge Students