Help: Thinking Skills and Calculator Activity

[cmansell]

Hi Everyone,

I once saw (and subsequently acquired) a few years back, an activity that had a calculator where all the buttons had been removed, and replaced in the wrong locations. The students were then given some clues in the form of maths questions to work out where the numbers should go. for example, pressing 7 + 7 gave the answer 4, so the 7 key needed to go where the 4 normally is. You get the idea?

Problem is, I lost the resource, and I can't remember the clues. I want to make a flipchart resource of this, so if anyone has any ideas, or knows the resource, then I'd be grateful.

Thanks

Craig

[Daniel Bunker]

Not the resource your looking for I think, but nevertheless a useful problem solving exercise attached. Flipchart also contains a link to an online calculator that can be customised in terms of available keys and goals. Can't download this though as it appears to be locked.

[cmansell]

No, not the one. But this is great!

The link works to the online one too.

Thanks

Craig

[scaulfield]

Craig,

If you find the lesson that you are looking for, please post it here. From the sounds of it, the broken calculator sounds like a great math activitiy!

[BenPosner]

Dan,

What a great activity! I (personally) loved playing with the broken calculator! If I had that much fun, one can only imagine how much fun the children will have!

~Ben

PS: One of my troublemaking angels was down with me in the office during my planning period, and he was able to play Level 1 and Level 2 of this game... Third grade... And he even tried Level 3, but was lost with square roots!

[karenadams]

Wow - that is pretty neat. Made me feel like I really need some serious math tutoring of my own.

Thanks for sharing!