Have an Easter Egg Hunt...Author(s): Beverly D. Lampe and Jean ArganianSource: The Mathematics Teacher, Vol. 71, No. 3 (March 1978), p. 193Published by: National Council of Teachers of MathematicsStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27961204 .

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sharing teaching ideas

Have an Easter Egg Hunt...

Every year near Easter, a strange mathe matical event takes place. Students in an accelerated geometry class can be seen wan

dering around the room in a variety of odd ways. Some are on their tiptoes, walking across the floor and mumbling to them selves. Others are walking around with their necks craned in the air or are running their hands up the walls. There is a strange

mumbling, "1, 2, 3, ... ," and a lot of

pointing to various objects. This activity is

usually done in pairs, with each twosome

clutching an index card. Sound strange? This unusual activity is

used to culminate the unit on locus. Each student in the class develops three locus

problems whose answers are objects inside the geometry room. Problems and answers are put on the reverse sides of an index card. Directions such as north, south, front, and back are employed, as well as bricks in the wall for height and floor tiles for length and width. Two cochairmen then collect the problems and check for read

ability and reasonableness. They pick teams, who draw a card and then work

together to find the locus. If a team finds the locus the members

bring their card to the chairmen, who check their verbal answer with the one on the back of the card. For correct answers each team member receives a chocolate Easter

egg, (my treat) and the team is given an other problem. If the team's solution is not correct, the chairmen get the eggs. The game continues for any specified length of time, such as half a class period.

The correct answer is determined by the author of the problem. If anyone questions it, the chairmen check it. If there is still a

disagreement, I check it, though incorrect

answers are seldom a problem. This activity is often accompanied by en

tertainment from class members. Once it was a trio (french horn, violin, and trum

pet!); another time it was a song, "Hopping down the Locus Path"; and once on April 1 there was an election for King and Queen Fool.

Sample problems follow:

1. The locus is 29 ceiling tiles from the side blackboard, not less than 4 wall tiles from the ceiling, and not less than 5 wall tiles from the floor. Hint: Look out! (Ans.: the windows)

2. The locus is a point on the plane of the floor that is 3J floor tiles from the south wall and 10? floor tiles from the front of the room. (Ans.: the foot of the right front leg of S.B.'s desk)

3. Find the locus of points equidistant from rows 2 and 3, intersected by a segment joining the third seats in those two rows.

4. Find the locus of all points 3 tiles from the door corner and 11 tiles up from the floor and in the plane of the east wall. (Ans.: the little red intercom light)

5. Find the locus of all points 13/2 blocks from the floor, /1"/2 tiles from the south wall, and \/ 100/2 tiles from the west wall. (Ans.: the top point of the cone on the heat register)

6. Find the locus of all points 4 tiles above the floor and 5 tiles below the ceiling. (Ans.: the empty set)

Beverly D. Lampe, teacher Jean Arganian, student LaFollette High School Madison, Wl 53716

March 1978 193

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