Click here to access this program.
This program is a lot of fun. It reminds me of the Towers of Hanoi Puzzle and the Peg Puzzle because it requires students to use their problem solving solving skills. In addition, it requires students to use their measurement and arithmetic skills.
A teacher could easily spark interest in this program by showing students a clip from a Die Hard movie where the police officers had to solve a riddle that involved getting a certain amount of water in two jugs. However, the program is interesting even without this hook.
While some of the virtual manipulatives are not such a "big deal" because one might be better off using real manipulatives, this program allows students to do problems that could be very messy if they were solved in "real life". In fact, most math classrooms do not have sinks, so to do these problems in "real life" in a math classroom would be very challenging. One would have to go to a science classroom, an art classroom, or a home economics classroom..
This program can be found under the measurement tab for grades six through eight. However, this could certainly be a fun program that a math teacher could give to lower level high school math classes.
As teachers, it is important to select activities that will get the students to be engaged. Since students are stimulated by "exciting" video games, computer programs, electronic equipment, and television shows, it is important to make class activities and homework assignments as much fun as possible. This program does just this by creating interesting problem-solving scenarios.
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