Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
This document accompanies a workshop to prepare students for mathematical proofs. It summarizes the activity "How to Think Sideways" using lateral logic puzzles.
Citation preview
Here is a "re-cap" of the lateral logic puzzles we did today:
• A man walks into a bar. He goes up to the bartender and asks for a glass of water. The bartender reaches under the bar, pulls out a gun, and holds it to the man's head. The man says, "thank you", and leaves.
• A man is walking down a long corridor carrying a piece of paper. The lights flicker, and he faints.
• A woman is lying face-down in a field holding a small stick. She is dead.
There are many resources for additional lateral logic puzzles including books and websites. You can Google "lateral logic puzzles" and get a bunch of hits and you can go to Barnes & Noble or Borders and find several good books. Here are a few of my favorites: "Lateral Logic Puzzles" by Erwin Brecher ($4.95) with ISBN 0-8069-0618-9; "Challenging Lateral Thinking Puzzles" by Paul Sloane & Des MacHale ($6.95) with ISBN 0-8069-8671-9; "A Case of Red Herrings" Book A1 & A2 by Thomas Camilli (I think they were $8.95 each) with ISBN 0-89455-462-x (A1) and ISBN 0-89455-483-2 (A2) and published by Critical Thinking Press. Also, the toll-free number for Critical Thinking Press is 800.458.4849. Remember that there are several things we can learn from these activities (that will be useful in life as well as mathematics classes) including:
• How to listen attentively • How to focus on what is important • How to ask good questions • How to think critically • How to reason logically • How to respect others
Finally, you may contact me, Dr. Perdue, at [email protected] if you want to ask about more lateral logic puzzles, mathematics, being a teacher, or my experiences in Rwanda.
