Creative Math Camp—Toothpick Puzzles

Each session, we will begin with a brief number talk or visual problem to warm up.  Each session will focus on a different toothpick puzzle.  These puzzles are visual in nature and are highly engaging.  After making sure all students understand the challenge, ample time will be given for students to work on their own to solve the puzzle.  We will come together to discuss solutions, challenges, strategies, and further questions that arise periodically throughout the class.  Students will get to share their own thinking by showing their models or drawing on the whiteboard.  Depending on the progress of the class, we may have time for extension puzzles or more than one puzzle in some classes. 

 I believe in providing the opportunity for students to discover their own solutions and methods for solving challenging problems.  I prefer to encourage students to share and collaborate when stuck, rather than me blurting out an answer.  I try to guide rather than show--I want the students to take ownership of the problems and their own thinking.  I want to support all learners, and can modify for learners as needed.

The challenges planned for the camp are from AIMS--Activities Integrating Math and Science and are:
Session one--Toothpick Teasers--after arranging your toothpicks as I will show you, follow the instructions in each puzzle to make exactly three congruent squares.
Session 2--Toothpick Puzzlers--How can you make different numbers on squares from an arrangement of 12 toothpicks by moving or removing some of the toothpicks?
Session 3--Square Pickings--how can you use the eight sticks of different lengths to form exactly three squares?
Session 4--Flipping Fish--How can you make the toothpick fish face a different direction by moving the fewest number of toothpicks?
Session 5-Square Toothpick Challenge--How can you change the number of squares by moving or removing a given number of toothpicks from the original arrangement?
Bonus (in case we get through other puzzles more quickly)--Penning a Half-Dozen--How can you create six equal-sized shapes using 12 toothpicks without cutting or overlapping the toothpicks?

Depending on how long each puzzle takes, we may have time for additional puzzles or other games.