Mathematical Mystery Code
Jerry Burkhart · 2021
It is possible to solve parts of the code correctly without figuring out the whole thing. They are many "small" patterns inside a larger general pattern that ties all of them together. After students have completed Stage 1, they need to look through the rest of the exploration with them to see the big picture. In Stage 2, they focus on understanding why the code works, which leads to an exploration of properties of exponents. The most important problem is #7. In Stage 3, the emphasis shifts to applying their new knowledge to solve problems about a new kind of "magic square." This offers students a chance to begin thinking about the meaning of negative exponents.