P201 Menu

Exploratories

Logic Puzzle: This is a sample from Penny Press, Dept. LPVP. 6 Prowitt St., Norwalk, CT 06855-1220. You can obtain back issues rather cheaply. Puzzles can also usually be obtained locally (our Kroger store carries them). I've found students generally like them.

I like to stress the logic of the language but clear connections can also be made with mathematics. Each set of "variables" could be labeled with w, x, y, z, etc.

This sample is given to encourage you to use these puzzles with your students in science, english, math. Note that each set of "variables" (ex... names, occupation, location, etc). can be thought of as math unknowns... ex names = x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, occupations = y1, y2, etc. location = z1, z2, etc. Then you might find that x3 = z2 ... and z2 = y5... therefore x3 = y5.

 

After the annual opening meeting of the Pennsylvania Rolling Rollers roller-coaster fan club, five members gathered to work out the details for the club's first trip of the year. Each member's interest in roller coasters was initially kindled by working a summer job at a different amusement park. They agreed in the end to go to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, where each has a different favorite ride. Each also likes to shout something different while plummeting down the first drop on a ride. From the information provided, can you determine each member's exclamation, as well as each one's favorite ride at Great Adventure and the park where each used to work.

 1. Jethro (whose favorite ride isn't Skull Mountain) is neither the one who shouts "Timber" nor the one who used to work at Six Flags Over Texas. Jethro never worked at Busch Gardens in Virginia.

2. The one whose favorite ride is Skull Mountain used to work at Knott's Berry Farm in California. Lenny is neither the one who shouts "Timber" nor the one who once worked at Busch Gardens in Virginia.

3. The one whose favorite ride is the Great American Scream Machine (who used to work at Playland in Rye, New York) is neither the one who shouts "Cowabunga" nor the one who shouts "Geronimo".

4. Kerry, who isn't the one who used to work at Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom in Pennsylvania, isn't the one who shouts "Whoopee" (whose favorite ride is Batman the Ride).

5. Neither the one who shouts "Geronimo" (who isn't Kerry) nor the one who shouts "Banzai" is the one whose favorite ride is the Runaway Train.

6. The one who shouts "Geronimo" (who isn't Irwin) isn't the one who used to work at Knott's Berry Farm. Hannah never worked at Busch Gardens in Virginia.

7. The one who shouts "Cowabunga" isn't the one whose favorite ride is the Runaway Train.

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Hanna...........                              
 Irwin............                                  
 Jethro...........                                  
 Kerry...........                                  
 Lenny...........                                  

 BuschGarden                    
 Dorney.Park                    
 Knotts.Berry                    
 Playland                    
 Six.Flags                    

 Batman.........          
 Dream.Mach.          
 Runaway.......          
 Skull..Mtn.          
 Viper.............          

 

Solution:

 Member

 Exclamation

 Ride

 Park

 Hanna      
 Irwin      
 Jethro      
 Kerry      
 Lenny