POTENTIAL PLUS UK 1967 2017
YEARS r 50 S fo NGE 50 CHALLE BOOK ENGE ALL CH SARY 50th ANNIVER elcome W ENGES ALL to 50 CH YEARS for 50
To celebrate 50 years of amazing children, we have collected 50 amazing challenges: one for each year of Potential Plus UK.
The challen es contained in this book are sure if you can fi nd ways around them. Some mi ht to elasticise your brain and et the co s of your enthral you and keep you entertained for a lon ima ination whirrin : there’s a riddle that will test period of time. Or you mi ht look at one or two of your mind’s a ility; a brand new lan ua e for you to the challen es and think no way is that somethin try out; and you can et creative with an innovative you’d want to try but we’d say, why not? Give it a o, way of writin poetry. you mi ht enjoy yourself!
The challen es are intended to en a e, inspire A challen e can be a competition; it can also be and… you uessed it, challen e you! They will a test. In this case, we’re not testin your ability to encoura e you to think in new ways and consider perfect these challen es; we are encoura in you thin s from di erent perspectives. There are to test the followin : opportunities to think critically, creatively and to problem-solve. ➽ Your problem-solvin skills ➽ Your creative thinkin skills This is a resource that can be worked throu h independently, as a family or in the classroom. It is ➽ Your critical thinkin skills for all a es: from early years to the over 50s. ➽ How willin are you to o out of your The beautiful thin about most of these challen es comfort zone? is that you can adapt them to your level by makin ➽ How willin are you to try somethin new? them more accessible or delvin even deeper. You mi ht race throu h some of the challen es but ➽ How willin are you to persevere throu h a you mi ht et stuck on a couple! Build resilience challen in task and not ive up? by stickin with those trickier challen es and see ➽ How willin are you to try your best?
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK: Work throu h as many challen es as you can! Can you have a o at all 50? How about doin one challen e a week? Inside this book, you will fi nd a chart to track your pro ress. Once you’ve completed as many as you can, send a photo of your chart to [email protected] and we’ll send you a certifi cate! And if you think we missed somethin out, see our bonus challen e!
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Bob Cox
PRESENTER & AUTHOR Bob is a presenter and also CREATIVE author of the 'Openin Doors' series of books which are used 1 across the U.K. to support a rich, challen in En lish curriculum! WRITING He also runs an enrichment centre for primary pupils called 'The Saturday Challen e'
www.searchingforexcellence.co.uk @BobCox_SFE The Unending Sky
I could not sleep for thinkin of the sky, The unendin sky, with all its million suns Which turn their planets everlastin ly In nothin , where the fi re-haired comet runs.
If I could sail that nothin , I should cross Silence and emptiness with dark stars passin , Then, in the darkness, see a point of loss Burn to a low, and lare, and keep amassin ,
And ra e into a sun with wanderin planets And drop behind, and then, as I proceed, See his last li ht upon his last moon’s ranites Die to dark that would be ni ht indeed.
Ni ht where my soul mi ht sail a million years, In nothin , not even death, not even tears.
John Masefi eld
The poem is from ‘Lollin don Downs’ by John Masefi eld, 1917
Published with the permission of The Society of Authors as the Literary Representative of the Estate of John Masefi eld
YOUR CHALLENGE: How can you rise to the Tell the story, in poetry or prose, of your sleepless ni ht roamin the challen e? universe in your ima ination. ➽ Make your narrative epic, What did you ‘see’ which was ‘unending’? ima inative, brave and ➽ What was your ‘point of gloss’? unusual! ➽ How could you experience a ‘million years in nothing’? ➽ Make the reader full of Did imagination and reality start to merge? wonder at your vision of the ➽ How did your sleepless night end? ‘unendin sky’
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Tom Pellereau INVENTOR AND WINNER BBC APPRENTICE 2011
TELEPATHIC www.stylfi le.com 2 @inventor_tom TEXTING
TELEPATHIC TEXTING: Would you like your phone to be able to connected to your phone, Facebook, and the understand your thou hts? Internet at all times. Technolo y and artifi cial intelli ence are Given the choice, would you have a microchip improvin so rapidly that within a few years it inserted to remind you of people’s names when may be possible for your phone to understand you bump into them or to tell you what time your thou hts and provide you with information the next train will be; to fi nd out all the capital whenever you want it. With the small addition cities in the world or to allow you to talk to your of a microchip under your skin, you could be friends without havin to talk out loud?
What would you call this chip? Would it have a name?
What are the most exciting possibilities for you about this possible future?
Are there any things that scare you about this future?
Are there any ethical implications society should start considering?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Haroon Shirwani
MODERN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT, ETON COLLEGE JANGLI Haroon is a master at Eton Colle e, where, amon other 3 thin s, he teaches Arabic, French and Spanish, and runs the Debatin Society.
Here are some sentences in Jangli (a made-up language) with their English meanings.
Waldan razu I am a writer Had waldan razu I am the writer Nardan razu an I was an athlete Latdan razo sa pe balat lato You are a teacher and you teach in a school Had waldan pe had bawal raza The writer is in the o ce Pe had bawal walom wala an He was writin a book in the o ce Pe bakaw kawu an I was eatin in a restaurant Pe had bawalom maka He works in the library Had nardantin pe had banar makan The athletes work in the stadium Pe bawaltin makan fa They will work in o ces
1. See if you can work 2. All Jan li verbs follow 3. Now translate the out the meanin s of some of the same pattern, with no followin , from Jan li into En lish. the words. Write down how you irre ular forms. You can fi nd ➽ express the followin in Jan li. the pattern by studyin the Pe balattin pe London maku. example sentences above. ➽ ➽ Pe had bawalom writer Based on this, express the ➽ the lata fa. ➽ o c e s followin in Jan li. ➽ Walo gan sa kawan ➽ and ➽ gan. ➽ a restaurant I am ➽ ➽ You are Had bakawtin pe ➽ He is banar razan gan. ➽ They are ➽ I eat ➽ You will write Extra challenge ➽ He was Based on all of the above, write some ➽ They were working sentences of your own in Jan li and its En lish meanin . You can use vocabulary from the sentences above but aim to be as ori inal as possible.
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or 4 THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING BRIGHT!
The fact that li ht can travel Firstly, by li ht, I mean the radioactive decay of the rocks). throu h the vacuum of space waves of the electroma netic The seas would be frozen, there does not seem very important spectrum: radio waves, heat, would be little chance for life, but actually I think it is one of li ht, ultraviolet, X-rays … etc. nothin would row, little would those facts, or principles, that If li ht could not travel throu h move or develop. turns out to be crucial for us all. a vacuum, we would et no Here’s why… sunli ht on Earth, we would Li ht is also the 'information see nothin : no stars, no Moon, messen er' - pretty much all Waves usually need somethin no you or me. There would be we know about the universe to travel within or on: sound virtually no heat (just the tiny comes from the study of these needs air, vibrations need solid left over heat comin up from electroma netic waves of 'li ht'. thin s, sea waves need water etc. the centre of the Earth from its Without li ht, we really would be but li ht waves are di erent, they ancient ori ins and from the in the dark! Let's explore. need nothin to travel within!
CHALLENGE I
I want you to think about the impact light has on the world: the way it provides heat and warmth; illumination and clarity.
For example, what role does light have on our notions of time passing; on what’s ‘out there’ in space; on communication and the communication of information?
Does it matter that light takes time to travel – that it doesn’t go instantly from one place to another?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Dr Jonathan Hare Dr Jonathan Hare is a freelance science communicator. His PhD work with Sir Harry Kroto led to a method of makin the THE CREATIVE SCIENCE CENTRE THE UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX football molecule C60, Buckminsterfullerene. He has worked as a ‘Time Lord’ at the National Physical Laboratory, where he worked [email protected] with atomic clocks. He has also worked on developin a as-powered www.creative-science.org.uk car with British Gas. His many television appearances include Rou h Science, Hollywood Science, COAST and Horizon. He is currently a Visitin Lecturer on Science Communication at Sussex University. He loves makin thin s, ju lin , hill walkin , amateur radio and paintin .
CHALLENGE II: YOUR VOICE ON A LIGHT BEAM
The Transmitter: take a tube, say 10cm lon and about 5cm in diameter and wrap aluminium foil around one end to form a ti ht cap or diaphra m. If you talk into the other end of the tube you can feel the foil vibrate. Allow li ht to fall on the foil and watch what the refl ected li ht does when you speak into the tube. See how it ji les around? Amazin ly, much of the information in your voice (its frequencies and amplitudes) has been transferred in the process. You have “amplitude modulated” the li ht. It's one of those experiments you wouldn't think would actually work in real life but it does - you have put your voice on a li ht beam!
The receiver: et a small solar cell from an old arden li ht (or from a hardware shop or online retailer) and wire it into the input of battery powered amplifi ed computer speakers (the small volta e from the cell will not harm the amplifi er). If you shine the refl ected li ht from the transmitter onto the solar cell as you talk into the tube, you will hear your voice comin out of the speakers. You have li ht beam communications!
For more details see my website: www.creative-science.org.uk/lightbeam.htm
➽ See how far you can et the ➽ Is the loudness best when ➽ If we ever had the communication to work. the foil is ti ht or slack. opportunity to What about the quality? communicate with alien ➽ Which is best - sunli ht or life, would a li ht beam be ➽ torchli ht? Would this work for space better than radio? communications?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Jason Buckley
DIRECTOR OF STUDIES AT GIFT
www.giftcourses.co.uk provide 5 day and residential courses for exceptionally able children
It is the Great War. CAPTAIN EAST is at one end of CAPTAIN WEST the sta e, CAPTAIN WEST at the other. These are Better rin East and sort out who’s oin be two separate locations at either end of a lon line of massacred. (Picks up phone) Get me Captain trenches. East, please. (Aside) East has a very quick mind, but I don’t trust him. Enter two carrier PIGEONS, one at each end of the sta e. They stand to attention. Phone rings at Captain East’s end.
PIGEONS (waving their wings) CAPTAIN EAST Coooo! It’s Captain West? Yes, put him throu h. (Aside) West is a clever man, but I don’t trust CAPTAINS him. Ah, a messa e from headquarters! CAPTAIN WEST The PIGEONS pass a letter to each captain. Hello East. Rum show, these orders. I CAPTAINS suppose we should toss a coin to see who oes fi rst? Thank you. Dismissed.
The PIGEONS and CAPTAINS salute each other. CAPTAIN EAST Exit PIGEONS. The CAPTAINS study their letters. (quickly) Ri ht-ho. I’ve a sixpence. Heads or tails? COLONEL NORTH (voicing the letters, o stage) Dear Captain East and Captain West, CAPTAIN WEST Heads. Er… Han on a moment. I feel awfully I know you’ll be deli hted to hear: it’s time for rum sayin this, old chap, but… how the devil the bi push. Your re iment and West’s will can I know, if you say it’s tails, that it really is, o over the top tomorrow, one at 0600 hours and that you’re not just sayin so to save your while the enemy’s still nappin . When you reach own skin. their trenches, you’ll hoist the fl a and the other re iment will join you. I’ll leave it you to decide CAPTAIN EAST who has the honour of oin fi rst - I don’t like to (looking disappointed) I resent the accusation. have favourites. Good luck. However, if you have some other su estion, I shall listen to it. Colonel North CAPTAIN WEST CAPTAIN WEST How about we each choose a number and Dash it all! It’s only two weeks before my whoever is fi rst to work out what they are leave. Whoever oes fi rst will et cut to multiplied to ether wins? ribbons. CAPTAIN EAST CAPTAIN EAST That would hardly be fair. Mathematics was Bother! My trench foot is comin alon nicely. never my subject. And I believe you were an Another two weeks and I’d be in a nice hospital.
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CAN YOU WORK OUT THIS RIDDLE? I draw you in and keep you out. accountant before the war. No, it must be I am a lock and a key. somethin that is pure chance, 50/50, just like tossin a coin. I trap you, and you stru le to be free, Yet you refuse escape if you are proud. CAPTAIN WEST And it needs to be somethin decisive. We I torture you until I confess, can’t keep ar uin about it. And then you turn torturer. CAPTAIN EAST What am I? And one more thin , if you don’t trust me to toss a coin, I don’t trust you either. So it has to be impossible to cheat.
CAPTAIN WEST Hmmm…
CAPTAIN EAST Hmmm… HAPPY PUZZLING! CAPTAIN WEST
Hmmmmmmmm… There are an infi nite number of possible solutions, some more complicated than others, but they all share some similarities.
HEADS The challenge is trickier than it fi rst For all these reasons, you can use tossin a coin as a appears. Tossing a coin is a remarkably fair decision mechanism even if both players have stron way of determining something by chance: incentives to cheat and neither player trusts the other. The challen e is to fi nd another decision mechanism ➽ It’s 50/50. that meets these criteria. ➽ It’s always one thin or the other – you know who has won. There are additional constraints ➽ You can’t cheat. in the situation: ➽ Skill, knowled e and timin have no e ect on ➽ They can only use sound the result. ➽ They cannot send human messen ers ➽ It makes no di erence who tosses the coin. to each other ➽ You can’t dispute it. ➽ Each will cheat if he can, and each expects the ➽ You cannot ain an advanta e by callin heads other to cheat if he can or tails. ➽ You cannot ain an advanta e by practisin
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Kate Snowdon
NG KIDS CALCULATING Kate Snowdon is a Sta writer for National Geo raphic Kids Ma azine. 7 National Geo raphic Kids is an excitin monthly ma azine which EXTINCTION ives boys and irls a whole new way to learn and explore their world. Packed with features, posters, puzzles, quizzes and excitin thin s to make and do, National Geo raphic Kids is a reat resource for children, parents and teachers. There are two questions to www.ngkids.co.uk Twitter: @NGKidsUK answer in this challenge: Facebook: /ngkids 1. How many animals have become extinct in the last 50 years? 2. How many animals will go extinct in the next 50 years?
The di culty with answerin these questions, is the avera e rate (between 15,000 and that they are not as simple as they fi rst seem – 18,000) of new species identifi ed per year. because no one knows how many species are You should now have worked out the out there to be in with! approximate number of species on the planet The World Resources Institute even oes as far today. Here are a few facts that can help you to as to say: “scientists have a better understandin calculate the rate of the decline, and therefore the of how many stars there are in the alaxy than number of species that have one extinct in the how many species there are on Earth." last 50 years: This is because scientists are discoverin new ➽ Experts estimate that the rapid loss of species all the time. species we are seein today is between 1,000 and 10,000 times hi her than the Somewhere between 15,000 and 18,000 new back round extinction rate (meanin the species are identifi ed each year – about half of rate of species extinctions that would which are insects. The State University of New occur if we humans were not around). York’s Colle e of Environmental Science and Forestry has been documentin thousands of ➽ Experts calculate that between 0.01 and new plants and animals every year, and have 0.1% of all species will become extinct found that the rate at which new species are each year. identifi ed remains relatively stable. How mi ht the facts chan e over the next 50 years? Are the rates of discovery and extinction YOUR CHALLENGE likely to chan e in the next 50 years? How may ➽ Research fi ures on the number of they chan e? Why? documented species from 50 years a o. How will these considerations a ect your answer ➽ Calculate how that initial number has to question 2? increased over the last 50 years, usin GOOD LUCK!
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Lydia Andal
NEW IDEALIST PUBLISHING Lydia Andal is the Autistic Founder and PATTERN Director of New Idealist Publishin . 8 www.newidealistpublishing.com POEM
Can you create a poem from a random word pattern?
THE CHALLENGE ➽ Pick one of your favourite books and make a note of the word at the start of every tenth sentence. ➽ Keep oin until you fi nd enou h words to form a short poem.
WANT TO DO MORE? ➽ If you enjoyed makin a 'Pattern Poem', why not try a di erent book and make a short story usin the same pattern?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Kirsty Bertenshaw
STEMTASTIC EXPLORING FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR 9 [email protected] THE MARIANA www.stemtastic.co.uk TRENCH
IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN!
The Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the Earth, and so far unexplored! Would you explore it? What do you think you might fi nd?
THE CHALLENGE ➽ Desi n a submersible craft that could withstand incredibly hi h pressure! Would you camoufl a e it from the sea creatures or make it bri htly coloured in case you need rescuin ? How many people would it carry? How lon would your expedition be? What would you need to take with you? ➽ Predict what you mi ht fi nd!! A portal into a new dimension, new species never before discovered, a lost sunken city……..What could be in the Mariana Trench?
WANT TO DO MORE? ➽ How much oxy en would you need for the trip? ➽ How much water would you need to carry? Could you fi nd a way to make drinkin water from the sea around you, or from your waste? ➽ How much food would you need? How many calories a day would you need? ➽ How would you communicate with the world above? How would you record what you fi nd – it is very dark in the trench! ➽ Write a story, an expedition diary, a cartoon or comic strip of your expedition! You could even fi lm diary entries durin your expedition!
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Alex Bellos
BLOGGER OF THE YEAR ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH SCIENCE WRITERS CAN YOU Alex sets a mind-bo lin puzzle 10 every Monday in the Guardian. His new book Can You Solve My SOLVE IT? Problems? A Casebook of Ingenious, Perplexing and Totally Satisfying Puzzles is available from the Guardian Bookshop and other retailers. His NEW YEAR, NEW NUMBER, children’s book Football School: Where NEW EQUATION Football Explains the World was recently shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award 2017.
Complete the countdown conundrum I do this ‘countdown equation’ every year. Because 2017 is prime, it is a little bit more 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 = 2017 di cult that last year’s equation where the Here in Numberland, we always knew that 2016 numbers had to equal 2016. In fact, there are was oin to be a bad one, since: only 652 solutions this year, compared with 890 solutions for last year, accordin to my computer 2016 = 666 + 666 + 666 + 6 + 6 + 6 pro rammer pal Zefram. (Many of these But that’s last year’s news. What’s the story about solutions are similar). 2017, arithmetically speakin ? Got that? Now let’s raise the stakes. Can you do Well, 2017 is a prime number - the fi rst since the same to this equation, which is the same as 2011, and the last until 2027. (Prime numbers above but with the 10 deleted: are those numbers that are only divisible by themselves and 1.) 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 = 2017 There are only 107 solutions to this one. More notably, 2017 is the smallest whole number whose cube root be ins with ten distinct di its: Now you have a taste for this puzzle, fi ll in the equation with the 9 deleted too: 20171/3 = 12.63480759.... Wowza! At the be innin of a new year, many 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 = 2017 mathematically curious folk spend time lookin This one only has 13 solutions. It’s interestin for satisfyin number patterns like this one that each time we remove a number the solution involvin the new date. space shrinks by a factor of about seven. Just so you are not left out of the fun, this puzzle We have to end there, since there are no is to fi ll the blanks in the followin equation, so solutions when only seven di its are left. that it makes arithmetical sense: I stipulated above that you must use only the four 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 = 2017 basic mathematical operations. But of course, if you You can use any of the basic mathematical want to show o , you can use whatever arcane or operations, +, –, x, ÷, and as many brackets as complicated mathematical operations you want. you like. So, an answer mi ht look somethin like (10 + 9 + 8) x (7 – 6 – 5)/(4 + 3 + 2 + 1) = 2017, althou h not this one since this is incorrect.
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Fixperts Fixperts is a creative social campai n and desi n education pro ramme that connects people throu h the act RETHINKING of ‘fi xin ’. We believe that fi xin is a 11 reat way to develop creative problem solvin skills and demonstrate the AN EVERYDAY power of desi n to have a positive social impact on the world around us.
This two-minute story of Edna and her sock horn is one we often show to TASK explain what Fixperts is about:
https://vimeo.com/59575065 Do you ever need to think about how you hold cutlery, brush your hair or turn the pages of a book? Probably not, right? You perform most everyday tasks hundreds of times without even being aware of how they’re done. But what would it be like to carry out these actions with a restriction to your hands?
You will need: Wooden lolly sticks or any other thin wooden stick and some maskin -tape.
Before you start: Ask someone to help you. Place a lolly stick on the inside of each of your four fi n ers, on both hands. Tape the stick to each fi n er so it can’t bend. Now tape two pairs of fi n ers to ether on each hand.
YOUR CHALLENGE: Try turning pages of a book or a newspaper. Not so easy, right?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or 12
Think: Get someone to wear the restriction and try out What is makin it di cult to turn the pa es? your invention – does it work? Did they mana e Which parts of your hands are not functionin to turn the pa es easily? If not, what can you as they would without the restriction, and what do to improve your desi n and make it work makes it harder to rip the pa es? better? Model, test and improve until you have a solution that works well. Con ratulations! You are Take o your restriction and start thinkin of a Fixpert! a desi n that would enable you to turn the pa es despite your restriction. Think about what Want to do more? made it di cult and how you mi ht overcome Usin the same restriction, try performin some these di culties. Sketch some of your ideas for additional tasks, and desi nin solutions to make ad ets or aids that could be used to overcome it possible to… the di culty. Try to draw at least fi ve di erent solutions to the problems you’ve identifi ed ➽ Zip up a jumper or a coat ➽ Eat spa hetti with a fork and knife Model, Test & Improve: ➽ Brush your hair If you have some bits of card, lolly sticks, paper clips, maskin tape – try to build a model of your best idea.
GET SOME INSPIRATION! Want to see how other Fixperts have solved similar problems? Visit fi xperts.org for lots of inspirin stories. Here are a few links to et you started:
Edna’s Sock Horn Pen Holder for Donal https://vimeo.com/59575065 https://vimeo.com/151030342
Hingehog Chair for Matan https://vimeo.com/131525933 https://vimeo.com/83916430
The Right Trousers The Perfect Ponytail https://vimeo.com/98943960 https://vimeo.com/154862608
Button Fastener for Tom https://vimeo.com/118752792
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Rob Eastaway Rob Eastaway is an author and speaker, well known for his work makin maths accessible to children THE DIFFY and adults. His bestsellin books 13 include Maths for Mums and Dads and Why Do Buses Come in SQUARE Threes? His latest book is called Any Ideas? and is about how to think creatively. CHALLENGE You can fi nd out more about him at www.RobEastaway.com
Di y squares are simple – and yet mysterious. Here’s how to make a di y square.
Draw a square, and then put four di erent numbers at the corners. For example:
Now fi nd the di erence between the numbers at the nei hbourin corners and write the answer at the mid-point between them. For example 17-5=12, so write 12 midway between 17 and 5. Join these mid-points to make a new square (which looks like a diamond), like this:
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Next, fi nd the di erences between the corners of the square, and a ain put the answers at the mid-points and join them to make a square. Repeat this until you end up with a square in the middle that is all zeroes, like this:
In the example above, we created a total of fi ve di y squares if you include the fi rst square and the fi nal ‘zero’ square (count them to confi rm that you agree).
YOUR CHALLENGES 1. Create your own starter square, puttin four di erent numbers at the corners. Now ‘Di y’ it. Check that you end with a zero square. (This is called ‘ ettin Zeroed’)
2. Can you fi nd a combination of startin numbers that leads to MORE than fi ve Di y Squares?
3. What happens if you don’t choose whole numbers (for example decimals – or even pi)? Does this create more Di y Squares before you et Zeroed?
ULTRA-CHALLENGE In the ultra-challen e you are only allowed to use whole numbers between 1 and 50. Can you fi nd a combination of numbers that creates TEN Di y squares?
GENIUS-CHALLENGE Can you fi nd the combination of four whole numbers between 1 and 50 that creates thirteen Di y Squares? (There may only be one combination that works – if you can fi nd more than one combination, ive yourself extra enius points).
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Mandy Beck McKim SOCK Website: mcrblogs.co.uk/ wiredandwild 14 Facebook: WiredAndWild CHALLENGE Twitter: @mbmckim
Make your own muppet style puppet from an old sock.
1. Choose an old odd sock for your 2. Desi n a puppet around your character, a lon er one is ood sock. Think about the texture althou h two di erent socks can be or patterns on the sock that added to ether to extend the len th. may ive your puppet its character. Think of features and accessories you would add. Your desi n may chan e durin 3. Cut an oval shape from a the makin process and this is piece of card (card from a ok because you may have new cereal box works well). ideas alon the way.
4. Cut a sli htly bi er oval shape from 5. Turn your sock inside out. Glue foam. Fold the cardboard shape in the folded card around the toe half. Cut the foam shape in half. part of the inside out sock.
6. Glue the curved bits of foam 7. Turn your sock the ri ht and card to ether (you will need way round so the foam stron lue for this so ask an and card is on the inside adult to help you: you could makin the shape of use a lue un, super lue or the puppet’s head and a a tape) makin a pocket on its openin mouth. either side of the fold to put your fi n ers in to create the mouth movement of your puppet.
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Inspired by a love of Nature, Mandy creates characters and their movements, experimentin with knittin , crochet and embroidery techniques. She has recently created 'Wired, Wild and Alive' a sensory, ma ical exhibition for children to explore and a mena erie of wonderful creatures to en a e with. Mandy is passionate about brin in her characters to life throu h performance and tellin their stories, creatin experiences that brin her love of art and nature to ether to create somethin fresh and excitin for children.
8. Add eyes and a nose: you could use pin pon balls, pompoms, buttons, recycled lids, oo ly 9. How about addin a bit of eyes and beads. Ears can be character to your puppet made with felt or funky foam. now? For example, you could A ain, you mi ht need super make your puppet be a DJ lue for these or you could with a cap and headphones! even try your hand at sewin !
10. Now name your puppet, this way you can use it as your inspiration for writin a story about your puppet or maybe a play if you make several puppets or et to ether with friends.
WANT TO DO MORE? ➽ Research and explore di erent ➽ Think about other thin s you could styles of puppetry. make with odd socks like sock monkeys or sock pi s. Once you et ➽ If you want to do more, you could creative, you’ll have lots of ideas! think about how you could make puppets out of other arments such as an old love.
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Christopher Berg Amazein Art™ mazes promote both structured and creative thinkin , increase problem-solvin skills, and are popular MYTHICAL and fun. These puzzles have been published by HarperCollins, reproduced 15 by the British Museum, featured on CBS and Fox television, and used in Ben & MAZES Jerry’s commercials. They are reat educational puzzles for home schoolin or road trips and make unique presents for ifted and talented children. www.amazeingart.com
Why mazes of ancient monuments? The same symbols of human achievement, masterpieces juxtaposition of order and disorder, of artistry of technolo ical skill and the control of vast and chaos, that is apparent in mazes is also manpower and resources. Yet now they are manifest in ancient ruins. Monuments such as also vivid reminders of the inevitable triumph the Great Sphinx, the Colossus of Rhodes, or of time over the works of man, of the irresistible the E yptian Labyrinth were once pre-eminent decay that naws away at all reat thin s…
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia (c. 430 BC), a forty-foot tall gold and ivory statue that was the most celebrated artistic work on mainland Greece. The statue presided over the early Olympic Games.
Can you be like Theseus and trace your way out of this mythical maze with a pencil? When you’ve done that, research mazes in myths. Have you ever been to a maze? What was it like? How did you fi nd your way out of it? If you’ve never been to a maze, see if you can visit one this year! There are lots of maize mazes about in the summer and some stately homes have them. If you’re still mad about mazes, how about desi nin your very own maze on paper? Send a copy of your marvellous maze to [email protected].
IF YOU RULED THE WORLD... 16 Ima ine what you would do if you could make the rules. First of all, what would you chan e about your life as it is now; what rules would you have at home and at school? Now, ima ine if you could make the rules the whole world lived by.
Can you come up with 50 Rules? What would you chan e, what would you introduce and what would you keep the same?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Adrian Harbour Adrian Harbour collected these puzzles from other sources. They are not his puzzles but he hopes PRISONERS sharin them is interestin . Adrian 17 found bein ifted as a child and as an adult di cult but would like children to know that it's ok to be IN THE SAND di erent and that thin s can be ood in the end.
Four prisoners awake to fi nd themselves in the situation shown below.
WALL
They are all in a line pointin towards the wall and can’t move as they are buried up to their necks in the sand. They have each had a coloured hat put on their head. Their captor informs them that they cannot communicate or they will all be shot. He tells them that there are two red hats and two blue hats. He tells them that if one of them can uess the colour of their hat correctly he will let them all live but that if any of them et it wron he will shoot them all. Remember that they are not allowed to communicate. Who should call out and why?
The challenge is to draw four straight lines in one continuous drawing (so without taking your pen o the paper) so that the lines go through all the dots at least once. Have a go.
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or AROUND THE WORLD 18 IN 50 DAYS
USE A GLOBE, ATLAS, OR GOOGLE MAPS TO WORK OUT WHERE YOU COULD TRAVEL IN 50 DAYS ➽ How far would you o? ➽ Where would you visit? ➽ How lon would you stay in each place? ➽ How many places would you stop to see? ➽ What transport would you use? ➽ What challen es would you face? E. . extreme weather
Work out how many miles you would have travelled! Take that distance and work out where else you could o in a strai ht line from your current location. Where does the strai ht line take you? Would you like to o there?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Natasha Riley & Thomas Briggs
BLETCHLEY PARK TRUST KEEPING Natasha Riley and Thomas Bri s 19 are Education O cer and Education Mana er with the Bletchley Park Trust. Both have been classroom teachers SECRETS! in past lives and now brin STEM excitement into schools with a real Eni ma machine.
www.bletchleypark.org.uk, Twitter: @BletchleyPark
Do you have any secrets? What kind
of people might need to keep secrets? GOOD SECRETS When is it a ood idea to keep secrets? What kind of secrets should you keep?
HERE’S ONE WAY OF KEEPING A SECRET: BAD SECRETS When shouldn’t you keep secrets? What kind of Secret alphabet ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ secret is a bad one?
Real alphabet XYZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVW
The table above shows you how to swap the For example: letters in your messa e for di erent letters so If I write “i can keep a secret!” the table tells me to chan e that it’s not so easy for someone else to read… it to “L FDQ NHHS D VHFUHW!” … but it’s easy to chan e it back a ain when you What does this say, then? need to. You just need to know a simple piece of VR BRX WKLQN BRX’UH D FRGHEUHDNHU? HINT: Look at information called a “key”. Look at the bottom Can you write your own messa e secretly? the words with row of the table: it’s just the alphabet, but each double-letters in them. How might letter has been shifted up 3 places, so we could Can you work out which key was used to hide this messa e? they help? say that the key is “+3”. Can you draw tables for IYE’BO QODDSXQ ZBODDI QYYN KD DRSC! GRKD the keys “+5” and “-2”? MVEOC NSN IYE PSXT? RYG MYEVN IYE RSNO DROW?
Things to THINK about Things to DO Things to FIND OUT How many di erent “+” keys are ➽ Create a Caesar wheel or a ➽ What’s so important about the there? paper Eni ma Eni ma machine? ➽ Collect examples of di erent ➽ What’s the earliest example of What would the key “x 3, +2” look codes in everyday use secret writin ? like? (Hint: label each letter with the numbers 0 – 25 before you draw ➽ Visit Bletchley Park! Some types of secret writin your table) are “codes”, “ciphers”, and HINT: IIf you’re unsure about “ste ano raphy”: Can you think of a di erent way to some of the terms in this jumble the alphabet? Remember, you challenge, you can look them ➽ What’s the di erence? up on the Internet!! need to be able to unjumble it a ain! ➽ Where are they used today?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or ORIGAMI 20 CHALLENGE
An ancient Japanese Can you build your perseverance and resilience by makin 50 cranes? legend promises that How many cranes can you make in a day, a week, a anyone who folds a month, a year?
thousand origami cranes Let us know how many cranes you’ve made - let’s will be granted a wish by see if we can collectively reach a thousand! the Gods. You could make a mobile out of your cranes; han them from a tree in your arden or from the ceilin of your bedroom.
HOW TO MAKE A PAPER CRANE: 1. 2 3.
Take one square Fold the Fold in half a ain piece of paper square in half dia onally 4. 5. 6.
Open out the top … like so. Fold the side fl ap and push into a Then turn points in to meet square… over and the middle… repeat 7. 8. 9.
Lift the fl ap upwards Then fold … like so… and, usin the fold the ed es in and then lines as a uide, to meet the unfold brin the sides in to middle meet the middle
Repeat with the other point, bendin the top to create Turn over and repeat 10. 11. 12. the crane’s head steps 6-9 leavin Fold one side up, you with this… pushin the ed e in between the front and back fl aps as so…
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or C J Simister
C J Simister was a teacher for many years before startin her own ‘Future- DESIGNING Smart’ consultancy business. Now she works with schools around the world, 21 ivin talks for parents, teachers and school leaders and o erin practical THE FUTURE ideas for how to help youn people develop valuable lifelon qualities such as initiative, ori inality, resilience, fl exibility of mind, collaboration and self-assurance. More information can be found at
www.cjsimister.com You may have heard news reports She is the author of three books: two about how many of the jobs that for teachers (How to Teach Thinkin and Learnin Skills and The Character, humans currently do might be Grit and Resilience Pocketbook) and substituted in the future by technology. one for parents (The Bri ht Stu ). In a sense, it’s nothing new to have machines replace people – that’s what drove the Industrial Revolution and it’s continued ever since. However, the next wave of inventions involves increasingly sophisticated computing technologies, so things are hotting up.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE FOLLOWING IDEAS, FOR INSTANCE?
Restaurants without Shops without cashiers Pizzas without waiters delivery men At a restaurant in San Francisco, We’re used to seein automated Amazon a ain – only this time, you order and pay for your cash tills at the exits of they’re developin a fl eet of food on an iPad, then collect it supermarkets, allowin you to drones that will deliver your from a numbered lass cubby. scan and ba your own food, purchases not by land, but by One London restaurant has but have you heard about air. Usin ‘sense and avoid’ interactive, touch-screen table- Amazon’s latest idea? They’re technolo y, the drone can see tops, allowin you not just to pilotin a new type of ‘Amazon where it’s oin , can travel up place your order from a di ital Go’ shop that won’t need any to 15 miles, and will drop o menu but also to see ima es type of tills at all: customers your delivery at a safe landin of the food projected onto your download a special app on their site, perhaps in your arden plate! True, humans are still phone, they take the products for instance. In New Zealand, needed to cook the food, but for they want and as they leave this even oes for your dinner how much lon er? the shop, sensors detect their – with Domino’s Pizza recently purchases and automatically launchin its delivery-by- transfer the total from their drone service, aptly named the bank account. ‘Domicopter’!
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or All of which brings us to your fi rst challenge….
CHALLENGE NO. 1 CARS WITHOUT DRIVERS*
You may know that companies like Goo le, Uber Aside from this, the astonishin thin about self- and Tesla are racin to et ‘self-drive cars’ onto drive cars is that, in theory, they don’t need any of our roads. These will require no driver at all, the features typically found in a car. No steerin bein operated entirely by super-smart computer wheel, no dashboard, not even any windscreen systems that take you where you want to o. wipers (the system that controls the car uses cameras and sensors that don’t require the car to They could potentially have all sorts of benefi ts have windows). Think about it! That means the in terms of reducin accidents, cuttin pollution, space inside the car can be entirely re-desi ned. improvin con estion on the roads and makin independent travel possible for the youn , the While the bi companies are enerally stickin elderly and those with disabilities. to a fairly traditional desi n, if you were in char e, you mi ht want to o further!
Try it now: Imagine the basic shape of a car – a How will they be arranged? How could you make your car 1 sort of rounded rectangle, almost like 3 appealing to di erent audiences: to a tiny room, with space somewhere What might people want to do while children, to parents, to businessmen inside for the engine and technology. they’re in the car? Could you design and women, to the elderly? special features to help them spend Then think about: their time as usefully or enjoyably as Have a go at drawing a few sketches 2 possible? to work out your best possible design. What will your passengers sit on? How will you persuade people to buy ‘Seats’, you might say! But does that Could it be planned so there are it? You might even like to create your need to be the case? And even if you di erent possible confi gurations? So own advertising campaign. do have seats, might they be di erent the design and layout can change to the ones we normally have in cars? according to how you want to use it?
* If you’d like to fi nd out more about self-drive ‘automated’ cars, several articles can be found here: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/self-driving-cars
CHALLENGE NO. 2
If that’s whetted your appetite for inventing, don’t stop there! Can you think of any other areas in which humans might not be as essential as we’ve always assumed? If you were going to pitch the next big idea, what would it be?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or 22 CREATE YOUR OWN WORLD
Invent your own language or way of communicating, create a name for your world, where would it be, would it be in this solar system, would it be in any solar system? Decide on your social rules and values.
➽ Create your own forms of transport. ➽ Present your world however you would like, using crafts, writing, video or graphic design. ➽ What are your inspirations for your own world?
You could even create your own virtual world using a virtual reality toolkit. Check out this website and use the search engine to explore their virtual reality project ideas: www.sciencebuddies.org
EXPERIMENT, FAIL, LEARN, REPEAT
“Experiments are about trying things out. They are about learning from mistakes, and from things that do not work as you expected. So, do not think of them as mistakes, instead, just ways of learning how not to do something. So, learn from all your results.”
Max Parsonage “Never regret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s experience.” Victoria Holt “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never done anything.” Albert Einstein.
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Max Parsonage
Max Parsona e is Head of Chemistry at a school in Oxford. He has been an HOT AIR examiner. He has written many books, workin with Oxford 23 University Press, the European Space A ency, as well as BALLOON Hodder, Collins and Usborne Publishin . His eBook has won 5 stars on Amazon. EXPERIMENTS
Launch a hot air balloon using tissue paper, and a candle. Don't worry, you are not launching fi re. It may be large or small, be glorious in design or plain. It doesn’t matter!
1. Start by drawin the shape of on a fl at rock or path, and not Thigns you will need: each balloon petal. Try makin under a tree! more than four. ➽ a helpful adult to help to 5. Ask an adult to li ht the candle keep thin s safe 2. Then cut out the petal shapes as or tea li ht and make sure you ➽ shown in the dia ram (See Fi ure 1) remove the paperclips if you used tissue paper them. the thin stron type used to wrap 3. Glue the ed es to ether to make presents is best (kitchen roll is the balloon. The last one is tricky! Ask an adult to hold the open end too thick & heavy) 6. Where the points come to ether, of the balloon over the fl ame. Not ➽ a lue stick there should be no aps. If there too close as you do not want the ➽ scissors are, then cut out a circle of tissue tissue set on fi re! and stick it over the ap. (See ➽ candle or tea li hts Fi ure 2). Use paperclips to hold 7. The air in the balloon will heat up and expand, makin it li hter. ➽ matches the pieces to ether if needs be. After a time, let the balloon o – ➽ paperclips, if available 4. When the lue is dry, take the it should rise up! How hi h does balloon outside, but not in the it o? Fast is ood. Slow is ood. wind or rain. Put the candle or Does it spin? tea li ht on the round – it is best Extra Experiments: ➽ Try heatin the balloon for lon er. Does it o hi her? Faster? Or is there no di erence? Fig 1 Fig 2 ➽ Make another balloon usin less tissue balloon lue, and less overlap between paper should fl y up the tissue sheets. Does it work better? Worse? Learn from it. ➽ Try di erent coloured strips of tissue. Make it more attractive! Enjoy! gap ➽ Try di erent shapes. What fl a m e happens if you use more or fewer tea light petals? Out of your desi ns, or candle which is the easiest to make? Note the di erences in the ways cut out four or your hot air balloons fl y. more shapes
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Max Parsonage
Max Parsona e is Head of Chemistry at a school COLOUR in Oxford. He has been an examiner. He has written many 24 books, workin with Oxford University Press, the European CHANGES Space A ency, as well as Hodder, Collins and Usborne Publishin . His eBook has won WITH ACIDS AND ALKALIS 5 stars on Amazon.
HOW TO MAKE A RED CABBAGE INDICATOR:
You will need: ➽ an adult to ensure you work safely ➽ a heat resistant measuring jug ➽ half a red cabbage ➽ an ice cube tray and a freezer ➽ a knife to cut the cabbage ➽ a glass of white vinegar, a glass of water and a glass of bicarbonate of ➽ a sauce pan half full of water soda solution
Cut up the red cabba e into When the solution is cold, When solid, put one cube 1 small pieces or let an adult 5 pour into an ice cube tray 7 in each lass of liquid. do it for you. and put in the freezer. Vine ar is acidic. Water (Freezin the mixture make is neutral. Bicarbonate 2 Put the pieces in the sures that it does not o o . of soda is alkaline. What saucepan and cover with You could use a little of the colour did they o? Note the water, and heat until the cold solution strai ht away.) colours. The red cabba e is mixture boils. indicatin which is acid and 6 Put out the three lasses. which is alkali. 3 Turn o the heat. Leave to One has a little white vine ar. cool down. One has a little water. The third has water with some Pour the mixture throu h a bicarbonate of soda. 4 strainer into a measurin ju .
Extra experiments: ➽ Try usin blackberry juice or other coloured lime juice, a fi zzy drink, cleanin solutions. Which drinks.. Try red onion skins. Some will chan e of these are acid, alkali, and which are neutral? colour, and and some will not. Experiment. ➽ Make a list of each liquid, the colour it went, and ➽ Try usin your red cabba e ice cubes to test other whether it was acid, alkali or neutral. liquids. Some examples: lemon juice, milk, soap,
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Max Parsonage
Max Parsona e is Head of Chemistry at a school in Oxford. He has been an FIZZY COLOURS examiner. He has written many books, workin with Oxford 25 University Press, the European Space A ency, as well as Hodder, Collins and Usborne Publishin . His eBook has won 5 stars on Amazon.
YOU WILL NEED THE RED CABBAGE You will need: ➽ an adult to ensure safety SOLUTION THAT ➽ a lass, a third fi lled with white vine ar WAS DESCRIBED ➽ sodium bicarb IN CHALLENGE 24 (also known as sodium bicarbonate, bicarbonate of soda, and has the chemical name ‘sodium hydro en carbonate’. All of these are the same chemical.)
➽ a tea spoon
➽ an audience would be nice
Put the lass which contains Scoop up a spoonful of Is all the acid used up? The 1 vine ar on a sink drainin 3 sodium bicarb. 5 colour should tell you. If you board, or on an outside think it is still acid, add more table. In case of spills. Ready? Is your audience sodium bicarb. 4 watchin ? Add the spoonful Add a little of your red of sodium bicarb into the The mixture is safe to wash 2 cabba e indicator - one ice lass, and step back. What do 6 down a sink. cube. What colour is the you see? Does stirrin help? vine ar now?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or If you want to try out a free, interactive version of this game, head to the New York Times website and search for set puzzle, 26 there you will fi nd a daily set game to try!
Here are four SET Puzzles to A QUICK CHECK – Is it is SET? introduce you to the exciting card game SET. In the game, each card has 4 features:
1. Shape
C M Y K oval squiggle diamond
2. Color
red purple green If two cards are the same and one card is 3. Number di erent in any feature, then it is not a SET. For example, if two are ovals and one is not then it is one two three not a SET. A SET must be either ALL THE SAME or ALL DIFFERENT in each individual feature. 4. Shading There are two di erent types of puzzles here, open striped solid basic and advanced. In the basic puzzles one To nd a SET apply one simple rule: a SET is three feature of all the cards is the same throughout cards that are either all the same or all di erent in the puzzle. For examples, in the rst puzzle all each individual feature. Each feature must be the cards are all the same shading: solid. The looked at separately. In other words, on each of object is to nd all four SETs in the nine cards. In the 3 cards: the advanced puzzles the object is to nd all six • Shape must be all the same OR all di erent SETs in the twelve cards. You may reuse any card • Color must be all the same OR all di erent as many times as needed to complete all of the • Number must be all the same OR all di erent di erent SETs. • Shading must be all the same OR all di erent
1 2 3 1 2 3
4 5 6 4 5 6
7 8 9 7 8 9
1 2 3 1 2 3
4 5 6 4 5 6
7 8 9 7 8 9
10 11 12 10 11 12
Answer Key: Puzzle 1: 4,8,9 1,2,3 1,6,7 5,6,8 Puzzle 2: 1,2,4 1,5,8 1,6,9 3,4,5 Puzzle 3: 1,7,10 2,3,4 2,9,12 4,7,8 5,8,10 6,7,12 Puzzle 4: 1,4,11 1,8,9 2,8,12 4,9,10 7,8,10 7,9,11
SET is a registered trademark of Cannei, LLC. SET cards and puzzles © Cannei, LLC. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from Set Enterprises, Inc.
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or 27
WRITE DOWN 50 THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF
Make it as varied as possible: talk about your looks, likes, dislikes, talents, thou hts, hopes and fears.
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Caroline Hardman
Caroline Hardman is an ex-primary BE A GAMES school teacher who now works with schools and or anisations in a 28 ran e of ways, helpin to develop and use di ital content and tools to make learnin more en a in for pupils and DESIGNER develop creativity and critical thinkin skills. This can involve teacher trainin , writin , editin and advisin on di ital content and developin and deliverin short-term education projects. Codin , computational thinkin , ame desi n and storytellin (di ital or otherwise) are particular interests and alon side her Do you enjoy playing computer games? Have education career she writes fi ction for both adults and children. you ever stopped to think about how much work goes into making them? This is your carolinehardman.co.uk chance to think like a games designer, and @73caroline come up with a brand new game concept.
Your ame needs a hero or heroine! hero or heroine's life as di cult as possible! 1 This is the character your player This could be their exact opposite, or will control. Make one list of adjectives (try someone who seems much more powerful and pick ones which describe behaviour than them. If you're really stuck, have or qualities, not appearance), and one list another look at your lists of adjectives and of nouns (people, animals, thin s). Now nouns and see if anythin jumps out. mix and match – pick one item from each list and put them to ether. Try a few Tell the story of how these two di erent combinations and see which you 3 know each other, and why they like the best. You mi ht end up with an became enemies. Has it always been this evil postman, a microscopic do , an an ry way, or were they once friends? Maybe one ranny, a robotic Father Christmas, a timid of them destroyed or stole somethin from alien… or somethin completely di erent! the other, or maybe there was somethin Think about what your character looks like they both wanted, and only one of them and draw a picture or build a model of them. ot? This is your ame's back-story. You Do they have any special powers? How did could write it down, or draw it as a comic they et these? Use your back-story to think of a Do they always carry a particular object, or 4 oal (or set of oals) for your main have a side-kick? character. They could be tryin to escape from somewhere, tryin to fi nd an object, Your character needs an enemy. tryin to rescue someone, tryin to stop 2 Pick one who is oin to make your their enemy from doin somethin … or you
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or mi ht have a di erent idea. If your ame is show what the screen will look like and what oin to have several levels, you'll need a the character needs to do. oal for each one. As the ame oes on, the oals for each Make a list of power-ups and level should et harder… so save some of 5 obstacles. Power-ups are thin s your really nasty obstacles for the end! The which could help your character achieve same oes for your power-ups – start with their oal – speed potions, keys to secret the entle ones and save the really powerful doors, ma ic items, etc. Obstacles are items for later levels… when your character thin s thin s which could stop them – is oin to need them. monsters, weapons, barriers… anythin which will stop them or slow them down. You could think about includin a Boss level Try to come up with lots of ideas – you where your hero comes face to face with mi ht not end up usin them all! his or her enemy and there's a fi nal challen e. Think about what happens when the player Desi n your levels! Start with an eventually wins – what will your hero or 6 easy oal, and choose some simple heroine do now? In lots of ames this is power-ups and obstacles. Draw a dia ram to shown as a cut-scene, or while the credits play.
WHAT NEXT? Show your ame to a friend and ask them Why not try usin free software like for their feedback. What do they like? What Scratch to build part of your ame? Visit ideas to they have for makin it better? www.scratch.mit.edu where you'll fi nd everythin you need to et codin .
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or 29 EMOJI CHALLENGE
Emojis are the new words, or are they? In many forms of non-spoken communication, such as texting and instant messaging, they have replaced words and are even used to describe situations we probably never used to feel the need to communicate.
➽ How often do you use emojis (if ever!)? How many do you understand?
➽ Can you ascribe an emotion to each of the emojis below?
➽ See if you can describe a situation where you would use each emoji.
➽ Now see if you can replace each emoji with a phrase.
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or DOES A PICTURE TELL 30 A STORY OR DO WORDS PAINT A PICTURE?
➽ They say a picture speaks a ➽ Mi ht there be a problem with thousand words, but are ima es ima es without words? Can you a substitute for words? Is there a think of any instances of ima es risk that our over-use of ima es bein used to mislead people? today, means that we are losin our capacity to communicate with ➽ Do you think an ima e-based words? culture is a reaction to a world where words are written in stone ➽ Why do you think, as a society, we (where we are held fast to what we are becomin increasin ly ima e- say and write)? Is it the si n of a based? culture where words have lost their meanin ? ➽ How mi ht an almost exclusively visual culture a ect the ➽ Can you envisa e a world without accessibility of culture? For the written word – where every example, think about people with social media platform and news visual impairments. media platform operates uniquely in the lan ua e of ima es? ➽ In a world where words are becomin devalued at an alarmin rate, with the rise of fake news, mi ht a solely ima e-based culture provide a new inte rity or does the absence of words pose a risk to truth?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or 31 INTRODUCTION TO BLACKWORK© RSN
Your kit needs to contain: ➽ Be in each thread with the ‘waste knot’ ➽ Fabric with desi n, 1x DMC stranded technique (see below) cotton, size 22 tapestry needle ➽ Use two strands of cotton for everythin ➽ Instructions for Blackwork Kit – except the cat which is worked in three ‘Blackwork View’ strands to make it appear darker ➽ General Instructions ➽ All patterns are worked in backstitch ➽ You can iron work, but try to iron only the unless otherwise stated (see below) back round fabric and not the stitchin itself
TO START A THREAD: TO BEGIN: Tie a knot in the end of the thread. Take your Start by mountin your fabric with the desi n as needle down throu h the fabric about 1 cm away centrally placed within the hoop as possible. Try from where you will be in to stitch. Work two tiny to ensure your fabric is nice and ti ht as this will back stitches close to ether, near to your knot, make it easier to work, and that the screw is at and in a position where they will be covered by 12 o’clock as your threads are less likely to et your embroidery. Be in your stitchin . The knot cau ht in this position. can then be cut away, close to the fabric. This desi n can be worked in any order you prefer. The patterns can be worked in two ways: TO FINISH A THREAD: From the chart provided, or by ‘fi llin ’ the areas Take two tiny back stitches on the spot, a ain, with pattern up to the pencil line provided as a where they will not be visible and covered by uide. To do this e ectively it may be necessary your embroidery, but close to the point you to end part way throu h a stitch so that you do fi nished stitchin . Brin your thread to the front not o over the line. surface and then cut it o close to the surface of the work. If you have run out of room to do For your information, I have provided some this, turn your work over and thread your needle charts of the stitches used and they can all be throu h the back of your stitchin for about 0.5 found with fuller explanation in the RSN Essential cm, before cuttin it o . Stitch Guide to Blackwork by Becky Ho .
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or smaller in scale and includes a little cross stitch inside rather than a star. It is worked in two strands of cotton.
CAT This is worked in a pattern called SMALL DIAMOND which is made up of dia onal squares with a vertical strai ht stitch inside. It is worked in three strands of cotton to ive it a BACKSTITCH BLIND darker tone. After be innin with a waste This is worked in a pattern called knot as explained above, make OCTAGONAL STAR which is WINDOW FRAME a strai ht stitch in the aida made up of small squares and This is worked in back stitch between two holes. Go back octa ons with a star inside. It is usin two strands of cotton. down the hole at the end of worked in two strands of cotton. the previous stitch, to fi ll the WINDOW SILL ap with a second back stitch. VASE This is worked in a row of Continue as necessary to This is worked in a variation of upri ht strai ht stitches usin complete the pattern. octa onal star, which is sli htly two strands of cotton.
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or The Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw MATHSBOMBE MathsBombe 2017 is or anised by the The School of Mathematics at 32 the University of Manchester. 2017 www.maths.manchester.ac.uk/ mathsbombe/index.php
DO YOU LIKE SOLVING MIND-BENDING MATHEMATICAL BRAINTEASERS?
➽ Can you and your friends untangle some fi endish puzzles? ➽ Would you like the chance to use your mathematical skills to win some great prizes? ➽ Then the MathsBombe is for you! You don't need to be a computer whizz or a mathematical enius — you just need to keep your wits about you and be ood at solvin puzzles!
Suppose you have a 10×10 chessboard (The two M tiles and the two B tiles are and 10 tiles comprisin the letters of both considered to be the same. The MATHSBOMBE. arran ement illustrated below counts as just one possibility; interchan in the Ms First place the M on one of the black or interchan in the Bs do not ive rise to squares on the top row. Now arran e di erent arran ements.) the remainin tiles so that each letter appears on the next row on a black square (If you think that there are 4,321 di erent dia onally below the precedin tile. One ways of arran in the tiles then you should possible arran ement is illustrated below. enter 4321.) What is the total number of di erent ways of arran in the tiles so that they spell out MATHSBOMBE?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or 50 SAWTOOTH STARS 33
Take a sheet of squared grid paper and draw 50 squares: (4x4, 8x8, 12x12). Now see how many unique sawtooth stars you can draw!
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or I found I could say things with colour and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for. 34 Georgia O’Keefe PAINT 50 COLOURS
Did you think there were only seven colours in a rainbow? Think again! • Mix paints to make 50 di erent colours. • How many shades of each colour can you make? • What do the colours express? • What do the colours make you feel? • Have you created a new favourite colour? • Can you give names to your colours? For example, my favourite colour is sky blue pink. • • Send us a picture of the colours you have found • • [email protected]
35 SELF PORTRAIT
Research 50 self-portraits. How about makin your self-portrait in the style of Which is your favourite? Can you describe one or several of the artists you have discovered? the features of the self-portraits? Can you What materials and medium (paintin , textiles, think why the artists chose to represent ceramics etc) will you use to create your self-portrait? themselves in such a way? Usin a blank sketchbook, draw or paint the An A to Z of you Visit the link below from the Wellcome Collection key features of the self-portraits that you fi nd website about their exhibition An Idiosyncratic and label them with the artist. Look up some A to Z of the Human Condition. information about the artists; are their self- portraits similar in style to their other artworks? wellcomecollection.or /exhibitions/ From what you have found out about the artists’ idiosyncratic-z-human-condition lives, to what extent do you think their self- If the link doesn’t work, search for ‘Idiosyncratic A to Z of the Human Condition’ in the search engine on the Wellcome Collection website portraits refl ect them? Usin this as inspiration, compile an A to Z of your Now have a o at creatin your own self-portrait. idiosyncrasies!
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or COLOURING IN 36 CHALLENGE lines the is a ide fin ts e u a o r t
g .
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i l
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c How do you fi nd colouring-in? e Do you like it because it’s calming, pretty and ordered; or do you hate it because you can never keep inside the lines and it always ends up looking a mess?
Your challenge is to challenge that Create a free-form colourin in pa e: love or hate relationship with take a sheet of A4 or if you’re feelin colouring in, because whether you’re adventurous, use a bi er sheet of paper. an avid colouring-in-er or you avoid You will need lots of colourin pencils and it like the plague; this challenge will get you thinking di erently about a pencil sharpener. Or you could use a box colouring in. of crayons. You could even use chalk or acrylics. Now colour in that pa e! You can make it into an ima e or you can make it abstract. The one rule you must adhere to is that there can be no lines! (ie. you can’t draw an outline then colour it in.)
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or 37 THE LOTTERY OF BIRTH
Birth is a lottery. We don’t get to choose who our parents are, where we are born, or whether we are rich or poor. Ima ine if you were born in another country. Where would you have been born and how would your life be di erent? Why have you chosen this country? Would your opportunities and quality of life be better or worse in this country?
1. Discuss this topic with What would the political situation What would you do in your spare a friend or with someone be like? time? Would you have any spare at home. time? What would your civil ri hts be? Consider the followin : How would you et around? 2. Compare your answer What would the weather be like? with that of your friend’s. Would you have an education, What kind of lives did you What lan ua e would you speak? and if so, what would it be like? ima ine? Write down the lives What food would you eat and Where would it lead? you both ima ined and compare how would you et it? Would you the di erences between those What would the nature and life-experiences and your own. buy it or hunt it? Where would wildlife be like? Would you have you buy it from and who would any furry friends or enemies? 3. Now write a diary entry cook it? for a day in your ima ined life Think about the environment, What would your health be like? and put in as much detail as you what would the air quality be can, usin the prompts above. What would your life expectancy like and would you live on an be? How lon would your parents earthquake fault line or near a 4. If you ima ined a life much live for? volcano, what about somewhere more luxurious than your own, Would you be a boy or a irl? prone to avalanches? why don’t you now try and Consider the di erences that imagine a completely Would you have much money? in a completely would make. di erent life, Where would your money come di erent environment? What What would your house be like? from? Who would earn it and would be better and what would Who would live there? how? How far would your money be worse? o? Would you be able to buy Would you live near lots of people, new clothes and o on holiday? 5. What do you think this in a bi city or would you live exercise is encouraging somewhere isolated and remote? What would your hobbies be? you to think about?
Send your diary entry and your thoughts and fi ndings on this challenge to [email protected]
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or YOU SAY GOODBYE 38 AND I SAY HELLO
LEARN HOW TO SAY HELLO AND GOODBYE IN 50 LANGUAGES YOU HAVE NEVER SPOKEN BEFORE
➽ What do you notice about the di erent ways ➽ What do you think reetin s reveal about people reet each other? Are there any di erent countries’ cultures? similarities between certain lan ua es? ➽ What is the most interestin reetin you ➽ Research how people reet each other in can fi nd? di erent countries. For example, in France ➽ Out of the reetin s you have discovered, they kiss each other on each cheek but in which is your favourite and why? Switzerland they kiss each other three times.
RESEARCH 50 DIFFERENT RELIGIONS: WHERE ARE THEY PRACTICED AND WHAT ARE THEIR RITUALS? 39 If you don’t believe that there are 50 reli ions, watch Pete Owen Jones’s series, Around the World in 80 Faiths, which was ori inally broadcast on BBC 2 but can be found on www.dailymotion.com
RESEARCH 50 FESTIVALS AROUND THE WORLD, WHERE ARE THEY CELEBRATED AND WHAT DO THEY CELEBRATE? ➽ Which festival would you most like to attend? 40 ➽ Create a calendar of the festivals around the world ➽ Create a booklet about the festival you fi nd most interestin ➽ Summarise the ori ins of the festival, its traditions and whether, how and where it is celebrated today
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or MENSA
Mensa was founded in 1946 in En land - the ori inal aims were, as WHAT DO they are today, to create a society that is non-political and free from all 41 racial or reli ious distinctions. It’s a place where everybody is “di erent” THEY HAVE IN – so no-one is. If you think you might be a potential Mensan, visit COMMON? www.mensa.org.uk for more information.
WHAT DO THESE THREE MESSAGES HAVE IN COMMON?
1. DF HAR OEIT ONET TLOD CO LTCHTS 2. DEVA ORDA NEVUS ONGO TOGA FORTE EXTRA EON DABI CARTA HOSTI INGO TACTA CARMIN HUJUS AVA TECTO TOTO ONAGONA TANGO RIVA OPUS LONGA LEXITATE SCROBULOS
3. 17T 24L 1D 8E 15H 23L 5T 7E 14C 16A 4O 6F 13T 20T 22O 10C 12I 19O 21R 3N 11H 18T 25S 2O 9D
All three messages are in plain English.
✸ What do you make of the arrangements? ✸ This may give you ideas for sending secret messages. ✸ What are the numbers in the third example?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or TECHNOLOGICAL 42 SINGULARITY
DO YOU LIKE SCI-FI? Read Ubik by Philip K. Dick, where the idea of di ital ascension is explored. ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸
Research this topic on Wikipedia and be ➽ Discuss the potential impact of the prepared for your brain to explode! possibility that computers could become self-su cient and able It is predicted that by 2045, computer-based to make their own decisions. intelli ence will have si nifi cantly exceeded the sum-total of human brain power. ➽ Do you think that humans may one day become immortal throu h di ital Does this mean that there will be no ascension? That means that people distinction between human and machine? could die in the fl esh but be uploaded onto a computer and remain conscious! THE CHALLENGE It is di cult, even impossible, to ‘Science fi ction authors cannot write realistic characters that surpass human intellect, as predict what human beings’ lives the thoughts of such an intellect would be would be like in such a world, beyond the ability of humans to express.’ but we want you to have a go! Vernor Vinge
➽ What will humans do in a world where computer-based intelli ence can do everythin that humans can do? Do you think such a world is even possible? ➽ What thin s mi ht computer-based intelli ences be able to do more e ciently than humans? (Think about thin s we already rely on technolo y for) ➽ Are there thin s that humans can do that you cannot ima ine technolo y ever bein able to do better?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or 43 WHEN YOU ARE FIFTY
When you have reached the age of 50, what are the things you would like to have accomplished?
THE CHALLENGE Try out your interviewing and reporting skills: ➽ Ask people in your life who are over the a e of 50 what they have accomplished in their lives. ➽ Ask them if they can remember what they had hoped to accomplish when they were your a e and how their accomplishments compare with what they had hoped for. ➽ Have they achieved more than they thou ht they would? Do they now see somethin as an accomplishment that they mi ht not have expected to be proud of when they were youn er? ➽ Note down what they have said and write an article comparin the accomplishments of the people you interviewed with your own or fi lm yourself interviewin them.
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or HOW WE 44 LIVE WITH NATURE
CHALLENGE NO 1
1 Watch the fi nal episode of David Attenborou h’s Planet Earth II, ‘Cities’, * which explores how human and animal-life coincide in the urban environment. Here is a description of the episode taken from the BBC iPlayer website: ‘Cities are growing at a faster rate than any other habitat on Earth. They may seem an unlikely place for animals to thrive, but they can be a world of surprising opportunity. Leopards prowl the streets of Mumbai, peregrine falcons hunt amongst New York’s skyscrapers, and a million starlings perform spectacular aerial dances over Rome. In Jodhpur, langurs are revered as religious deities and in Harar, locals live in harmony with wild hyenas. Many animals, however, struggle to cope in the urban jungle. As the architects of this environment, can humans choose to build cities that are homes for both them and wildlife?’
* you can watch the episode for free at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0861m8b 2 Research initiatives in cities across the world where e orts have been made to create harmony between the urban environment and nature.
CHALLENGE NO 2
Think: Do you have any ideas about how humans could live more harmoniously with nature?
Design an urban environment which allows nature to exist alon side humans. Think about apartment blocks, o ce buildin s, shops and markets. Also think about transport, will cars be allowed? Don’t for et to think about where our food will come from – can you envisa e an urban environment where food can be rown? Will everyone have their own allotment or will people row food collectively? Think about the kind of wildlife you mi ht want to encoura e. Can you think of examples of wildlife that you would not welcome into your urban environment and which mi ht pose a risk?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or 45 DR SEUSS CHALLENGE
SUMMARY OF THE SNEETCHES In The Sneetches, by Dr. Seuss, some Sneetches had reen stars on their bellies while others did not. “Those stars weren’t so bi . They were really so small. You mi ht think such a thin wouldn’t matter at all.” However, the stars served as a source of discrimination until Sylvester McMonkey McBean came to town with a machine to add and remove stars, forcin the Sneetches to question their di erences.
Guidelines for Philosophical Discussion by Lena Harwood The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss is excellent for discussin issues of prejudice and discrimination with children. When the Star-Bellied Sneetches and the Plain-Bellied Sneetches treat one another disrespectfully because of simple stars on their bellies, one is forced to question the absurdity of such prejudice. Thou h most people would a ree that discriminatin based on stars on a creature’s belly is silly, we can come to a better understandin of the nature of prejudice and discrimination throu h discussin questions of metaphysics.
Metaphysics is the branch of our understandin of the Sneetches’ does not make you superior, but what philosophy that attempts to situation, and actually helps clarify about intellect? Historically, it has discern the nature of the world. the issues underlyin prejudice been the linkin of physical attributes One particular subset, ontolo y, and discrimination. For example, with internal attributes that has looks to determine what types of metaphysics prompts us to ask what perpetuated prejudice. An important thin s there are in the world, and makes a Star-Bellied Sneetch distinct question that The Sneetches raises what makes a particular thin from a Plain-Bellied Sneetch. Is there is whether or not the Sneetches are distinctive. Some metaphysicians an essential di erence between them, fundamentally di erent, and if so, have su ested that objects have or are they ultimately they same, what of their internal characteristics essential properties, meanin that with the simple exception that they are di erent, and to what extent every object has a distinct essence. have some di erent properties? does that justify discrimination. What makes a spoon a spoon is that Two yellow Labradors may look If we say the Sneetches are not it has the essence of “spoonhood,” di erent from one another, but that that di erent from one another, whatever that mi ht be. Others doesn’t necessarily make them can we think of instances in which su est that we should focus more di erent types of do s. However, two creatures would be di erent on particular attributes or functions. if they have di erent personalities enou h from one another that In this view, the most important or quirks, you mi ht su est that we are justifi ed in treatin them thin about this philosophical makes them distinct, and that’s what di erently? What qualifi es somethin introduction, for example, is that ives each of them their own “self.” as “di erent enou h”? Certainly it helps you understand the job recruiters have no problem philosophical issues in the story. This raises another interestin choosin certain candidates over metaphysical question – which others based on particular merits At fi rst, this seems far removed from distinctions are useful in – to what de ree is that justifi ed? the world of the Sneetches. However, determinations of worth? We mi ht How is that di erent than what understandin meta physics aids in a ree that havin a star on your belly took place with the Sneetches?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Thomas Thomas Wartenber is Senior Research Fellow in Philosophy Wartenberg at Mount Holyoke Colle e and President of PLATO (Philosophy Learnin and Teachin Or anization). He has published SENIOR RESEARCH numerous books and articles, includin Big Ideas for Little FELLOW IN PHILOSOPHY. Kids: Teaching Philosophy Through Children’s Literature teachingchildrenphilosophy.org (Rowman and Littlefi eld, 2nd Edition 2014), and A Sneetch www.wgby.org/bigideas is A Sneetch and Other Philosophical Discoveries: Finding Wisdom in Children’s Literature (Wiley Blackwell, 2013). He is the founder of Teaching Children Philosophy.
QUESTIONS FOR PHILOSOPHICAL DISCUSSION
Prejudice
1. What makes the Sneetches 3. Based on the qualities we chose for di erent from one another? decidin what makes somethin di erent, are the Star-Bellied Sneetches and the Plain- 2. How do the Sneetches treat those Bellied Sneetches the same or di erent? who are di erent from them? 4. Are there thin s that make people 3. Do you think it is all ri ht to treat those di erent from one another? Do any of these who look di erent than you di erently? thin s make certain people better than What about those who act di erently? others? (Think about physical di erences and personality/characteristic di erences.) Di erence Are there any situations in which it 1. What makes a Sneetch a Sneetch 5. – what makes it di erent from is okay to treat two thin s di erently other animals or thin s? because they are di erent? Ima ine that one person in class is really smart. Should 2. How do you know one thin is di erent they be treated di erently? If not, are there from another thin ? Is it based on thin s any examples you can think of where you can see, thin s you cannot see, or both? you would treat someone di erently?
After the Plain-Bellied Sneetches go through the machine the fi rst time and come out with stars, the Star-Bellied Sneetches say, “We’re still the best Sneetches and they are the worst.”
➽ What makes the Star-Bellied Sneetches ➽ Is there a rule we can apply to determine when think that there is still somethin di erent it is okay to treat others di erently and when it is about the Plain-Bellied Sneetches since not? How does this rule apply to the Sneetches? they now have stars on their bellies? Based on the rule you develop, is it okay for the Star-Bellied Sneetches to treat the Plain-Bellied ➽ If there was somethin that made the Sneetches di erently? Sneetches di erent, other than their appearance, would it be okay for them to This module is taken from the Teachin Children treat each other di erently? Are there any Philosophy website www.teachin childrenphilosophy. qualities that would make that okay? or /BookModule/TheSneetches
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or 46 VIRTUAL REALITY
What are the possibilities and what are the potential disadvantages of virtual reality?
For example, ima ine if we all had chips placed inside our brains and at 9am every week day we would fi nd ourselves in school or at work, no matter what, no excuses! You could be in the safety of your bedroom, but there would be no escape from the classroom!
What other scenarios can you think of – positive and negative?
47 MEDICINE What do you think the most pressin medical problem of today is? Wait a second, that’s a far too eneral question because so much depends on what country we’re talkin about. OK, so what do you think the most pressin medical problem in the UK is? What do you think the most pressin medical problem is in the world?
Now let’s fast forward 50 years into the future: ➽ What diseases have been eradicated? ➽ What are the new challen es for medicine in the UK and in the world? ➽ Do you think life expectancy will continue rowin and what are the implications of this on our health? Thin s to consider: a ein populations, climate chan e, rowin or declinin populations – there are so many variables! How will you o about tacklin these questions?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Nrich Mathematics Project Published by kind permission of MARBLES UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE 48 NRICH aims to: • Enrich the experience of the mathematics IN A BOX curriculum for all learners • O er challen in and en a in activities • Develop mathematical thinkin and problem-solvin skills • Show rich mathematics in meanin ful contexts Marbles in a Box • Work in partnership with teachers, schools and other educational settin s
Find many more rich tasks for all ages at nrich.maths.org
Imagine a three dimensional version of noughts and crosses where two players take it in turn to place different coloured marbles into a box.
The box is made from 27 transparent unit cubes arranged in a 3-by-3-by-3 array.
The object of the game is to complete as many winning lines of three marbles as possible.
How many different winning lines are there?
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or
nrich.maths.org/895 © University of Cambridge Sarah Box
EDITOR, SPARK The followin challen es come CHALLENGES from Sarah Box, editor of Spark, 49 inspired by her dau hter and also FOR EARLY her brother's love of bus timetables! [email protected] OR ANY YEARS YEARS
CHALLENGE NO 1 CHALLENGE NO 3 Instead of playin "eye-spy" on a car journey, why not make up crazy sentences usin Alternative Collecting Box: words which start with the same fi rst letter? ➽ Fill a cardboard box with unusual For example: items but please o to no Toby tasted terrible to ee teacakes! expense: try bottle tops, train tickets, ribbons, colourful paper, Darcey's do delicately did disco dancin . pebbles or snippets of information about a person you admire. O CHALLENGE N 2 ➽ After you’ve fi lled your box, research Impressive Squares: the thin s you’ve put there. How and A bit more interestin than times tables! why are they essential? How and Did you know there is a secret way to calculate why were they created? How mi ht the square of two di it numbers endin in 5? your items be useful in the future? For example, 15x15, 25x25, and so on up to 95x95. What you do is that you take the fi rst di it, and multiply it by the same di it plus one. So with 25 you would do 2x3. Write this down (6) then write 25 after it, makin 625. This is the answer. Can you write down all nine answers within 60 seconds? If you don't know all your times tables yet then you're allowed to use a calculator for the parts you don't know.
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or THIS TIME 50 TOMORROW…
WHAT WILL THE WORLD BE LIKE IN 50 YEARS’ TIME?
➽ What will the climate be like ➽ What will be happenin in the news? (in the UK and lobally)? ➽ Who will be at war with whom and ➽ Will we still be eatin food, if so, what? which confl icts of today will have been resolved? ➽ How will we do our shoppin ? ➽ What jobs will people be doin ? ➽ How will we spend our leisure time? ➽ Will humans still have jobs or will robots ➽ What form will entertainment take? have replaced us? If humans aren’t ➽ What will our houses be like? workin , what will we be doin instead? ➽ What will cities look like? ➽ What subjects will they be teachin in schools?
MAKE A DREAM PILLOW What do you wish for in 50 years’ time? Decorate a pillow case usin : ✸ fabric pens ✸ embroidery ✸ needle and thread ✸ sequins ✸ buttons
Stu your pillow. Write your wish for 50 years’ time on a piece of paper and place it inside your pillow.
Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or Potential Plus UK 1967 - 2017 • 50 CHALLENGES for 50 YEARS • www.potentialplusuk.or 50 AMAZING CHALLENGES FOR 50 AMAZING YEARS
Inside this book, you will fi nd 50 en a in and stimulatin challen es. They may not keep you oin for the next 50 years, but they should keep you occupied for a while!
2017 marks the 50th Anniversary of that ifted children (whom we now Potential Plus UK, formerly The National call children with hi h learnin Association for Gifted Children. potential) whose potential is not NAGC was founded in 1966 and realised may become frustrated and formally established as a charity in misunderstood. 1967 when Mar aret Branch, a Take a look at our website and see the psychiatric social worker, and others, services we now provide to support found that there was a pressin children, youn people and families. need for society to become aware Why not support us in this work?
POTENTIAL PLUS UK T 01908 646433 E amazin [email protected] A Suite 1.6, Challen e House Sherwood Drive, Bletchley Milton Keynes MK3 6DP www.potentialplusuk.or Charity number 313182