The Rubik's Cube makes a dynamic math class companion. It's challenging, it's fun, and it's highly addictive. The cube provides a manipulative, real-life model for students to explore mathematical ideas. You don’t have to solve the cube in order to learn with it, simply exploring its properties and mechanics helps to recognize three-dimensional spatial relationships, and form concepts from simple probabilities to more advanced combinations and permutations.
Challenge your students (and yourself) to solve one face, or the entire cube if they're motivated. With over 43 Quintillion possible configurations, the cube is intimidating at first, but it is a puzzle just right for the human brain — anyone can solve it. The Rubik's Cube is also a great way for students to learn patience, perseverance and the importance of a systematic approach to problem solving.
Level: grades 9 – 12
Summary - Students use hypothetical situations, and manipulatives (coloured squares and the Rubik's cube) to explore combinations and permutations. In
Step 1, we review basic strategies such as lists and tree diagrams as methods to organize information and determine ways items can be arranged. Then the class will discuss why formulas work better when the number of outcomes is too large to represent in a list or diagram. In
Step 2, Students learn the difference between combinations and permutations, and in groups work on various problems involving the multiplication rule. In
Step 3, students tackle more advanced combinations and permutations while analyzing the mind-bending possibilities of the Rubik's cube.
