True Colors
How it works
Imagine that you and some friends (let's say 4, so there are 5 people total) have a set of cards. One of the cards is red and the other 4 are blue. The cards are shuffled and dealt out, face down, one to each person. Each person then takes their card and places it on their forehead so that everyone else can see their card but they can't see their card. Is it possible for everyone to correctly determine what their card is? What if there are 2 red cards and 3 blue cards? What if there are 3 red cards and 3 blue cards, and only 5 of the 6 cards are dealt out, but you don't know which 5? What if there are 10 red cards and 10 blue cards, but only 5 are dealt out and you don't know which 5, but each player gets to say how many red cards they see? What if only 2 people get to say how many red cards they see?
In this activity, students play the games described above. In each game, their goal is to use all the available information to determine the color of their card. As the activity progresses, the games become more challenging!
Why we like this activity
It’s fun! Students enjoy playing the different games and trying to figure out what color card they have.
It helps students to develop logical reasoning.
It requires students to engage in mathematical habits of mind:
- Using logic and finding and using strategies to figure out what color your card is
It has a low floor and a high ceiling: At first, students only need to use fairly basic logic, but as the games get more challenging, more advanced logical reasoning is required!
