6:  Reimagining The Original Carousel Ring Game

by | Jan 24, 2023 | Uncategorized

I might have played The Original Carousel Ring Game as early as the summer of 1948, so it took two years for me to pose this question:  could passing up a Silver Ring help me get the Gold?  I had no idea how to formulate the problem, but it was obvious that...

5.1: A Lesson Plan

by | Dec 31, 2022 | Uncategorized

Enrichment Activity (Division with Remainders) Learning Outcome This lesson shows children how to use division with remainders to predict which Rider on a DIY carousel will take the gold ring. This lesson plan builds on the principles we discussed in our prior blog...

5: Recreating the Original Carousel Game

by | Dec 31, 2022 | Uncategorized

The game that inspired my question was a fun activity for both children and adults during the hey-day of carousel/merry-go-round rides, 1880-1930.  Rings were made of nickel and brass, and “going for the brass ring” was an often-used expression.  There are...

3: Some Fun with Clocks

by | Nov 20, 2022 | Uncategorized

This is the mind voyage I traveled while thinking about clocks.  First thoughts turned to “clockwise” and “counter-clockwise” rotation.  These are terms we use to denote direction of rotation around a circle: clockwise is the direction of hour markings on a...

2: Clock Arithmetic

by | Nov 6, 2022 | Uncategorized

In this post I will show how clock arithmetic helps you to analyze “Fortune-Telling with Daisy Petals” and “Eenie, Meanie, Meinie, Moe” as take-away games. I am not a great do-it-yourselfer, and this is my attempt at a clock face with just an hour hand. By the way,...