4.5. Calendar & Outline: Treasure Hunt #1, Part 1

"A mathematician is a machine for turning coffee into theorems."--Paul Erdös

Caveat Lector: This is a web-friendly version of the activity sheet TREASURE HUNT #1, PART 1. A GIF scan of the original may be forthcoming in the future.

TREASURE HUNT #1, PART 1

Here are the group roles. We will agree as a group on who gets what roles.

Remember, no islands!

question person
authorized to ask a teacher the group's questions

reader
reads directions and makes sure everyone understands them

materials person
organizes necessary materials and makes sure everyone has something to work on

reporter
makes sure to take notes so s/he can present the group's work to the class next time

Today we will begin working on a "treasure hunt" so we can try using some of the different coordinate systems we have learned about (including our own!). Next class we'll actually try these out. Stay tuned.

1. Draw a "map." You can find examples in the textbook on:

• p.428, a polar map of Tolkien's Middle Earth
  
• p.429, a regular or polar chessboard
  
• p.440, a map on a rectangular grid
  

2. Each person should contribute to the map. Initial your contribution.

3. Decide where the "treasure" will be and write it down, but do not mark it on the map! This is your secret.

4. Decide where the "starting point" will be and write it down.

5. As a group, write directions to the buried "treasure." The directions must:

• have at least 4 stages
  
• 2 must involve polar-to-Cartesian or Cartesian-to-polar conversions (if your map is "polar," do Cartesian-to-polar; if your map is "Cartesian," do polar-to-Cartesian)
  
• 1 must involve only words, no numbers or letters (no "a4")
  
• 1 you can choose. Be creative.
  

6. Each person should write a report on

• what you contributed (be specific) to the group
  

Two other group members must also comment on your contributions.

Copyright © 2002 Yoon Ha Lee <requiescat@cityofveils.com>
Last updated on 27 May 2002