1. Selection of the group of students: 40 ninth graders were chosen
and organized in groups of 4 people. Each group will be assigned a work
table and will alternate every two hours. Students on duty will be in
charge of showing the puzzles and problems they have designed and of
guiding the public by giving them strategic hints to solve the challenges
and problems of each table. It is worth mentioning that the students
have worked previously in the design, construction and solution of the
puzzles for each table; this process allows them to understand thoroughly
each puzzle. Each table has four levels of difficulty in their problems
and puzzles and they are all related in terms of the tasks and solving
strategies they require. Each member of the table is responsible for one
of the levels and for the design where it is presented, but all students are
in charge of the interaction with the public at all four levels.
2. Selection of the puzzles: Students select the puzzles that are to be
implemented in the math Fair. This selection is made through an interaction
between the students, the puzzles and the teacher. The latter
3204 O. Garc´ia, J. Rinc´on and R. Poveda
presents the types of puzzles: logic, strategic, geometric, spatial and
arithmetic. Then, after having worked with the solution of all of them
and after understanding the different types the student will be capable
of choosing from the options which one she or he prefers and in which
she or he will be capable of proposing novel ways of solving problems or
alternative fair activities to be considered by the teacher.