Major Martian Headache - Texas Instruments TI-73 Teachers Manual

Activity 6
Major Martian
Headache
Students learn about patterning and writing simple
rules as they explore a hypothetical situation about
Martians.
Setup
Divide the class into groups and distribute 5 large
marshmallows to each student.
Provide each group with a tray of toothpicks and a
dish of small marshmallows.
Tell students:
There has been a recent discovery on the surface of
Mars. The Rover uncovered a tablet with Martian
inscriptions on it. After much decoding, scientists
have decided the tablet describes the physical
appearance of a Martian. Martians did apparently
have two antennas each. The tablet goes on to tell that
as the climate changed to much colder weather, the
Martians needed antenna muffs for each of their two
antennas.
Ask students: If each Martian has two antennas, how
many antenna muffs will be needed for the entire
community of Martians?
Patterns
patterning
writing simple rules
Materials
large marshmallows (heads)
small marshmallows (antenna ends)
toothpicks (antennas)
paper and pencil
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