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'Quad Match' printed from http://nrich.maths.org/
This
is one of a series of problems designed to develop learners' team
working skills. Other tasks in the series can be found by going
to this
article.
What are you aiming to do?
For the task:
Every member of the team has to end up with a set of four cards in
front of them that are related to each other in a similar way.
The task is only successfully completed when everyone on the team
has completed their set.
As a team:
- Responding to the needs of others
- Helping others to do things for themselves.
Getting started
You will need to work in
a team of four. If you have a fifth person available - use them as
an observer (see guidance below).
In silence:
Distribute the
16
cards randomly amongst the team (four cards each).
Tackling the problem
How to play
Players pass cards to other
team members in order to help one another complete their set.
Rules
- No one can talk or give non-verbal signals to other members of
the team.
- Each member of the team starts with four cards in front of
them.
- The cards in front of each person should be visible to
everyone.
- Team members can only give cards; they cannot take cards from
someone else.
- Each team member must have at least two cards in front of them
at all times.
Use an observer to check
that the team obeys the rules and to keep a record of when members
of the team help someone else (rather than, for example, when they
just pass a piece on without looking at what the other person or
team actually needs).