Why do this
problem?
This
activity can offer different possibilities for pupils according
to their capabilities. It can be presented with the idea of
challenging pupils to find ways of solving the problem but at a
higher level, pupils could be challenged to
visualise the whole problem without the use of
resources.
Possible approach
At the "earlier level" you could start by showing
just one view, from only two sides and the top:
Explain that there are six different
colours altogether - blue, green, yellow, red, orange and purple -
and discuss where the colours might go. Then present
the challenge in full.
For the more advanced pupils then
nothing more than what is written in the problem will be
needed.
Key questions
How do you know that colour goes there?
Tell me about the colours you've decided on.
Possible extension
Encourage the pupils to ask the question, "I wonder what would
happen if ... ( I changed one of the things about this
challenge)?
Possible support
You could provide pupils with blank small cubes and coloured
stickers, and skeletal drawings
of blank cubes, to help with possible recording methods: