Michael Serra

Smart Moves

 

   

 

Back Cover and Sample    

 

Michael's latest book, SMART MOVES: Developing Mathematical Reasoning with Games and Puzzles can be purchased online using Paypal. (Please do not push submit more than once or you will be billed twice. If your transaction is interrupted, please check to see if your credit card has already been billed before trying again.)   Contact us to place your order by fax/mail, for international rates, for our shipping and return policy, and errata.

Smart Moves has over 330 games and puzzles (black and white text ) which focus on Sequential Reasoning. For easy use, the book is printed in a lay-flat 8.5" x 11" format. If you purchase directly from our website, we will also email you an electronic file of color pdf worksheets for classroom use. View this photo

Format

Soft Cover $32.95 USD

Smart Moves: Developing Mathematical Reasoning With Games and Puzzles is designed to improve your sequential reasoning skills, explore some mathematics, and have fun along the way. The games and puzzles were created to encourage perseverance and logical thinking. The Mathematical Connections highlight key math concepts. The Game of Racetrack is the perfect introduction to vectors, Tour Puzzles lead to graph theory and Euler paths, and the mathematics behind Magic Squares is revealed.

Smart Moves is a very effective way to support mathematical learning and reduce the anxiety that often accompanies the subject. Each chapter is designed to strengthen sequential reasoning, which is necessary for everyday living and problem solving. Preparing family meals, installing new software on your computer, or assembling a piece of furniture, all require sequential reasoning.

Whether you are nine or ninety, in the classroom or at home, I invite you to make a smart move and discover how much fun math can be!

Resellers:  Please contact us directly for volume rates at mserramath@gmail.com.

Smart Moves Back Cover and Sample

 

Contents

Chapter 1   Warm Up Puzzles

1.1   Color Network Puzzles

1.2   Square Route Puzzles

1.3   Container Puzzles

1.4   Sequential Movement Puzzles

1.5   Cryptarithm Puzzles

1.6   Robot Programming Puzzles

Chapter 2   The Game of Racetrack

2.1   Racetrack

2.2   Mathematical Connections: Vectors

Chapter 3   Movement Puzzles

3.1   Coin Puzzles

3.2   Sliding Block Puzzles

3.3   Queen Bee Puzzles

3.4   Mini Robot Puzzles

3.5   Mathematical Connections: Archimedean Tilings

Chapter 4  Tour Puzzles

4.1   Rook’s Tour Puzzles

4.2   King’s Tour Puzzles

4.3   Knight’s Tour Puzzles

4.4   Mathematical Connections: Euler Paths

Chapter 5  Magic Square Puzzles

5.1   Introduction to Magic Squares

5.2   3x3 Magic Squares

5.3   4x4 Magic Squares

5.4   5x5 Magic Squares

5.5   6x6 and 7x7 Magic Squares

5.6   8x8 Magic Squares

5.7   12x12 Magic Squares

Chapter 6   Sequential Reasoning and Algebra

6.1   Algebraic Magic Square Puzzles

6.2   Squaring the Square Puzzles

6.3   Number Chase Puzzles

Chapter 7   Sequential Reasoning and Geometry

7.1   Angle Chase Puzzles

Appendices           

A.1   Racetracks

A.2   Playing Boards

A.3   Properties of Algebra

A.4   Properties of Geometry

A.5   Hints

A.6   Answers

A.7   Proofs

Sample Sequential Reasoning Puzzles

 
 

Color Network Puzzle
Each circle is to be colored Red (R), Yellow (Y), or Blue (B).  However no two vertices of a triangle are permitted to be the same color. What must be the color of the circle marked with a question mark? 

                                     

 Tour Puzzles

A knowledge of chess is not necessary in order to solve these puzzles. A rook moves horizontally or vertically, but not diagonally. Fill in the missing numbers 1- 49 for puzzle 14. For puzzle 20, fill in the missing numbers to generate a continuous path in each square.

 

Rook's Tour Puzzle 14 h        Rook's Tour Puzzle 20

             

 

Mathematical Connections: Euler Paths

If all the edges of a network, called a graph in Graph Theory, can be covered without retracing any edge, then the graph has an Euler path. If all edges of a graph can be covered without repetition and you can return to the starting point, then the graph has an Euler circuit.

 

Magic Squares

 A Magic Square is a square array of distinct integers such that the numbers in any row, column, or main diagonals, have the same sum (called the magic sum). The magic square below is a normal 4x4 magic square.

               

 A magic square puzzle is an incomplete magic square.  Complete the 5x5 magic square.  You will need to calculate the magic sum first.

                        Magic Square Puzzle 36

                        

 

Angle Chase Puzzles

Students rely on their recall of geometry properties (and can review them in Appendix 4), not their protractor, when solving Angle Chase puzzles. The puzzle below uses properties of parallels, vertical angles, isosceles triangle properties, and polygon sum properties. Find the measures of all the angles in the Angle Chase puzzle below.

 

Summary

 This article describes four different sequential reasoning puzzles (and each puzzle has many variations). These puzzles, played as part of your school mathematics curriculum, make great classroom openers, end of period thought provokers, or for students to work on at home during school breaks. The puzzles in Smart Moves are wonderful for cooperative problem solving activities in the classroom. You can project a worksheet onto a screen as the class solves the puzzle together.  I encourage parents to participate in these games and puzzles with the entire family.  Sequential reasoning puzzles can provide a setting for children and grandparents to work on problem solving and mental exercises together. Try them.  I think you’ll see the “reason” for including them in your lesson plans.

ERRATA – SMART MOVES January 11, 2012

P. 8.  - Robot Puzzle 1 instruction, change the last sentence
 “Write a program with 12 or fewer steps” to “Write a program with 14 or fewer steps.” 

P. 176. - RP Puzzle 1 answer should be:
 F8 TR TR F2 TR F4 TL F4 TR TR F5 TL F3 TL

P. 179. – MR Puzzle 3 answer should be:
1 → 4 ↓ →

 

Copyright © Michael Serra 2011

Year at a Glance

 

2013

February

February 2, 2013 - Maui, HI  Discovering Geometry Workshop at Seabury Hall

April

April 17-20, 2013 - Denver, CO - NCTM National

 July

July 29-31, 2013 - Palm Beach County, FL iTeach Geometry Workshop

October

October 16-18, 2013 - Baltimore, MD -  NCTM Regional

October 23-25, 2013 - Las Vegas, NV - NCTM Regional

November

November 1-2, 2013 - Palm Springs, CA CMC South

November 6-8, 2013 - Louisville, KY - NCTM Regional

December

December 6-8, 2013 - Asilomar, CA CMC North

 

Developing Mathematical Reasoning with Games and Puzzles Series

Thank you to everyone who contacted us about our Developing Mathematical Reasoning with Games and Puzzles series. We are very excited to introduce the first book, Smart Moves.  It was developed from my elementary, high school, and university classroom experiences. Smart Moves will interest people of all ages from middle and high school students to seniors interested in keeping "brain fit". I sincerely hope you enjoy the experience!

   


•    SMART MOVES - Sequential Reasoning

Target Audience:
•    5 -12 public and private school teachers
•    High school and middle school math teachers
•    Intergenerational activities for grandparents, parents, and children
•    Home schools, gifted students
•    Puzzle enthusiasts  
•    Post 50 baby-boomers seeking brain exercises

Why our game/puzzle books are unique

Most puzzle books are simply a collection of games and puzzles.  Our series shows the connection between certain games and puzzles and mathematical thinking. Mathematical thinking requires reasoning skills which are useful in everyday life. Studies have shown that people learn better when they are relaxed and enjoying themselves.  Experienced teachers are aware of this fact and incorporate game-based learning into their lesson plan to increase motivation and promote retention. The series presents a unique opportunity for participants to have fun while developing important sequential reasoning skills.

Below is a puzzle from a future book in the series.

Download Bagels Puzzle (PDF)

Download Bagels Puzzle Answer (PDF)

Thank you to everyone who contacted us about our Developing Mathematical Reasoning with Games and Puzzles series. We are very excited to introduce the first book, Smart Moves.  It was developed from my elementary, high school, and university classroom experiences. Smart Moves will interest people of all ages from middle and high school students to seniors interested in keeping "brain fit". I sincerely hope you enjoy the experience!

   


•    SMART MOVES - Sequential Reasoning

Target Audience:
•    5 -12 public and private school teachers
•    High school and middle school math teachers
•    Intergenerational activities for grandparents, parents, and children
•    Home schools, gifted students
•    Puzzle enthusiasts  
•    Post 50 baby-boomers seeking brain exercises

Why our game/puzzle books are unique

Most puzzle books are simply a collection of games and puzzles.  Our series shows the connection between certain games and puzzles and mathematical thinking. Mathematical thinking requires reasoning skills which are useful in everyday life. Studies have shown that people learn better when they are relaxed and enjoying themselves.  Experienced teachers are aware of this fact and incorporate game-based learning into their lesson plan to increase motivation and promote retention. The series presents a unique opportunity for participants to have fun while developing important sequential reasoning skills.

Below is a puzzle from a future book in the series.

Download Bagels Puzzle (PDF)

Download Bagels Puzzle Answer (PDF)

Thank you to everyone who contacted us about our Developing Mathematical Reasoning with Games and Puzzles series. We are very excited to introduce the first book, Smart Moves.  It was developed from my elementary, high school, and university classroom experiences. Smart Moves will interest people of all ages from middle and high school students to seniors interested in keeping "brain fit". I sincerely hope you enjoy the experience!

   


•    SMART MOVES - Sequential Reasoning

Target Audience:
•    5 -12 public and private school teachers
•    High school and middle school math teachers
•    Intergenerational activities for grandparents, parents, and children
•    Home schools, gifted students
•    Puzzle enthusiasts  
•    Post 50 baby-boomers seeking brain exercises

Why our game/puzzle books are unique

Most puzzle books are simply a collection of games and puzzles.  Our series shows the connection between certain games and puzzles and mathematical thinking. Mathematical thinking requires reasoning skills which are useful in everyday life. Studies have shown that people learn better when they are relaxed and enjoying themselves.  Experienced teachers are aware of this fact and incorporate game-based learning into their lesson plan to increase motivation and promote retention. The series presents a unique opportunity for participants to have fun while developing important sequential reasoning skills.

Below is a puzzle from a future book in the series.

Download Bagels Puzzle (PDF)

Download Bagels Puzzle Answer (PDF)

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Contact Us

 

PLAYING IT SMART

PO BOX 27540

San Francisco, CA 94127

mserramath@gmail.com

 

 

SHIPPING AND RETURN POLICY

- Books from the 48 continuous states are shipped either USPS media rate or UPS ground. Books to Hawaii and Alaska are shipped via USPS Priority Mail flat rate service and there is one price for shipping 1-3 books.

- Please contact us for international shipping rates.

- We post as much information on our website as possible. Please let us know if you have any questions.

- Due to the high cost of shipping, our books are not returnable unless there is a printing defect. If you have received a defective book, please contact us for a return authorization.

 

  2011 Michael Serra

Workshop Description

Workshops are generally one to three hours long and focus on a single topic.  School districts will often contract Michael for a series of workshops once a week or twice monthly over a four to eight week period.  Some examples can be seen below.

Pricing is based on length of time, the number of visits, topics requiring special equipment and materials, and amount of travel involved. For more information please contact us at mserramath@gmail.com.

How to Teach Math Anxiety

 

Key Curriculum Press sponsored their third Ignite! at Asilomar for CMC North.  What is Ignite? Ignite is a way to impart thought-provoking ideas in a fun and social way. I think Ignite is  like "speed dating" because they feature nine speakers for five minutes with visuals changing every 15 seconds. I was honored to be invited to speak and here we go...

"How to Teach Math Anxiety"

HCTM Geometry Workshop with Michael Serra

Proof and Logical Reasoning Puzzles

Saturday, August 14, 2010 8:00 am

Kamehameha High School Campus, Honolulu, HI