Archimedes Laboratory

http://www.Archimedes-lab.org/

This is a real fun site for teachers and students to explore the world of puzzles, brainteasers and geometry.  The website starts to activate your brain into a problem solving mode by giving you some interesting facts to ponder.  Just take a look at these three facts: 

If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the vowel 'A'?
Answer: 1 thousand

The average human body contains enough carbon to make 900 pencils

ETAISON is not a French word, it's just the frequency order of use of the 7 most recurrent letters

Once you start thinking about these facts, it’s just a short scroll away to the visual puzzles.  And the puzzles are as varied as one’s imagination!  The website is divided into six major categories or indexes: Puzzles to make, Puzzles to solve, Tricks to perform, Puzzles to buy, Tools & automatons, Optical illusions, Tessellations, Labyrinths & mazes, Peculiar puzzles, Online games, Math curiosities, Tangram & related, Guides/Courses, Classic E-books, Shapes & colors, Languages, World eccentricities and pages in French and Italian.

A great way to get students interested in puzzles and in this site is to have them make their own puzzles.  Easy to follow instructions and templates are available to make a dozen puzzles.  Students will enjoy the magical spinning tops and the magical illusion puzzles.

For students who want a challenge, have them check out the Puzzle of the Month page.  Here there are 3 kinds of mental activities: the puzzle of the month, a quiz/test of the month and a Wunderkammer fact section, which contains outstanding facts.

If you want something to leave your students wanting more, go to the Optical Illusions category and click on the 20-dollar premonition link.  Is it another urban legend surrounding September 11?  It’s just one of many puzzles that will activate your brain and give your students something to ponder!

Marjan Glavac is a full time classroom teacher and the author of a new book "How To Make A Difference: Inspiring Students To Do Their Best available at: http:://www.howtomakeadifference.com

...