SAT Math: Strange Symbols

What You Need:

• A pencil
• A piece of paper
• A copy of the phrase to be decoded.
• 2 or more players
• Candy or another small prize

What You Do:

2)      Have her use the Code Key to decipher this phrase:

10.21.12.9.21.19       3.1.5.19.1.18    12.9.11.5.4      20.8.9.19      3.15.4.5

3)      Give your student the next code key:

4)      Have her decipher this phrase:                                            , / ;    a > $    & / / @    a "   " ^ * '

5)      Read the answers, and offer a prize to the winner, or to everyone who broke both codes.

“You are good at this.”

6)      Extend the lesson to math.  Show your teen this problem:

Let @x represent the number of different pairs of positive integers whose product is x.  For example,  @16 = 3, since 16 can be written as 1*16, 2*8, or 1*16.

Problem:  What is the value of @36?

Solution:  The Code Key told us the meaning of the box is to find the factors of 36:  1*36, 2*18, 3*12, 4*9, 6*6

There are 5 pairs of factors, so the answer is 5.

7)      One more problem:

Let  “&x “ mean “13 – x”

Problem:  Which is bigger, “&5”  or “ &4” ?

Solution: The Code Key told us that “&” means to subtract the number from 13.  So…

“&5”  = 13 – 5 = 8   WHILE   “&4”  = 13 – 4 = 9

Therefore, 4 is bigger.