by Dave Youngs
This month's puzzle is one of a large family of geometric puzzles. While the exact history of these puzzles is not certain, they seem to have originated in China. Early in the nineteenth century, the Chinese Puzzle Game , as it was then called, became quite popular in America and Europe. This particular puzzle maintained its popularity until modern times and somewhere along the way picked up the name, tangram. Many other geometric puzzles were invented in the wake of the popular tangram. Each of these puzzles contained several geometric pieces that could be put together edge to edge, without overlapping, to form a number of interesting shapes.
Puzzles of this sort are great for developing spatial-visualization skills. Because some students may not have developed these skills, The Heart Breaking Puzzle initially only asks students to use the nine pieces to make as many interesting shapes as they can. (There are dozens of shapes possible-some symmetrical and some not.) After students have become comfortable with this process, they are asked to make a record of some of their more interesting shapes. These records can show each puzzle piece, or just the outline. If the later is chosen, students can exchange outlines and try to build each other's shapes. Finally, students are challenged to reassemble the original heart and to replicate two other specific shapes. By the end of the process, students should have developed a better sense of spatial awareness.