I gave the students in my Advanced class this prompt:
Problem of the Week
Broken Eggs
Due Monday September 20, 2010
Problem: An old woman goes to market, and a horse steps on her basket and crushes the eggs. The rider offers to pay for the damages and asks her how many eggs she had brought. She does not remember the exact number, but when she had taken them out two at a time, there was one egg left. The same happened when she picked them out three, four, five, and six at a time, but when she took them out seven at a time they came out even. What is the smallest number of eggs she could have had?
1) State the problem in your own words.
2) Contain all your scratch work neatly on lined sheets of paper.
3) Explain your process for finding the answer.
4) Explain the solution you found and why you know it makes sense.
5) Could you carry that many eggs?
6) How much would that many eggs cost?
All of the writing portion of this must be written in complete sentences (preferably typed but not required). The scratch work should be hand written and stapled to the final product.
Response from amazing student who I often describe as precocious (6th grade girl):
5)No I can’t carry 301 eggs at one sitting and it wouldn’t make sense either Miss Germain!
6) Doorbell rings “Special delivery for Miss Sophie Germain. 301 eggs that you wanted to order.”
“Thank you very much . Here’s a secret, don’t tell anybody- okay?”
“Sure.”
“Okay, what I’m going to be with this many eggs is that I’m going to make the world’s largest oml-“
“Sorry before you make it you have to pay $, so please sign this also.”
“Hmpt! I haven’t even told you what I am going to make!”
“Sorry I wasn’t interested”
“Well, well, well then I’m not going to go to Safeway ever again!” (slaps money in to guy’s hand and slams door)
(three days later at safeway’s returning counter with 301 eggs. speaks to same guy)
“Well what have we here”
“I’m returning the 301 eggs you delivered to me and buying them from costco.”
“Fine, that’s your money.”
“I hope I don’t see you again!”
“Same with me!”
(Leaves Safeway, gets in to car and drive home to order eggs.) (Same thing happens and doesn’t eat eggs anymore)
THE END!
Dear kid,
you are amazing but you didn’t answer the last question.
love,
me.
a brand new line. 