I like using puzzles like this as a do-now at the beginning of class and for students who arrive early (I want them doing as much math as possible!). There are many reasons to use puzzles in class. Often students who have been reserved with more traditional math show an ability to persist when faced with a puzzle. Students often share puzzles with friends and family as well. And it gets people talking to each other since they want see each other’s solutions.

Personally, I DON’T show students how to solve puzzles like these, though I would help them get started by throwing some random numbers in the circles to get everyone talking about the rules. I want them to understand how it works, but I don’t want to show how to solve it. I would invite students to show each other, though.

From Tools of Algebra: Expressions, Equations, and Inequalities, Part 1 | CollectEdNY