TRINITY MATH TRIATHLON

• provide time for graders to complete scoring of the first two aspects of the competition
• create an opportunity for participants to interact with students from other schools and Trinity students
• allow participants to release energy, have fun, and be noisy in a recreational math activity

Triathlon half-time activities are designed by a variety of Trinity students and friends.  We would like to acknowledge in particular Deb Knot and Laura Davis whose creativity in the first eight Triathlons has inspired the department for future events.

Monty Math's Mayhem
I Need A Number
Math Survivor
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (Receive ten 100 Grand bars)
Zoombini Gates
Simon Says (mathematics style)

Resources Needed:

• One banquet-size table for pair of "color clubs" to share
• Chairs for two judges at each table
• Color Club Posters
• Creative Questions/Activities for groups of students to complete, divided into three categories:  Math Mystery, Math Motion, and Math Madness
• Sufficient scratch paper and pencils
• A sound amplification system and an overhead projector or computer projector
• A Master or Mistress of Ceremonies to be "Monty Math"
• One judge and one banker for each color club
• A large collection of "Math Money"
• Prizes to exchange for math money at end of game

Instructions (This game is loosely based on the game show "Let's Make a Deal")

Participants are divided into color clubs of 30 to 35 students.  Within each color club, participants are further divided into six groups of 5 to 6 using open and filled squares, open and filled triangles, and open and filled circles.  Upon arrival in gym, students find their color club and sit down.  Each color club should have at least one teacher or chaperone to assist them.

• During play of the game, Monty Math wanders around the color clubs and interacts with participants.  Play continues with Monty selecting an individual from any color club
• The selected individual will then decide which category of challenges to attempt: Math Madness, Math Motion, Math Mystery.
• Hidden within the challenges in each category are six Trolls.
• If a group correctly completes a challenge, that group wins Math Money! 
• At the end of the game, Math Money can be exchanged for candy prizes. (Note:  at the April event, we anticipated completing more challenges than we were able to finish; in hindsight, we might had made the prize options cost fewer math dollars.)

 

Amount	Prize Options
1	Laffy Taffy Chocolate mini bar
5	Ring pop Megamouth gum Tootsie pop Blow pop
10	King-size Twix TCC calculators

• Club judges decisions are final. 

Challenges in the three categories fall into several types: 
• Club challenges: each color club works together to complete challenge before other color clubs.  Sample: sit down. First club all seated wins one math dollar per member.
• Team challenges: clubs are divided into six symbol groups (shaded & solids squares, circles, triangles). Sample: find all members of your team and form a single file line.  First team from each club wins. Most questions are of this type. 
• Shape challenges: clubs are divided into three shape groups (squares, circles, triangles); the three shape groups compete against each other in each club.
• Troll challenges: if an individual selects a Troll, that individual chooses one Troll challenge envelope from Monty Math's pocket.  If he/she solves the problem, they may keep the prize Math money.
• Teacher challenges: teacher member competes for their club

Documents related to the play of the game:

List of challenges for each category
Answer key for judges
Sample Math Money--a word perfect file
Presentation document for event--a powerpoint file; created by J. Cryan

Resources Needed:

• One banquet-size table for each group of 16 - 20 students (4 teams of 4-5 students)
• Chairs for two judges at each table
• Some sort of flag (bandanas on a ruler work well)
• A creative list of items student must provide (with answers for judges)
• Sufficient scratch paper and pencils
• A sound amplification system and an overhead projector
• A Master or Mistress of Ceremonies
• Small prizes 

Instructions:

Students are divided into teams of 4 to 5 students to compete in groups of 4 teams.  Each group of four teams is assigned to a table with two judges.  The object of the game is to be the first team from your group to bring the requested item to the judge at your table. 

For example, the MC might say, "I need a calculator."  Then the first team to place a calculator for the judge's inspection would be awarded a point.  In each round, ten items will be requested in succession.  The team at each table with the most points wins a small prize at the end of each round.  Several rounds can be repeated to allow sufficient time for graders to complete their work.   To ensure participation of all competitors, teams can rotate who must bring the item to the judge. Before the MC asks for the next item, the judges will indicate readiness by raising their flag for the MC to see.

Documents

Sample List of Mathematical Items
Sample Score Sheet (WordPerfect document)

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Resources Needed

• A set of twelve problems of increasing difficulty, printed on separate papers
• A set of solutions for the problems
• A tribal leader for each team of 8 players (teachers, chaperones, college students)
• A timing device
• A sound amplification system
• A set of small prizes

Instructions

Divide students into teams of 8 players.  Each team will face a series of twelve challenges (math problems) simultaneously with all other teams.  Work time for the challenges will increase from 30 to 60 to 90 seconds as the challenges increase in difficulty.  After the time has expired, one of the team members must present the solution to the judge.  If the solution is incorrect, the presenter does "not survive."  Any team with surviving team members at that stage will be permitted to advance to the next challenge level.  Teams may work collaboratively on problems, but must rotate presenters.

Challenges will NOT be revealed successively; instead, all twelve challenges will be available for study and solution at the beginning of the game.  At the beginning of the game, teams may choose to send players ahead to work on harder problems before the main body of the team arrives at that challenge level. 

The team which survives the most challenges OR the team which makes it through all of the challenges with the greatest remaining number of teammates wins the game.

Strategy

At the onset of the game, each team will be allowed to place teammates at various challenges.  From the start of the first challenge, those teammates will be able to work on the challenge on which they are placed. The tribal leader will work with the team to decide upon an optimal strategy to use for the game. 

For example, a team might choose to place their eight members at levels 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 12.  In this case, at least one team member is attempting to solve eight of the 12 challenges.  The danger with this sort of strategy is that the player at level one could make a error and cause the entire team to fail because their is noone remaining at the first level to advance to the second level. 

The opposite strategy is to have all eight players start at challenge 1.  This guarantees that the team will be able to advance to at least challenge 8 since there will be players remaining to advance even if the team answers the challenge incorrectly.  Note that this is not an efficient strategy for solving the most difficult problems.

Documents

Sample Set of Twelve Problems

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