Reasoning  Science requires students to examine scientific phenomena with a critical eye. Students can also gain critical thinking in other subjects, especially math.  By developing critical thinking skills in the form of a weekly challenge problem, teachers can encourage thinking outside the box, which will overlap to their science classes.  Although students may really enjoy these problems, they are actually developing critical thinking skills while working on the challenge.

Monday Mind-bender If a boy and a half can eat a hot dog and a half in a minute and a half, how long would it take six boys to eat six hot dogs?

Monday Mind-bender How many birthdays does the average man have?

Monday Mind-bender  If a doctor gave you three pills and told you to take one every half hour, how long would they last you?

Monday Mind-bender  How much dirt is there in a hole in the ground that's two feet wide, three feet long, and four feet deep?

Monday Mind-bender  George's mother had three children: one named April, one named May, and one named what?

Monday Mind-bender  In a group of siblings, there are seven sisters, and each sister has one brother. How many siblings are there in total?

Monday Mind-bender  Three large people try to crowd under one small umbrella, but nobody gets wet. How is this possible?

Monday Mind-bender  You are a bus driver. At the first stop of the day, eight people get on board. At the second stop, four get off, and eleven get on. At the third stop, two get off, and six get on. At the fourth stop, thirteen get off, and one gets on. At the fifth stop, five get off, and three get on. At the sixth stop, three get off, and two get on. What color are the bus driver's eyes?

Monday Mind-bender  A certain five letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it. What is the word?

Monday Mind-bender  Some months have 30 days. Some months have 31 days. How many months have 28 days?

Monday Mind-bender  A clerk in a butcher's shop is five foot ten. What does he weigh?

Monday Mind-bender  What two numbers have a product of 48 and, when the larger number is divided by the smaller, a quotient of 3?

Monday Mind-bender  A man carries his son into the hospital because his son has a nail in his foot. The Surgeon then walks in and says "I cannot operate on this boy … he is my son". What is going on here?

Monday Mind-bender  How many squares are there on this rubik’s cube?

Monday Mind-bender  You are standing by a river with a 5-gallon jug and a 3-gallon jug, but you need exactly 4 gallons of water. Using only the 2 jugs you have, how can you measure out 4 gallons?

Monday Mind-bender  Pretend that the above is drawn on a piece of paper, draw 4 lines with an imaginary pen w/o lifting up the pen so that the lines go through all the dots using only 4 lines. How is it done?

Monday Mind-bender  Arrange the numbers 1-9 in the above squares so that it adds up to 15 in all directions (horizontal, vertical, and diagonal). Use each number only once. How is this done?

Monday Mind-bender  Dana, Maya and Carol live in three different countries: China, England and Canada. Maya lives neither in Europe nor in China. Carol lives in Asia. Where do each of the girls live?

Monday Mind-bender Tom: I need to know how old your three kids are. Mary: The product of their ages is 36. Tom: I still don't know their ages. Mary: The sum of their ages is the same as my house number. Tom: I still don't know their ages. Mary: The younger two are twins. Tom: Now I know their ages! Thanks!

Monday Mind-bender  One big hockey fan claimed to be able to say the score before any game. How did he do it?

Monday Mind-bender  On a long horseback trip through the Arizona desert, three horsemen start out with 7 one gallon canteens of water each. Half way through the trip they inventory their supply. They find seven full canteens, seven empty canteens, and seven half full. How do you divide the canteens so that each rider has the same amount of canteens and water for each? (You cannot transfer water for fear of spilling).

Monday Mind-bender  A man buys 9 gallons of paint, he can only carry 2 at a time to the car. How many trips from the store to the car does he have to make?

Monday Mind-bender  Victor, Virgil, Vincent, Vito, and Vance are brothers performing in a five man traveling circus known as the little big top. They are in no particular order, a clown, a juggler, an acrobat, a magician, and a strong man. Whenever they perform, their acts appear in the same order. The clown comes after Victor and Vito, but before the magician. The acrobat comes on third. Neither the strong man nor Vincent is the first or the last to perform. Virgil, Victor, and Vito perform in that order. Which brother does what act, and in what order do they perform?

References  oaners1.shtml oaners1.shtml 