Title: Puzzling Teaching Methods: Crossing Disciplines with the Rubik’s Cube

Speaker(s): Jameson Hardy, McKay Sullivan

Abstract: Aside from being a rewarding and challenging puzzle, the Rubik’s Cube has interesting and deep connections to several disciplines. We show how to utilize some of these connections to build low threshold high ceiling activities for students of a wide variety of ages from elementary school to upper-division college students. In particular, we provide an example of an activity which relates Rubik’s cubes to color choice in art and computer science as well as chameleon color changing in biology. Other examples involving chemistry and mathematics will also be provided.