Domino Rectangles
How it works
Here are 2 different ways to make a 2 x 4 rectangle with dominoes (2 x 1 tiles):
How many different ways are there to make a 2 x 4 rectangle with dominoes? What about a 2 x 5 rectangle? 2 x 6? 2 x 7? 2 x 10?
In this activity, students try to find all the different ways it's possible to make rectangles of various sizes using dominoes. For larger rectangles, students are encouraged to see if they can find any patterns that could help them to predict how many different ways there are to make the rectangles.
Why we like this activity
It’s fun! Students enjoy finding the different ways of making the rectangles and trying to figure out how many ways there will be.
It helps students to develop spatial reasoning.
It helps students to develop logical reasoning.
It requires students to engage in mathematical habits of mind:
Using logic and finding and using strategies to make sure you have found all the different rectangles of each size
Looking for patterns and making and testing predictions when trying to predict how many different ways there will be to make a rectangle of a given size
It has a low floor and a high ceiling: Students can start making rectangles by trial and error, but correctly predicting the number of different ways to make a rectangle requires more advanced reasoning.
