SNAP Mathfairs
  • Home
  • Guidelines
  • Organizing
    • Organizing & Preparing for the Fair
    • Choosing a Theme
    • Different Types of Displays
    • Some Typical Projects
    • Who to Invite
    • Optional Timelines
    • Math Fair Club
  • Grading
    • Assessment Checklist (Grade 7)
    • Evaluation Guidelines (Grade 9)
    • Rubric for a Math Fair (Grade 12)
    • Marking Guide (Grades 5 and 6)
    • Math Fair Club Evaluation (Grades 4 and 5)
  • Resources & Contacts
    • Puzzle Sources
    • Contacts
    • Workshops and Conferences
  • Puzzles
    • Level 1 Puzzles >
      • Spoke Sum
      • Number Wheel
      • Buggy Jump
      • Pyramid
      • Nine Men in a Trench
      • Star Jump
      • Circle Jump
      • Circle Jump II
      • Four Cottages
      • Free the Animals
      • Sam's House
      • About the Solutions
      • Solutions - Level 1
    • Level 2 Puzzles >
      • Neighbourhood Sums
      • Eight Squares
      • Soko Puzzle I
      • Soko Puzzle II
      • Abdication
      • Regime Change
      • Stairways to Heaven
      • Catacombs
      • About the Solutions
    • River Crossing Puzzles >
      • The fox, the goose, and the grain
      • The fox, the goose, and the grain, and the dog
      • The mouse, the elephant, the dog, and the cat
      • Soldiers and children
      • Animal Crossing
      • The Three Thieves
      • The Missionaries and the Cannibals
      • Quarrelsome Boys
      • Jealous husbands
      • A Handful for the Farmer
      • The farmer, his children, and their pets
      • About the Solutions
    • Sudoku-Type Puzzles >
      • Cats, Cows, and Pigs
      • Latin Squares
      • Apple and Bananas I
      • Apple and Bananas II
      • Apple, Bananas, and Cherries
      • Four Skyscraper Puzzles
      • Colourful Cats and Pigs I
      • Colourful Cats and Pigs II
      • The Wizard's Hats
      • Four Colours
      • About the Solutions
    • Other Puzzles >
      • Catch the Thief
      • Cherry Glasses
      • Coin Jumping I
      • Coin Jumping II
      • Evensies
      • The 22 Game
      • Switch Positions
      • Spellbound Frogs
      • The Die Hard Jugs
      • About the Solutions
    • About the Solutions
  • About SNAP
    • Our Mandate
    • Our Supporters
    • Who Are We?
    • Curriculum Connections
    • The SNAP Approach and "Inquiry-Based Learning"
    • Some History
  • Gallery

Different Types of Displays

A common form of display is a tri-fold board that describes the puzzle, with the manipulatives on the table in front of the board. The tri-fold board can be a commercial one, or home-made from cardboard boxes. Some school districts might sell large (2 metres high) tri-folds that can be sawn in half or thirds and re-used.

Danielle Chassé, an elementary teacher from Alberta, was faced with limited space and funds. She had the children make their own tri-folds by pasting two file folders together. For manipulatives, students used pieces that were standard in the classroom. In addition, the students had to make sure that they could store all parts of their display (except the manipulatives) inside the closed tri-folds and keep them in their desks. The total cost of the math fair for five classs of about 25 students was less than $60.00.

Many math fairs do not use display boards at all - the problems are presented on art paper that lies flat on the desk or table.

Another math fair, whose school and parents have many resources, had a rule that all displays must be three dimensional. Students used a variety of materials to make such displays: milk crates, cardboard boxes, etc., which were covered with art paper or cloth.

Sometimes the major part of the display might be a large board that is taped to the floor — with the math fair visitors becoming the manipulative pieces.