Getting three wildebeest across a river should be no problem— but what happens when you add three lions to the mix? Watch a video that features a classic river-crossing puzzle with a crocodile twist. Viewers listen as the narrator presents the problem of getting the wildebeest across the river without leaving them outnumbered by the predatory lions, and then watch the most straightforward solution to the riddle.

Concepts

riddles, logic, consequences, brainstorming, problem solving strategies, problem solving techniques, graph theory

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Additional Tags

math

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Instructional Ideas

• Pause the video at the correct time and see if groups can solve the riddle in as few steps as the narrator can (11 steps)
• Use as part of a lesson on graph theory or when focusing on brainstorming and problem solving

Classroom Considerations

• The video presents one possible solution to the riddle
• Assessment asks specific questions about the video, rather than about the problem-solving process

Pros

• Extension section offers links to additional videos and puzzles that use the same problem-solving strategy
• Explains the process needed to eliminate the solutions that do not work

Cons

• None