Otter Math
When locals’ and aliens’ mixed attitude vis-à-vis otters and their apparently manageable growing population on the “fine” city of Singapore provides a fertile ground for math educators to pose a number of brain-unfriendly questions to challenge exam-smart symbol-minded students.
Two otter math questions from a Singapore math problem solving book are:
1. At a recent otter attack at a church’s fish pond, five koi fish were swallowed up, while the remaining partially eaten fish were left with one or two eyes. From the 17 koi fish in the pond, the verger found only 16 eyes. How many koi fish lost only one eye?
2. On average, what percentage of fish in a pond get eaten by an otter family every time they terrorize a condominium located in some posh area of Singapore?
1. At a recent otter attack at a church’s fish pond, five koi fish were swallowed up, while the remaining partially eaten fish were left with one or two eyes. From the 17 koi fish in the pond, the verger found only 16 eyes. How many koi fish lost only one eye?
2. On average, what percentage of fish in a pond get eaten by an otter family every time they terrorize a condominium located in some posh area of Singapore?
Otter Math by MathPlus December 11, 2021
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