Puzzle Me This!

If you had an infinite supply of water and a 5 L pail and a 3 L pail, how would you measure exactly 4 L?
What was your initial reaction?
This is impossible! I’m never going to get it. Someone smarter will.
…or…
Sounds intriguing! Let’s give it a try!

At the end of a long day, my partner read me this puzzle and as exhausted was, it made me think. Part way through, I wanted to give up, or at least ask him for a hint, however, something in me wanted the satisfaction of solving it. In going through this process, I realized that this is the feeling I want every student to have.
The following week, I presented these puzzles to my Grade 8 Science class. I discussed with them about how science is a field where everything has been built from inquisition and experimentation – an exploration of the unknown and building from previous work from others. As Isaac Newton said it best, “If I have seen further, it is only by standing on the shoulder of giants.”
I started off with the “easy” one and the result was amazing. The students immediately started to work together and as I walked around the classroom could see that collaboration came so naturally to them. Not one student worked in isolation. Quiet students were excited to share their ideas and those whose ideas were similar broke off into a different group and worked together. Students were drawing diagrams, listing out potential solutions – it was brilliant. Once they thought they had the solution, they would come running to me to confirm and even when they were incorrect, they would go back to the drawing board to improve their ideas.
Then I introduced them to a more challenging puzzle. The result was the same and even more with collaboration and sharing in abundance. I saw each student contributing to each other’s learning process and the journey in finding the solution. I left the unsolved puzzle with them to take home and think about.
After class, a student who had always causes many challenges approached me and asked me if I could help him solve it. We walked through the puzzle together and while giving him small hints here and there he solved the puzzle virtually on his own. He truly rose rose to the challenge and didn't give up and was extremely proud of himself. This experience was eye opening for me in how to work with him, as often he is distracted and disruptive in class yet I saw him working on-task and so well with others.
What was the difference?
He was being challenged. They all were. They were being asked a question where the answer wasn’t found in the back of a textbook or on the overhead that is hidden in the teacher’s binder. In order to get the solution, they had to work together, pool resources, and think beyond what was expected of them.
Isn’t that what happens in real life? Isn’t this what learning is?
Although not every class can be full of puzzles and riddles, I hope to bring that element into each lesson so that when they are faced with life’s puzzles and riddles, they will be prepared to rise to the challenge and be successful.