Puzzling Pentominoes - University of Mississippi

Pentominoes play a major part in the plot of the book
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett. The following activities were
designed for a group of students who read this book. However,
the activities can be completed by students who have not read
the book.
Procedure:
Before the Activity:
1. Print enough 5x5 grids, 5x8 grids, and Pentomino Code
worksheets so that each student will have one.
2. Print 6 copies of the Mystery Game worksheet and Mystery
Game Chart.
3. Develop or buy enough sets of pentominoes so that each student
may use one. [To develop your own pentominoes, visit the Chasing
Vermeer website
http://www.scholastic.com/titles/chasingvermeer/. From this
website, you can print the pentominoes. Once they have been
printed, cut them out and laminate them if possible.]
4. Develop 10 additional sets of pentominoes (one for use in the
Mystery Game and the rest for the winners to take home.)
5. Divide a set of pentominoes into two groups: L, I, V, P, Y, N and
U, T, X, M (or W), Z, F.
6. Randomly choose one pentomino from each group and place both
pentominoes in a manila envelope and put the envelope in a secret
location.
7. Randomly choose one of the remaining pentominoes from each
group and place both into each of the remaining 5 manila
envelopes.
8. Print out the images of famous paintings included at the end of
the activity and post them somewhere in your classroom.
NSF North Mississippi GK-8 3