Transum Software

Tracks

Work out where the railway line runs. The numbers count the squares of track in each row and column.

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Drag from one square to the next to lay a length of track. Drag back along it to lift it again. Tap a single square to mark it with a cross, meaning no track goes there.

Drag the picture to walk round the railway you have built. When the line is finished, a train will run the whole way along it.

Instructions

A single railway line crosses this 15 by 15 field. It comes in at the arrow on the left and leaves at the arrow along the bottom, and your job is to work out exactly which squares it runs through.

Where to begin

Using the grid

The picture beside the grid shows the railway you have built so far, sleeper by sleeper. Drag it to look at your line from any direction — and when it is finished, a train runs the whole way from the entrance to the exit.

Where this puzzle comes from

This activity is based on the puzzle Tracks from Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection, and uses a version of Simon's puzzle-generating and puzzle-solving logic, rewritten in jQuery for Transum. The original software is copyright © 2004–2024 Simon Tatham and is used, with thanks, under the terms of its MIT licence.

What next?

There's a rather large number of puzzles waiting for you on the Transum website and the best place to start, surprisingly, is the Puzzles Page.

Transum.org

This web site contains over a thousand free mathematical activities for teachers and pupils. Click here to go to the main page which links to all of the resources available.

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"Numeracy is a proficiency which is developed mainly in Mathematics but also in other subjects. It is more than an ability to do basic arithmetic. It involves developing confidence and competence with numbers and measures. It requires understanding of the number system, a repertoire of mathematical techniques, and an inclination and ability to solve quantitative or spatial problems in a range of contexts. Numeracy also demands understanding of the ways in which data are gathered by counting and measuring, and presented in graphs, diagrams, charts and tables."

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Go Maths

Learning and understanding Mathematics, at every level, requires learner engagement. Mathematics is not a spectator sport. Sometimes traditional teaching fails to actively involve students. One way to address the problem is through the use of interactive activities and this web site provides many of those. The Go Maths main page links to more activities designed for students in upper Secondary/High school.

Teachers

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Description of Levels

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Path Puzzle - An easier challenge to create a continuous line from start to finish.

Level 1 - 4 by 4 grid, Easy

Level 2 - 5 by 5 grid, Easy

Level 3 - 6 by 6 grid, Easy

Level 4 - 8 by 8 grid, Easy

Level 5 - 10 by 10 grid, Easy

Level 6 - 15 by 15 grid, Easy

Level 7 - 15 by 15 grid, Tricky

Level 8 - 15 by 15 grid, Hard

More on this topic including lesson Starters, visual aids, investigations and self-marking exercises.

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