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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Challenging Words
MORE HIDDEN ANIMALSHidden in each sentence is the name of an animal. Each can be found either inthe middle of a word or by combining the end of one word with the beginning ofthe next. Underline the animal name in each sentence. An example has beendone for you.
Marc owns a sporting goods store. (cow)
1. Cuba won the gold medal, and America took the silver._________________
2. To and fro goes the pendulum. ____________________________________
3. Eating oatmeal was Charles’ favorite thing to do.______________________
4. “Ski down the beginner’s slope,” said the instructor. ___________________
5. They do good work._____________________________________________
6. The politician said, “We, as elected officials, are employees of the public.”.
_____________________________________________________________
7. Susan came late to the party. _____________________________________
8. If your answers differ, retry the problem._____________________________
9. Sara made Eric apologize for being mean.___________________________
10. Magnus ate a whole bowl of popcorn while watching the movie.
_____________________________________________________________
11. Noah entered the ark with his family. _______________________________
12. Chris’ new-found prestige really has gone to his head. _________________
13. Steffi should be pleased with the results. ____________________________
14. Jesse allowed only four goals the entire season. ______________________
15. John scraped his elbow on the pavement. ___________________________
Page 1621. cat2. frog3. goat4. kid5. dog6. weasel7. camel8. ferret9. deer10. gnu and owl11. hen12. tiger13. fish14. seal15. ape
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Math and Numbers
MORE CALCULATOR FUNDo each math problem on your calculator. Then, turn the calculator upside-down to find an answer for each of the following clues.
Number Word
1. 1,000 – 229 = not feeling well __________ __________
2. 5,285 + 1251 + 1199 = the opposite of buy __________ __________
3. 70,000 – 34,999 = not secured __________ __________
4. 314 + 215 + 181 = petroleum __________ __________
5. 0.5731 + 0.2003 = hola __________ __________
6. 0.09 – 0.07 = a place for animals __________ __________
7. 188,308 + 188,308 = to laugh in a silly way __________ __________
8. 2,000 + 95 + 700 + 250 = foot apparel __________ __________
9. 1080 – 272 = Robert’s nickname __________ __________
10. 0.20202 + 0.20202 = Santa’s laughter __________ __________
11. 926 x 2 x 2 = an empty space __________ __________
12. 3544 + 3011 + 550 = synonym for dirt __________ __________
13. 801 – 163 = to ask earnestly __________ __________
14. 101 x 5 = a call for help __________ __________
15. .3 x .3 = the opposite of stop __________ __________
Page 1331. 771; ill2. 7735; sell3. 35001; loose4. 710; oil
5. o.7734; hello6. 0.02; zoo7. 376616; giggle8. 3045; shoe9. 808; Bob10. 0.40404; hohoho11. 3704; hole12. 7105; soil13. 638; beg14. 505; SOS15. .09; go
#2465 The Best of Brain Teasers 116 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Thinking Creatively
RHYMING WORD PAIRSFind an adjective that rhymes with a noun so that the two words together haveabout the same meaning as the phrase that is given. An example has beendone for you.
girl from Switzerland = Swiss miss
1. ailing William ________________________________________
2. mischievous boy ________________________________________
3. unhappy friend ________________________________________
4. bashful insect ________________________________________
5. comical rabbit ________________________________________
6. overweight referee ________________________________________
7. obese feline ________________________________________
8. unhappy father ________________________________________
9. soaked dog ________________________________________
10. watered-down red juice ________________________________________
11. large swine ________________________________________
12. flower that hates to work ________________________________________
13. tiny bug ________________________________________
14. ill hen ________________________________________
15. overweight rodent ________________________________________
1. ill Bill2. bad lad3. glum chum4. shy fly5. funny bunny6. plump ump7. fat cat8. sad dad9. wet pet10. pink drink11. big pig12. lazy daisy13. wee flea14. sick chick15. fat rat
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Math and Numbers
ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION
Place + and – signs between the digits so that both sides of each equation areequal.
1. 6 4 1 2 6 2 = 15
2. 9 1 3 1 4 1 = 5
3. 9 3 4 1 2 3 = 14
4. 5 1 1 3 4 6 = 18
5. 9 8 6 3 5 3 = 8
6. 2 1 8 9 3 5 = 20
7. 5 3 2 4 1 5 = 12
8. 4 9 3 7 3 1 = 11
9. 7 6 2 8 7 1 = 3
10. 9 9 9 2 2 8 = 1
Page 1351. 6+4-1-2+6+2=152. 9+1-3+1-4+1=53. 9-3+4-1+2+3=144. 5-1+1+3+4+6=18
5. 9-8+6+3-5+3=86. 2-1+8+9-3+5=207. 5+3+2-4+1+5=128. 4+9+3-7+3-1=119. 7-6+2+8-7-1=310. 9+9-9+2-2-8=1
#2465 The Best of Brain Teasers 188 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Letters, Words, and Phrases
A PUZZLING PROVERBFill in the answers to the following clues. Then, transfer the letters to thecorresponding numbered blanks to reveal a famous proverb.
1. If the capital of Hawaii is Honolulu, circle P. If not, circle O.
2. If there are five rings on the Olympic flag, circle O. If there are six, circle A.
3. If an insect has eight legs, circle T. If not, circle W.
4. If the result of two numbers added together is called the sum, circle C. If not,circle N.
5. If 131 is a numerical palindrome, circle F. If not, circle H.
6. If there are 14 in a baker’s dozen, circle T. If not, circle D.
7. If antonyms mean the opposite, circle Y. If not, circle N.
8. If a comma is used in a contraction, circle N. If not, circle T.
9. If a name for low clouds is fog, circle R. If it is not, circle A.
10. If an eight-sided figure is called an octagon, circle A. If not, circle M.
11. If a baby kangaroo is a kid, circle Y. If it is a joey, circle M.
12. If Washington is one of the four presidents carved on Mt. Rushmore, circle U. Ifnot, circle H.
13. If your mother’s sister is your grandmother, circle H. If not, circle N.
14. If 2,000 pounds equals one ton, circle H. If not, circle F.
_____ _____ _____’ _____ _____ _____ _____
_____ _____ _____ until
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
6 2 13 8
2 5 5
1 12 8
8 2 11 2 9 9 2 3
3 14 10 8 7 2 12
4 10 13 6 2 8 2 6 10 7
Answer KeyDon’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
#2465 The Best of Brain Teasers 170 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Challenging Words
COMPOUND WORDS
Write a word in the blank between each set of words. The trick is that the newword must complete a compound word both to the left and to the right of it. Thefirst one has been done for you.
1. dug ____________________ side
2. foot ____________________ ladder
3. arrow ____________________ line
4. country ____________________ walk
5. tea ____________________ belly
6. camp ____________________ place
7. basket ____________________ room
8. touch ____________________ stairs
9. drug ____________________ keeper
10. girl ____________________ ship
11. flash ____________________ house
12. hill ____________________ walk
13. look ____________________ doors
14. quarter ____________________ bone
15. some ____________________ ever
out
Page 1701. out2. step3. head
4. side5. pot6. fire7. ball8. down9. store10. friend11. light
12. side13. out14. back15. how
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Thinking Creatively
A FEW MORE HIDDEN MEANINGS
Explain the meaning of each box.
2 um2 um
DOWN
FAπCEiii
OOOTIME
A B D E
AGEBEAUTY datedate DECI SION
1._____________________ 2._____________________ 3._____________________
4._____________________ 5._____________________ 6._____________________
7._____________________ 8._____________________ 9._____________________
10. ___________________ 11. ___________________ 12. ___________________
out
I’m
WORLD
cloud cloud cloud
cloud cloud cloud
cloud cloud cloudshe
my head
raindrops
Page 1091. I’m on the top of the world.2. backwards glance3. forum4. She’s on cloud nine.5. Raindrops keep falling on my head.6. down and out7. pie in the face8. circles under the eyes9. long time, no see10. age before beauty11. double date12. split decision
#2465 The Best of Brain Teasers 178 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Challenging Words
ONE WORD PLUS ANOTHERAdd one word to another word to make a third word. The first one has beendone for you.
1. A water barrier plus a writing utensil equals a verb that means “to makeslightly wet.”
dam + pen = dampen
2. A large body of water plus a male child make a period of time.
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
3. A lightweight bed of canvas plus 2,000 pounds make a type of fabric.
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
4. A vegetable plus an edible kernel make a seed that ripens underground andis usually roasted before being eaten.
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
5. The nearest star plus the antonym of wet make an adjective meaning“various” or “several.”
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
6. A male offspring plus something used to catch fish make a form of poetry.
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
7. The antonym of on plus frozen water make a place for business.
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
8. A rodent plus a shade of brown make a plant used to make furniture.
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
9. Male adults plus the highest playing card make a threat.
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
10. A man’s name plus a male child make the name of a former U.S. president.
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
Page 1781. damp + pen = dampen2. sea + son = season3. cot + ton = cotton4. pea + nut = peanut5. sun + dry = sundry6. son + net = sonnet7. off + ice = office8. rat + tan = rattan9. men + ace = menace10. Jack + son = Jackson
#2465 The Best of Brain Teasers 144 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Math and Numbers
STRIKE IT RICH!Whose picture is on the $100,000 bill?
To discover the answer, find the difference in each problem below. Decode the name bymatching the answer to its letter. Write the letter in the box below the difference.
7927 7203 5361 4079 7455 5386–3084 –3427 –2805 –2834 –5976 –2174
The $100,000 bill is the highest-value bill ever printed by the United States. It was used onlyby government banks. The bill is no longer issued. The $100 bill is the highest value U.S. billin circulation today.
1479O
3776I
4843W
2219D
4873R
2556L
3212N
1245S
9371 3313 4530 6000 6230 3917 6792–4528 –1834 –3051 –3781 –1357 –2438 –1949
Woodrow Wilson
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Thinking Creatively
PALINDROMESPalindromes are words, phrases, sentences, or numbers that read the sameforward or backward. Write a palindrome that relates to each word or phrasebelow. An example has been done for you.
Trick or joke = gag
1. Midday ______________________________________________________
2. Title for a lady ________________________________________________
3. Tier__________________________________________________________
4. Robert’s nickname ______________________________________________
5. Abbreviation for #2 above ________________________________________
6. A glimpse ____________________________________________________
7. An organ of the body used for sight ________________________________
8. A father’s nickname ____________________________________________
9. Something that fails to work ______________________________________
10. The sound of a horn ____________________________________________
11. Something a baby wears ________________________________________
12. A concert engagement __________________________________________
13. A mother’s nickname ____________________________________________
14. Bounce in water________________________________________________
15. Hero of Great Expectations ______________________________________
16. Soda ________________________________________________________
17. Goofy person __________________________________________________
18. Small dog ____________________________________________________
19. Brave or skillful act ____________________________________________
20. Slang for “mister” ______________________________________________
Page 1211. noon2. madam3. level4. Bob
5. ma’am6. peep7. eye8. pop or dad9. dud10. toot11. bib12. gig13. mom or mum14. bob15. Pip
16. pop17. kook18. pup19. deed20. bub
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Letters, Words, and Phrases
WORD WINDERSUse the clues to help you fill in the blanks and circles. Only the circled letterschange from one word to the next.
c o l d1. Antonym for hot ___ ___ ___ ___
2. Pony ___ ___ ___ ___
3. Stroke of lightning ___ ___ ___ ___
4. Courageous ___ ___ ___ ___
5. Without hair ___ ___ ___ ___
6. Object used in a soccer game ___ ___ ___ ___
7. Device that rings ___ ___ ___ ___
8. Item worn around the waist ___ ___ ___ ___
9. To soften by using heat ___ ___ ___ ___
10. To shed skin ___ ___ ___ ___
11. Fine, furry growth of fungi ___ ___ ___ ___
12. Small, burrowing animal ___ ___ ___ ___
13. Empty space ___ ___ ___ ___
14. To hang on to something ___ ___ ___ ___
15. Yellow metallic element ___ ___ ___ ___
16. To bend and crease ___ ___ ___ ___
17. What you eat ___ ___ ___ ___
18. One who lacks good sense ___ ___ ___ ___
19. Object used to do work ___ ___ ___ ___
20. Place to swim ___ ___ ___ ___
Page 1941. cold2. colt3. bolt4. bold5. bald6. ball7. bell8. belt9. melt10. molt11. mold12. mole13. hole14. hold15. gold16. fold17. food18. fool19. tool20. pool
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Lists
BEGIN AND ENDEach phrase below is a clue for an answer that begins and ends with the sameletter.
1. Child’s sidewalk game__________________________________
2. A continent __________________________________________
3. Songs sung alone ____________________________________
4. A majestic bird________________________________________
5. A type of drum________________________________________
6. Rudolph ____________________________________________
7. One of the sense organs________________________________
8. A common man’s name ________________________________
9. To quiet down ________________________________________
10. Blue-green color ______________________________________
11. A young bird’s noise __________________________________
12. Midday______________________________________________
13. Old-fashioned type of margarine__________________________
14. The hardest mineral __________________________________
15. The day before today __________________________________
Page 2181. hopscotch2. Asia, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, or Europe3. solos
4. eagle5. gong6. reindeer7. eye8. Bob9. hush10. aqua11. peep
12. noon13. oleo14. diamond15. yesterday
#2465 The Best of Brain Teasers 94 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? School Days Trivia
SCIENCE CLUESUsing the clues, fill in the missing letters to spell the science words.
1. This is someone who travels into space. __st__on__ut
2. This is round, and we live on it. e__rt__
3. These are often fluffy, and they float in the sky. __lo__ __s
4. When some animals sleep through the winter, they do this. h__ber__ate
5. This creature may buzz or crawl. in__e__t
6. Light is reflected from this at night. m__ __n
7. When one of these comes, the wind blows very hard. __urr__c__n__
8. When this happens, everything gets wet. __ai__
9. When we eat, the food goes into this organ. st__ __ach
10. To see very small things, scientists use this. __icr__ __co__e
11. These are pretty, and they smell pleasant. f__ow__ __s
12. This is very cold and white. __no__
13. To determine your temperature, you need this. t__ __rmo__et__ __
14. These animals do not lay eggs. m__ __m __l__
15. This force keeps us on the planet Earth. __ra__i__ __
Page 941. astronaut2. earth3. clouds
4. hibernate5. insect6. moon7. hurricane8. rain9. stomach10. microscope11. flowers
12. snow13. thermometer14. mammals15. gravity
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Challenging Words
IT ’S THE CAT ’S MEOWEach word or phrase below is a clue for a word that contains the letters CAT.
1. Baseball position ______________________________________________
2. Condiment ____________________________________________________
3. To make more of ______________________________________________
4. Prescription drug ______________________________________________
5. Scram! ______________________________________________________
6. Underground burial sites ________________________________________
7. Time off ______________________________________________________
8. Religion ______________________________________________________
9. Career ______________________________________________________
10. Mimic ________________________________________________________
11. 10-event contest ______________________________________________
12. Faithful ______________________________________________________
13. Cows ________________________________________________________
14. To teach ______________________________________________________
15. Disaster ______________________________________________________
Page 1511. catcher
2. catsup
3. duplicate4. medication
5. scat
6. catacombs7. vacation
8. Catholicism
9. vocation10. copycat
11. decathlon
12. dedicated13. cattle
14. educate
15. catastrophe
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Math and Numbers
SCRAMBLED MATHCan you unscramble the following words to find the math terms? Write thecorrect word on the line after each scrambled word.
1. dad__________________________________________________________
2. mus ________________________________________________________
3. roze ________________________________________________________
4. lahf __________________________________________________________
5. slup ________________________________________________________
6. sinum ________________________________________________________
7. nitodida ______________________________________________________
8. geanevit ______________________________________________________
9. gidit ________________________________________________________
10. citsaamthem __________________________________________________
11. trasucbt ______________________________________________________
12. simet ________________________________________________________
13. viddie ________________________________________________________
14. tracifon ______________________________________________________
15. bumner ______________________________________________________
Page 1341. add2. sum
3. zero4. half5. plus6. minus7. addition8. negative
9. digit10. mathematics11. subtract12. times13. divide14. fraction15. number
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? School Days Trivia
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?Fill in the answers to the clues by using the syllables in the box. The number ofsyllables to be used in each answer is shown in parentheses. The first answerhas been done for you.
1. Theodore Roosevelt’s nickname (2) ___________________
2. The face on the quarter (3) ___________________
3. Franklin Roosevelt’s middle name (3) ___________________
4. The father of the Constitution (3) ___________________
5. A month for celebrating presidents (4) ___________________
6. President whose father was also a president (2) ___________________
7. The capital of Hawaii (4) ___________________
8. A president and a peanut farmer (2) ___________________
9. The sixteenth president (2) ___________________
10. The first president to resign from office (2) ___________________
11. An original colony (3) ___________________
12. The home of George Washington (2 words) (3) ___________________
13. The state closest to Russia (3) ___________________
14. A face on Mount Rushmore (3) ___________________
15. The Senate and House of Representatives (2) ___________________
A A AD AR BRU CAR COLN CONDE DY FE GIN VER HO DAMS WASHING I IA KA LAN LAS LIN LULU MAD NO NON NIX O Y ONROO SE SON TED TER GRESS VELT VIRMOUNT TON
Teddy
Page 771. Teddy2. Washington3. Delano
4. Madison5. February6. Adams7. Honolulu8. Carter9. Lincoln10. Nixon11. Virginia
12. Mount Vernon13. Alaska14. Roosevelt (Theodore)15. Congress
#2465 The Best of Brain Teasers 138 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Math and Numbers
WHAT ’S THE MESSAGE?Use the “phone code” (letters on the phone that correspond to numbers) to spellout words related to these famous people.
1. Amelia Earhart 284-2867 ____________
2. Moses 776-7438 ____________
3. Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume 288-4677 ____________
4. Ted Kennedy 736-2867 ____________
5. George W. Carver 732-6887 ____________
6. Wright Brothers 354-4487 ____________
7. Milton Hershey 226-3437 ____________
8. Liberace 742-6478 ____________
9. Tommy Lasorda 363-4377 ____________
10. Franklin Roosevelt 639-3325 ____________
11. Helen Keller 272-4553 ____________
12. George Washington 765-3437 ____________
13. Norman Rockwell 724-6837 ____________
14. Kristi Yamaguchi 752-8464 ____________
15. Colin Powell 436-3725 ____________
Page 1381. aviator2. prophet3. authors
4. senator5. peanuts6. flights7. candies8. pianist9. Dodgers10. New Deal11. Braille
12. soldier13. painter14. skating15. general
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Challenging Words
WEATHER WORDSHidden in each sentence is a word that a meteorologist might use in a weatherreport. Each “weather word” can be found either in the middle of a word or bycombining the end of one word with the beginning of the next. Underline theweather word in each sentence and then write it in the answer blank provided.An example has been done for you.
Do you like spicy foods? icy
1. Alexis is now working at the mall. __________________________________
2. Be sure the sign is clearly visible from the road. _______________________
3. We found mildew around the tub in the bathroom. _____________________
4. My dad drives a Thunderbird. _____________________________________
5. Heather is my best friend. ________________________________________
6. Robert is unlikely to win the race. __________________________________
7. Andres sprained his ankle while riding his skateboard. __________________
8. Who could have torn a door from its hinges? _________________________
9. According to Cedric, loud is the only way to sing! ______________________
10. Wouldn’t it be fun to sail the seas on a yacht? ________________________
11. War might break out soon between the two nations.____________________
12. Dad had to scold Chris for disobeying. ______________________________
13. Ha! Illness will never stop me! _____________________________________
14. We’ll have the show indoors this year because of rain. _________________
15. Greg went hunting and shot his first deer. ____________________________
Page 1691. snow2. clear3. mild or dew
4. thunder5. heat6. sun7. rain8. tornado9. cloud10. season11. warm
12. cold13. hail14. wind15. hot
#2465 The Best of Brain Teasers 230 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Lists
COMPLETE A WORDUse the twenty-six letters of the alphabet to complete the words below. Use each letter onlyone time. (Cross off the letters as you use them.)
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
1. ___ A ___ Z
2. ___ U I E ___
3. ___ U ___ C A
4. E___ T R ___
5. ___ I O ___ ___ N
6. ___ A ___ ___ F U L
7. ___ R O ___ ___
8. ___ E ___ ___ A T
9. ___ ___ A L A
10. ___ O L A ___
11. ___ O R C ___ P I N E
Page 2301. jazz2. quiet3. yucca
4. extra5. violin6. bashful7. grown8. defeat9. koala10. molar11. porcupine
© Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 143 #2465 The Best of Brain Teasers
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Math and Numbers
NUMBERS, NUMBERS, NUMBERS
Answer each question with a number. How many . . .
1. starting players on a soccer team? ___________________________________________
2. rings on the Olympic flag? __________________________________________________
3. squares on a checkerboard? ________________________________________________
4. lines of verse in a limerick? _________________________________________________
5. queen bees in a hive? _____________________________________________________
6. U.S. senators? ___________________________________________________________
7. starting players on a basketball team? ________________________________________
8. zeros in one million? ______________________________________________________
9. sides on a decagon? ______________________________________________________
10. years in a score? _________________________________________________________
11. starting players on a baseball team? __________________________________________
12. cards in a deck? __________________________________________________________
13. games in a major league baseball season?_____________________________________
14. millimeters in a meter? _____________________________________________________
15. feet in a mile?____________________________________________________________
16. milliliters in a liter? ________________________________________________________
17. parts of speech?__________________________________________________________
18. events in a pentatholon? ___________________________________________________
19. notes in an octave? _______________________________________________________
20. atoms in a water molecule? _________________________________________________
Page 1431. 112. 53. 644. 5
5. 16. 1007. 58. 69. 1010. 2011. 912. 5213. 16214. 100015. 5280
16. 100017. 818. 519. 820. 3
11
Rebus WritingDecode the pictures to reveal the names of Olympic team sports.
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
– T R
30
2. Eric Heiden3. Sarajevo, Yugoslavia4. Los Angeles, California5. Lake Placid, New York6. Moscow, Soviet Union7. Calgary, Canada8. Seoul, South Korea9. Carl Lewis
10. Jackie Joyner-Kersee11. Mary Lou Retton12. Janet Evans13. Greg Louganis14. Bruce Baumgartner15. Matt Biondi
Afghanistan
Page 41. Olympia2. citizens3. athletes4. foot5. gods6. five7. chariot8. horse9. pentathlon
10. wrestling11. rod12. excluded
Page 51. puck2. five3. oar4. paddle5. glove6. hurdle7. run8. rink9. ten
10. round11. stick12. hoop13. lie14. blade15. throw16. marathon17. court18. fall19. equestrian20. Nordic21. foot22. sled23. Decathlon
24. sailboat25. platform
Page 6
Page 7GO FOR THE GOLD
Page 81. puck2. hoop3. lie4. ski5. decathlon6. pool7. bat8. sled9. medal
10. Athens
Page 10Across
1. Barcelona3. Atlanta6. Sydney7. Calgary
Down2. Lillehammer4. Nagano5. Albertville6. Seoul
Page 111. baseball2. basketball3. cycling4. hockey5. soccer6. handball7. tennis8. volleyball9. fencing
10. archery
Page 121. archery2. wrestling3. rowing4. gymnastics5. fencing6. tennis7. track and field8. luge9. hockey
Answer Key
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
T H I S S U R E I S T H E P I T S !
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Letters, Words, and Phrases
LETTER ANSWERSUse one or two letters of the alphabet to respond to each of the clues. The firstone has been done for you.
1. Not difficult ______________
2. Cold ______________
3. Goodbye ______________
4. Vegetable ______________
5. Body of water ______________
6. Girl’s name ______________
7. Exclamation ______________
8. Organ used for sight ______________
9. Pronoun ______________
10. Tent home ______________
11. Plant or vine ______________
12. Question ______________
13. Something to drink ______________
14. Insect ______________
15. Radio announcer ______________
EZ
Page 1921. EZ2. IC3. CU4. P5. C6. K or D7. O8. I9. U10. TP11. IV12. Y13. T14. B15. DJ
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Letters, Words, and Phrases
WORD CHAINUse the last two letters of the previous words in the word chain to begin the nextword. Continue throughout the chain. The first two have been done for you.
1. To bite repeatedly chew
2. A female sheep ewe
3. An undesirable in the garden ____________________________________
4. Wholesome to eat ______________________________________________
5. A character in the alphabet ______________________________________
6. To rub out ____________________________________________________
7. A division of the year ____________________________________________
8. One time ____________________________________________________
9. To observe some special occasion ________________________________
10. A message transmitted by telegraph ________________________________
11. A word for love ________________________________________________
12. One of the planets ______________________________________________
13. Ordinary ______________________________________________________
14. To permit ____________________________________________________
15. An animal that hoots ____________________________________________
Page 1971. chew2. ewe3. weed4. edible
5. letter6. erase7. season8. once9. celebrate10. telegram11. amour12. Uranus13. usual14. allow15. owl
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Math and Numbers
MONEY MAZEFind your way through the money maze. Mark the path of correct money amounts. You maygo
$
End
7 pennies
+ 7 dimes
= 70 cents
Start
$
4 nickels
+ 3 dimes
= 60 cents
3 pennies
+ 2 dimes
+2 quarters
= 73 cents
4 nickels
+ 2 dimes
+ 3 quarters
= $1.25
5 nickels
+ 1 dime
+ 1 quarter
= 55 cents
6 pennies
+ 6 dimes
+ 1 quarter
= 91 cents
8 pennies
+ 5 dimes
= 58 cents
2 pennies
+ 3 quarters
= 76 cents
8 nickels
+ 3 quarters
= $1.15
11 pennies
+ 7 dimes
= 78 cents
4 quarters
+ 2 dimes
= $1.25
2 pennies
+ 6 nickels
+ 7 dimes
= $1.02
1 penny
+ 1 dime
+ 2 quarters
= 61 cents
2 nickels
+ 3 dimes
= 45 cents
8 dimes
= 40 cents
17 nickels
= 85 cents
7 pennies
+ 5 nickels
= 33 cents
10 quarters
= $2.50
2 pennies
+ 5 nickels
+ 3 quarters
= 87 cents
11 pennies
+ 4 nickels
= 41 cents
7 nickels
+ 7 dimes
= $1.05
3 nickels
+ 1 dime
+ 1 quarter
= 45 cents
3 pennies
+ 3 dimes
= 35 cents
4 pennies
+ 7 nickels
= 39 cents
3 nickels
+ 3 dimes
+ 3 quarters
= $1.20
4 pennies
+ 3 nickels
= 19 cents
or
Page 145
Students may find a variety of paths, but the only boxes included in the maze should bethe following:
First column: boxes 2 and 3Second column: boxes 4, 5, and 7Third column: boxes 3, 4, 6, and 7Fourth column: boxes 2, 5, and 7
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Testy Trivia
HOW MANY?Answer each question with a number.
How many . . .
1. . . . sides in a dodecagon? _______________________________________
2. . . . books in the Bible? __________________________________________
3. . . . sheets in a quire? ___________________________________________
4. . . . people aboard the Mayflower? _________________________________
5. . . . rooms in the White House? ___________________________________
6. . . . items in a baker’s dozen? _____________________________________
7. . . . rings on the Olympic flag? ____________________________________
8. . . . instruments in a quartet? _____________________________________
9. . . . bones in the human body? ____________________________________
10. . . . teeth in the adult mouth? _____________________________________
11. . . . keys on a piano?____________________________________________
12. . . . items in a gross?____________________________________________
13. . . . original colonies in the United States? ___________________________
14. . . . years in a century? __________________________________________
15. . . . wheels on a unicycle?________________________________________
Page 641. 122. 663. 24 or 254. 102
5. 1326. 137. 58. 49. 20610. 3211. 8812. 14413. 1314. 10015. 1
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Logic
TEACHERS’ MEETINGRecently, teachers from all over the United States met together in Chicago for a nationalmeeting. Four of the teachers decided to continue the day’s discussion over dinner.From the clues below, determine the subject taught by each teacher, what state eachteacher is from, and what type of food each teacher ordered.
1. Illinois is the home of the math teacher.
2. Mrs. Jackson teaches geography but doesn’t live in Nevada.
3. The English teacher comes from Wisconsin and loves Italian.
4. Mrs. Jackson did not order Chinese or Italian.
5. Ms. Snow lives in Illinois but doesn’t teach English and didn’t order Italian.
6. Mr. Hunter loves Mexican food but isn’t from Wisconsin.
Ms. Snow Mr. Hunter Mr. Wong Mrs. Jackson
Wisconsin
Nevada
California
Illinois
Geography
Math
English
Science
Italian
Chinese
American
Mexican
Page 47Ms. Snow: Illinois, math, and ChineseMr. Hunter: Nevada, science, and MexicanMr. Wong: Wisconsin, English, and ItalianMrs. Jackson: California, geography, American
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Testy Trivia
DO YOU KNOW?1. When a car has 2 license plates (one in the front and one in the rear),
which plate gets the yearly registration sticker? ______________________
2. How many books are in the Old Testament of the Bible? ________________
3. Are there more red or white stripes on the U.S. flag? __________________
4. From west to east, name the second president carved on Mt.
Rushmore. ____________________________________________________
5. On the count in baseball, is the first number strikes or balls?
____________________________________________________________
6. The Statue of Liberty holds her torch in which hand? __________________
7. Does an insect have 6 or 8 legs? __________________________________
8. Are there 60, 90, or 180 degrees in a right angle? ____________________
9. How many numbers are in a zip code?______________________________
10. In A Visit from Saint Nicholas, how many reindeer pull Santa’s
sleigh? ______________________________________________________
11. In a fraction, what is the bottom number called?
____________________________________________________________
12. Which season comes after summer? ______________________________
13. On which side of the horse do you mount and dismount?
____________________________________________________________
14. Which is more, minimum or maximum? ____________________________
Page 601. the rear plate2. 393. red4. Thomas Jefferson
5. balls6. right7. 68. 90 degrees9. five or nine10. eight11. denominator12. autumn or fall13. left14. maximum
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Memory
SIMONIDE’S TRICKSimonide was a Greek orator with a terrific memory. In ancient Greece,speakers did not have teleprompters or note cards to remind them of theirspeaking topics. Instead, they had to rely on memory. Simonide had a specialway of remembering. He would look at his audience and where they wereseated, and then he would assign each of the points or topics to a facesomewhere in his audience. He would go to them one after another. Maybe theman sitting over by the passageway represented the opening remarks, and thereally tall woman near the back represented the exciting story he wanted toshare as background. Simonide was so good at this that he once helped tosolve a murder mystery by remembering where each person in the room hadbeen sitting.
You can use Simonide’s trick, too. Look at this picture of a room. Below thepicture there is a list of ten objects. Imagine places where you could put each ofthese objects in the picture. You will remember better if you can make somesense of where you put each item in your mind. Give yourself two minutes toimagine where to place each object and then turn the page.
Using only your mind, “place” these objects in various places in the room:
camera jacket pair of shoes soccer ball backpackposter pizza boa constrictor bucket of fish wading pool
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Memory
SIMONIDE’S TRICK (cont.)
Here is the room again. Write the names of the ten objects, or if you prefer,draw each of the objects in the places where you imagined placing them. Whenyou finish placing the objects and cannot remember any more, turn back to thelist of objects. Did you remember them all? If you did, congratulations!
Now, think of ways you can use Simonide’s Trick to help you in your schoolwork.If you missed some, do not worry. Like anything else, it takes practice. Thenext time you have a list to remember, try to find a place to put each item in theroom.
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Thinking Creatively
IF YOU WERE A . . .Choose three friends or family members, and ask each of them the questionsbelow. Fill in their answers on the chart.
Name: Name: Name:
What kind of ocean animalor fish would you be?
What flavor of ice creamwould you be?
What color would you be?
What fast food would yoube?
What kind of footwear wouldyou be?
What season would you be?
Would you be the mountains,ocean, or desert?
What kind of flower wouldyou be?
What kind of pet would yoube?
What kind of sport wouldyou be?
What kind of car would yoube?
What kind of tree would yoube?
What kind of wild animalwould you be?
What kind of building wouldyou be?
What kind of pajamas wouldyou be?
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Challenging Words
ONE WORD PLUS ANOTHERAdd one word to another word to make a third word. The first one has beendone for you.
1. A water barrier plus a writing utensil equals a verb that means “to makeslightly wet.”
dam + pen = dampen
2. A large body of water plus a male child make a period of time.
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
3. A lightweight bed of canvas plus 2,000 pounds make a type of fabric.
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
4. A vegetable plus an edible kernel make a seed that ripens underground andis usually roasted before being eaten.
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
5. The nearest star plus the antonym of wet make an adjective meaning“various” or “several.”
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
6. A male offspring plus something used to catch fish make a form of poetry.
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
7. The antonym of on plus frozen water make a place for business.
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
8. A rodent plus a shade of brown make a plant used to make furniture.
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
9. Male adults plus the highest playing card make a threat.
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
10. A man’s name plus a male child make the name of a former U.S. president.
______________ + ______________ = _____________________
Page 1781. damp + pen = dampen2. sea + son = season3. cot + ton = cotton4. pea + nut = peanut
5. sun + dry = sundry6. son + net = sonnet7. off + ice = office8. rat + tan = rattan9. men + ace = menace10. Jack + son = Jackson
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Logic
MORE ANALOGIESAnalogies are comparisons. Complete each analogy below. An example hasbeen done for you.
Nephew is to uncle as niece is to aunt.
1. ______________________________is to wings as fish is to fins.
2. Tennis is to __________________________________ as baseball is to bat.
3. Jim is to James as Betsy is to ____________________________________.
4. Author is to story as poet is to ___________________________________.
5. Wide is to narrow as ___________________________________ is to short.
6. Lincoln is to ___________________________ as Roosevelt is to Theodore.
7. _______________________________________ is to shell as pea is to pod.
8. Hard is to ______________________________________ as big is to small.
9. Dirt is to forest as ____________________________________ is to desert.
10. Frame is to picture as curtain is to ________________________________.
11. Sing is to song as _____________________________________ is to book.
12. Braces are to _________________________ as contact lenses are to eyes.
13. _____________________________ is to flake as rain is to drop.
14. Scissors are to _________________________________ as pen is to write.
15. Hat is to head as ______________________________________ is to foot.
16. Hammer is to nail as screwdriver is to _____________________________.
17. Scarf is to neck as ____________________________________ is to finger.
18. Fingers are to __________________________________as toes are to feet.
19. ____________________________ is to pig as neigh is to horse.
20. Second is to ___________________________ as day is to week.
Page 551. Bird2. racket3. Elizabeth4. poem
5. tall (or long)6. Abraham7. Nut8. soft9. sand10. window11. read12. teeth13. Snow14. cut15. shoe
16. screw17. ring18. hands19. Oink20. minute
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? School Days Trivia
AMERICAN HOLIDAYS1. Which two U.S. presidents’ birthdays do we celebrate in February?
_____________________________________________________________
2. When is Independence Day?
_____________________________________________________________
3. In what month is Thanksgiving celebrated?
_____________________________________________________________
4. When do we observe Veterans Day?
_____________________________________________________________
5. What holiday is celebrated on the first Monday in September?
_____________________________________________________________
6. Why do we celebrate Memorial Day?
_____________________________________________________________
7. Which holiday is observed on the second Monday in October?
_____________________________________________________________
8. What famous civil rights activist is honored in January?
_____________________________________________________________
9. On what day is the above activist honored?
_____________________________________________________________
10. On what holiday is a famous parade honoring Irish ancestry held in New
York City? ____________________________________________________
11. What holiday is celebrated on the second Sunday in September and honors
the oldest family members?
_____________________________________________________________
12. What current holiday was originally called Constitution Day?
_____________________________________________________________
Page 721. Lincoln and Washington2. July 43. November4. November 11
5. Labor Day6. to honor Americans who gave their lives for their country (some people also use the day
to honor all loved ones who have died.)7. Columbus Day8. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.9. January 15 (or the third Monday of January)10. St. Patrick’s Day11. Grandparent’s Day12. Citizenship Day
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Letters, Words, and Phrases
GET THE MESSAGEThe telegraph was one of the greatest inventions of the mid-nineteenth century. It was invent-ed in 1838 by Samuel F.B. Morse. He devised a code using a series of “dots” and “dashes”that represented the letters of the alphabet. Messages were tapped out on a telegraph keythat made clicking sounds. A dot would be a short click and a dash would be a longer click.Messages would be carried electrically to another key where a second operator would trans-late the message back into English and write it down on paper.
Directions: Use the following code to change the words below into Morse Code. (You mayfind slight variations from other codes.) You may also wish to use the Morse Code to sendmessages back and forth to friends.
A • —B — • • •C — • — •D — • •E •F • • — •G — — •H • • • •I • •
J • — — —K — • —L • — • •M — —N — •O — — —P • — — •Q — — • —R • — •
S • • •T —U • • —V • • • —W • — —X — • • —Y — • — —Z — — • •1 • — — — —
2 • • — — —3 • • • — —4 • • • • —5 • • • • •6 — • • • •7 — — • • •8 — — — • •9 — — — — •0 — — — — —
S ___________
A ___________
M ___________
U ___________
E ___________
L ___________
F. ___________
B. ___________
M ___________
O ___________
R ___________
S ___________
E ___________
T ___________
H ___________
O ___________
M ___________
A ___________
S ___________
A ___________
L ___________
V ___________
A ___________
E ___________
D ___________
I ___________
S ___________
O ___________
N ___________
E ___________
L ___________
E ___________
C ___________
T ___________
R ___________
I ___________
C ___________
I ___________
T ___________
Y ___________
T ___________
E ___________
L ___________
E ___________
G ___________
R ___________
A ___________
P ___________
H ___________
© Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 77 #2465 The Best of Brain Teasers
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? School Days Trivia
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?Fill in the answers to the clues by using the syllables in the box. The number ofsyllables to be used in each answer is shown in parentheses. The first answerhas been done for you.
1. Theodore Roosevelt’s nickname (2) ___________________
2. The face on the quarter (3) ___________________
3. Franklin Roosevelt’s middle name (3) ___________________
4. The father of the Constitution (3) ___________________
5. A month for celebrating presidents (4) ___________________
6. President whose father was also a president (2) ___________________
7. The capital of Hawaii (4) ___________________
8. A president and a peanut farmer (2) ___________________
9. The sixteenth president (2) ___________________
10. The first president to resign from office (2) ___________________
11. An original colony (3) ___________________
12. The home of George Washington (2 words) (3) ___________________
13. The state closest to Russia (3) ___________________
14. A face on Mount Rushmore (3) ___________________
15. The Senate and House of Representatives (2) ___________________
A A AD AR BRU CAR COLN CONDE DY FE GIN VER HO DAMS WASHING I IA KA LAN LAS LIN LULU MAD NO NON NIX O Y ONROO SE SON TED TER GRESS VELT VIRMOUNT TON
Teddy
Page 771. Teddy2. Washington3. Delano4. Madison
5. February6. Adams7. Honolulu8. Carter9. Lincoln10. Nixon11. Virginia12. Mount Vernon13. Alaska14. Roosevelt (Theodore)15. Congress
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Geography
WHICH ONE DOES NOTBELONG?
Listed below are four geographic areas of the world. In each set, three of them havesomething in common with each other, while the fourth does not. Circle the area that doesnot fit and then tell why.
1. Libya, Egypt, Zaire, Turkey
Why? __________________________________________________________________
2. Madagascar, Cuba, India, Japan
Why? __________________________________________________________________
3. Alaska, Canada, U.S.A., Mexico
Why? __________________________________________________________________
4. Pacific, Arctic, Mediterranean, Atlantic
Why? __________________________________________________________________
5. Algeria, Chad, Turkey, Spain
Why? __________________________________________________________________
6. Hawaiian, Canary, Marshall, Caroline
Why? __________________________________________________________________
7. South America, Africa, Australia, Antarctica
Why? __________________________________________________________________
8. Tasmania, New Zealand, Queensland, New South Wales
Why? __________________________________________________________________
9. Brazil, Zaire, South Africa, Ecuador
Why? __________________________________________________________________
10. Somalia, Angola, India, Australia
Why? __________________________________________________________________
Write your own “Which one does not belong?”
_________________ _________________ __________________ __________________
Which one does not belong? ____________________________________________________
Why? ______________________________________________________________________
Page 2531. Turkey; not in Africa2. India; not an island3. Alaska; not a country4. Mediterranean; not an ocean
5. Chad; not on the Mediterranean6. Canary; not in the Pacific7. Antarctica; no inhabitants8. New Zealand; not in Australia9. South Africa; not on the equator10. Angola; not bordered by the Indian Ocean
© Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 69 #2465 The Best of Brain Teasers
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Testy Trivia
WHICH IS IT?Circle the word or number on the right that correctly corresponds to the word orwords on the left.
1. octagon 4 sides 6 sides 8 sides
2. peninsula Cuba Florida Australia
3. state Oklahoma Canada Springfield
4. Thomas Jefferson 16th president 3rd president 40th president
5. painter Picasso Bach Shakespeare
6. province Alaska Montreal Quebec
7. baker’s dozen 12 13 15
8. decagon 10 sides 12 sides 15 sides
9. year 12 months 50 weeks 360 days
10. percussive instrument trombone violin tambourine
11. cloud formation omnibus cumulus calculus
12. capital of California Sacramento Los Angeles Hollywood
13. day 12 hours 24 hours 60 minutes
14. century 10 years 20 years 100 years
15. chambers in the human heart 2 4 7
16. Mother’s Day February May June
Page 691. 8 sides2. Florida3. Oklahoma4. 3rd president
5. Picasso6. Quebec7. 138. 10 sides9. 12 months10. tambourine11. cumulus12. Sacramento13. 24 hours14. 100 years15. 4
16. May
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Testy Trivia
TRIVIA TIME1. On what side of the horse does one mount and dismount?
_______________________________________________________________________
2. Complete the following phrase: “All for one, . . .”
_______________________________________________________________________
3. Who painted the Mona Lisa?
_______________________________________________________________________
4. From what material is the lead inside a pencil made?
_______________________________________________________________________
5. A sphinx has the body of what animal?
_______________________________________________________________________
6. What vehicle is used to explore the deepest parts of the oceans?
_______________________________________________________________________
7. What does one lose when one has amnesia?
_______________________________________________________________________
8. Name the instrument that beats time for musicians.
_______________________________________________________________________
9. According to a famous saying, of what can one never have too much?
_______________________________________________________________________
10. Who sits at the center of the table in the painting The Last Supper?
_______________________________________________________________________
11. Which variety of oranges do not have seeds?
_______________________________________________________________________
12. What does “my true love give to me” on the first day of Christmas?
_______________________________________________________________________
13. In the painting American Gothic, what farm tool is the man holding?
_______________________________________________________________________
14. What does Robinson Crusoe call the only other person on the island where he isshipwrecked?
_______________________________________________________________________
15. In “The Star-Spangled Banner,” over what does the flag wave?
_______________________________________________________________________
Page 661. left2. “and one for all”3. Leonardo da Vinci4. graphite
5. lion6. bathyscaphe7. memory8. metronome9. a good thing10. Jesus11. navel oranges12. “a partridge in a pear tree”13. pitchfork14. Friday15. “The land of the free and the home of the brave.”
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Memory
ANOTHER MEMORYCHALLENGE
Look at the items on this page for two minutes. Then turn the page over, and onanother piece of paper, list or draw all the items you can remember. When youfinish, look at this page again. How did you do?
© Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 81 #2465 The Best of Brain Teasers
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? School Days Trivia
MATH TRIVIA1. How many minutes are in 2 hours? ________________________________
2. How many dimes are in a dollar? __________________________________
3. What is a 3-sided figure called? __________________________________
4. What does a sundial do? ________________________________________
5. Two tons is equal to how many pounds? ____________________________
6. What mark separates the hour and the minutes when one is writing downtime? ________________________________________________________
7. How many items are in a dozen? __________________________________
8. How many sides does a hexagon have? ____________________________
9. What do you call the result of adding two numbers? __________________
10. How many centimeters are in a meter? ____________________________
11. How many months are in half of a year? ____________________________
12. Which plane figure has 8 sides? __________________________________
13. How many sides are there on a die? ______________________________
14. How many years are in a decade? ________________________________
15. How many hours are in a day? __________________________________
Page 811. 1202. 103. triangle4. tells time
5. 4, 0006. colon7. 128. 69. sum10. 10011. 612. octagon13. 614. 1015. 24
#2465 The Best of Brain Teasers 72 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? School Days Trivia
AMERICAN HOLIDAYS1. Which two U.S. presidents’ birthdays do we celebrate in February?
_____________________________________________________________
2. When is Independence Day?
_____________________________________________________________
3. In what month is Thanksgiving celebrated?
_____________________________________________________________
4. When do we observe Veterans Day?
_____________________________________________________________
5. What holiday is celebrated on the first Monday in September?
_____________________________________________________________
6. Why do we celebrate Memorial Day?
_____________________________________________________________
7. Which holiday is observed on the second Monday in October?
_____________________________________________________________
8. What famous civil rights activist is honored in January?
_____________________________________________________________
9. On what day is the above activist honored?
_____________________________________________________________
10. On what holiday is a famous parade honoring Irish ancestry held in New
York City? ____________________________________________________
11. What holiday is celebrated on the second Sunday in September and honors
the oldest family members?
_____________________________________________________________
12. What current holiday was originally called Constitution Day?
_____________________________________________________________
Page 721. Lincoln and Washington2. July 43. November4. November 11
5. Labor Day6. to honor Americans who gave their lives for their country (some people also use the day
to honor all loved ones who have died.)7. Columbus Day8. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.9. January 15 (or the third Monday of January)10. St. Patrick’s Day11. Grandparent’s Day12. Citizenship Day
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Lists
BEGIN AND ENDEach phrase below is a clue for an answer that begins and ends with the sameletter.
1. Child’s sidewalk game__________________________________
2. A continent __________________________________________
3. Songs sung alone ____________________________________
4. A majestic bird________________________________________
5. A type of drum________________________________________
6. Rudolph ____________________________________________
7. One of the sense organs________________________________
8. A common man’s name ________________________________
9. To quiet down ________________________________________
10. Blue-green color ______________________________________
11. A young bird’s noise __________________________________
12. Midday______________________________________________
13. Old-fashioned type of margarine__________________________
14. The hardest mineral __________________________________
15. The day before today __________________________________
Page 2181. hopscotch2. Asia, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, or Europe3. solos4. eagle
5. gong6. reindeer7. eye8. Bob9. hush10. aqua11. peep12. noon13. oleo14. diamond15. yesterday
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Thinking Creatively
HOW ABOUT SOME MOREHIDDEN MEANINGS?
Explain the meaning of each box.
1. ________________ 2. ______________ 3. ______________
4.________________ 5. ______________ 6. ______________
7.________________ 8. ______________ 9. ______________
10.________________ 11. ______________ 12. ______________
businesspleasure coORDERurt
0B.S.M.A.Ph.D.
manboard
Ban ana
FACE
FACE
LEVEL
deer
d e r
the weather
I’m
barmonkeymonkeymonkeyrel
sriats
MIRROR
Page 1071. face to face2. man overboard3. split level4. barrel full of monkeys
5. deer crossing6. upstairs7. business before pleasure8. order in the court9. I’m under the weather10. banana split11. three degrees below zero12. full-length mirror
© Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 29 #2465 The Best of Brain Teasers
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Groups and Pairs
WHICH ONE DOES NOTBELONG?
In each line below, one of the four words does not belong with the other three.Circle the one that does not fit. Explain what the others have in common. Anexample has been done for you.
relish, hot dogs, mustard, ketchup = condiments
1. Green, yellow, red, blue _________________________________________
2. April, December, November, June _________________________________
3. cirrus, calculus, cumulus, stratus __________________________________
4. carrots, radishes, potatoes, cabbages ______________________________
5. fork, comb, rake, shovel _________________________________________
6. Cathy, Carol, Susan, Cheryl ______________________________________
7. carnation, peony, tomato, rose ____________________________________
8. pie, cake, brownie, candy bar _____________________________________
9. boy, lad, niece, man ____________________________________________
10. North America, Australia, Asia, Canada _____________________________
11. Dodgers, Cubs, Cowboys, Cardinals _______________________________
12. orange, lemon, watermelon, grapefruit ______________________________
13. laugh, giggle, chuckle, cry________________________________________
14. duck, turkey, goose, pig__________________________________________
15. southeast, southwest, northeast, east_______________________________
Page 291. green; primary colors2. December; months with thirty days3. calculus; types of clouds4. cabbage; underground vegetables
5. shovel; have prongs6. Susan; girls’ names beginning with C7. tomato; flowers8. candy bar; baked goods9. niece; males10. Canada; continents11. Cowboys; baseball teams or Dodgers; teams beginning with C12. watermelon; citrus fruits13. cry; about happiness14. pig; poultry15. east; intermediate directions
© Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 79 #2465 The Best of Brain Teasers
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? School Days Trivia
FAMOUS WOMENMatch these women to their major accomplishments. Put the letter of theaccomplishment before the corresponding name.
A. social worker and humanitarian
B. primitive painter
C. novelist and reformer
D. stage and screen actress
E. author of The Good Earth
F. aviator
G. author of Little Women
H. educator who worked toimprove educationalopportunities for blacks
I. significant “conductor” of theUnderground Railroad
J. first woman to run for presidentof the U.S.
K. first African American woman inthe U.S. Congress
L. founded the Girl Scouts ofAmerica
M. founded the American RedCross
N. overcame physical handicaps;helped thousands ofhandicapped people lead fullerlives
O. reformer and leader in theAmerican women’s suffragemovement
______ 1. Harriet Tubman
______ 2. Harriet Beecher Stowe
______ 3. Grandma Moses
______ 4. Juliette Gordon Low
______ 5. Shirley Chisholm
______ 6. Pearl S. Buck
______ 7. Mary McLeod Bethune
______ 8. Clara Barton
______ 9. Louisa May Alcott
______ 10. Susan B. Anthony
______ 11. Jane Addams
______ 12. Amelia Earhart
______ 13. Helen Hayes
______ 14. Helen Keller
______ 15. Victoria C. Woodhull
Page 791. I2. C3. B4. L
5. K6. E7. H8. M9. G10. O11. A12. F13. D14. N15. J
#2465 The Best of Brain Teasers 102 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Thinking Creatively
IF YOU WERE A . . .Choose three friends or family members, and ask each of them the questionsbelow. Fill in their answers on the chart.
Name: Name: Name:
What kind of ocean animalor fish would you be?
What flavor of ice creamwould you be?
What color would you be?
What fast food would yoube?
What kind of footwear wouldyou be?
What season would you be?
Would you be the mountains,ocean, or desert?
What kind of flower wouldyou be?
What kind of pet would yoube?
What kind of sport wouldyou be?
What kind of car would yoube?
What kind of tree would yoube?
What kind of wild animalwould you be?
What kind of building wouldyou be?
What kind of pajamas wouldyou be?
#2465 The Best of Brain Teasers 48 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Logic
WHAT ’S FOR LUNCH?Mr. Thomas is going to fix lunch for his four sons, A.J., Nick, Jim, and Tom. Each boywants a different type of sandwich and fruit. Use the clues below to help Mr. Thomaspack the boys’ lunches. Mark an X in each correct spot on the chart.
1. The boy who asked for peanut butter and jelly also asked for an orange.
2. A.J. and Nick do not care for cheese on their sandwiches, but Jim does.
3. Tom loves ham and cheese but not bananas.
4. Jim does not like apples nor to peel his fruit.
5. A.J. is allergic to bananas and apples.
A.J.
Nick
Jim
Tom
pean
ut b
utte
ran
d je
lly
ham
and
che
ese
bolo
gna
and
chee
se
ham
sal
ad
bana
na
grap
es
appl
e
oran
ge
Page 48A.J. : peanut butter and jelly, orangeNick: ham salad, bananaJim: bologna and cheese, grapesTom: ham and cheese, apple
#2465 The Best of Brain Teasers 150 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Challenging Words
WORD JUMBLESUnscramble the letters to find the things used in a house.
1. dbe __________________
2. mlpa __________________
3. voen __________________
4. lvsnteeiio __________________
5. batle __________________
6. nkis __________________
7. salgs __________________
8. hraic __________________
9. lewto __________________
10. lptea __________________
11. ubt __________________
12. rkfo __________________
13. oniwdw __________________
14. chuco __________________
15. toiap __________________
16. escoobka __________________
17. resdres __________________
18. ringyf nap __________________
19. noops __________________
20. antpingi __________________
Page 1501. bed2. lamp3. oven4. television
5. table6. sink7. glass8. chair9. towel10. plate
#2465 The Best of Brain Teasers 234 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Geography
WHAT IS IT?Check the correct box for each location on the chart.
City State/Province Country Continent
1. Mexico
2. Montreal
3. Lima
4. Africa
5. Reno
6. North America
7. Alberta
8. Germany
9. Toronto
10. Oklahoma
11. Europe
12. Los Angeles
13. Switzerland
14. Illinois
15. Australia
16. Canada
17. Asia
18. Budapest
19. Maine
20. Italy
Page 2341. country2. city3. city4. continent
5. city6. continent7. state/province8. country9. city10. state/province11. continent12. city13. country14. state/province15. continent
16. country17. continent18. city19. state/province20. country
© Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 201 #2465 The Best of Brain Teasers
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Letters, Words, and Phrases
GET THE MESSAGEThe telegraph was one of the greatest inventions of the mid-nineteenth century. It was invent-ed in 1838 by Samuel F.B. Morse. He devised a code using a series of “dots” and “dashes”that represented the letters of the alphabet. Messages were tapped out on a telegraph keythat made clicking sounds. A dot would be a short click and a dash would be a longer click.Messages would be carried electrically to another key where a second operator would trans-late the message back into English and write it down on paper.
Directions: Use the following code to change the words below into Morse Code. (You mayfind slight variations from other codes.) You may also wish to use the Morse Code to sendmessages back and forth to friends.
A • —B — • • •C — • — •D — • •E •F • • — •G — — •H • • • •I • •
J • — — —K — • —L • — • •M — —N — •O — — —P • — — •Q — — • —R • — •
S • • •T —U • • —V • • • —W • — —X — • • —Y — • — —Z — — • •1 • — — — —
2 • • — — —3 • • • — —4 • • • • —5 • • • • •6 — • • • •7 — — • • •8 — — — • •9 — — — — •0 — — — — —
S ___________
A ___________
M ___________
U ___________
E ___________
L ___________
F. ___________
B. ___________
M ___________
O ___________
R ___________
S ___________
E ___________
T ___________
H ___________
O ___________
M ___________
A ___________
S ___________
A ___________
L ___________
V ___________
A ___________
E ___________
D ___________
I ___________
S ___________
O ___________
N ___________
E ___________
L ___________
E ___________
C ___________
T ___________
R ___________
I ___________
C ___________
I ___________
T ___________
Y ___________
T ___________
E ___________
L ___________
E ___________
G ___________
R ___________
A ___________
P ___________
H ___________
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Lists
NAME THREE OF EACHWrite three words that belong in each category named below.
1. Things on your face ____________________________________________
2. Things that come in pairs ________________________________________
3. Things found in your mom’s purse _________________________________
4. Palindromes __________________________________________________
5. Things that float _______________________________________________
6. Fairy tale characters ____________________________________________
7. Sports _______________________________________________________
8. Vegetables ___________________________________________________
9. Things with stripes _____________________________________________
10. Authors ______________________________________________________
11. Toys ________________________________________________________
12. Things to keep you warm ________________________________________
13. Colors _______________________________________________________
14. Kinds of dogs _________________________________________________
15. Places people live ______________________________________________
16. Bodies of water ________________________________________________
17. Snack foods___________________________________________________
18. Farm animals__________________________________________________
© Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 95 #2465 The Best of Brain Teasers
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Thinking Creatively
COLOR THIS DESIGNColor this design so that no shapes of the same color touch one another. Youmay use only three colors. (Hint: Think about the design before you begin tocolor.)
© Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 145 #2465 The Best of Brain Teasers
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Math and Numbers
MONEY MAZEFind your way through the money maze. Mark the path of correct money amounts. You maygo
$
End
7 pennies
+ 7 dimes
= 70 cents
Start
$
4 nickels
+ 3 dimes
= 60 cents
3 pennies
+ 2 dimes
+2 quarters
= 73 cents
4 nickels
+ 2 dimes
+ 3 quarters
= $1.25
5 nickels
+ 1 dime
+ 1 quarter
= 55 cents
6 pennies
+ 6 dimes
+ 1 quarter
= 91 cents
8 pennies
+ 5 dimes
= 58 cents
2 pennies
+ 3 quarters
= 76 cents
8 nickels
+ 3 quarters
= $1.15
11 pennies
+ 7 dimes
= 78 cents
4 quarters
+ 2 dimes
= $1.25
2 pennies
+ 6 nickels
+ 7 dimes
= $1.02
1 penny
+ 1 dime
+ 2 quarters
= 61 cents
2 nickels
+ 3 dimes
= 45 cents
8 dimes
= 40 cents
17 nickels
= 85 cents
7 pennies
+ 5 nickels
= 33 cents
10 quarters
= $2.50
2 pennies
+ 5 nickels
+ 3 quarters
= 87 cents
11 pennies
+ 4 nickels
= 41 cents
7 nickels
+ 7 dimes
= $1.05
3 nickels
+ 1 dime
+ 1 quarter
= 45 cents
3 pennies
+ 3 dimes
= 35 cents
4 pennies
+ 7 nickels
= 39 cents
3 nickels
+ 3 dimes
+ 3 quarters
= $1.20
4 pennies
+ 3 nickels
= 19 cents
or
Page 145Students may find a variety of paths, but the only boxes included in the maze should be thefollowing:First column: boxes 2 and 3Second column: boxes 4, 5, and 7
Third column: boxes 3, 4, 6, and 7Fourth column: boxes 2, 5, and 7
#2465 The Best of Brain Teasers 230 © Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Lists
COMPLETE A WORDUse the twenty-six letters of the alphabet to complete the words below. Use each letter onlyone time. (Cross off the letters as you use them.)
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
1. ___ A ___ Z
2. ___ U I E ___
3. ___ U ___ C A
4. E___ T R ___
5. ___ I O ___ ___ N
6. ___ A ___ ___ F U L
7. ___ R O ___ ___
8. ___ E ___ ___ A T
9. ___ ___ A L A
10. ___ O L A ___
11. ___ O R C ___ P I N E
Page 2301. jazz2. quiet3. yucca4. extra
5. violin6. bashful7. grown8. defeat9. koala10. molar11. porcupine