#AnyQs at OTC Houston

Wil and I attended OTC Houston yesterday with our eyes open for math. We looked at everything in the style of #AnyQs, the Any Questions? Game popularized by Dan Meyer and Colin T. Graham.

The idea is to see, hear or otherwise observe something and ask the first questions that come to mind. Ideally, one of the questions you might ask could lead to using and discovering mathematics to answer it.

For this set of images from OTC Houston, you can play two ways:

  1. Open this text file to write your questions and then copy and paste it into the comments.
  2. Tweet out individual questions using the handy links under each image.

I’ve included one or two of my own questions about each image too. What information would you or your students need to answer them?

Have fun!


#1 – Rig Power

What’s the diameter on the inside and outside of the circles? How thick is the material? What’s the circumference?

Click here to tweet your #AnyQs about this image.


#2 – Smalley

What’s the shape made by the wavy lines? Is there a function that describes the waves?

Click here to tweet your #AnyQs about this image.


#3 – TSP

What’s the measurements of the angles? How many “teeth” are on the 2nd one?

Click here to tweet your #AnyQs about this image.


 #4 – WireCo

What’s the angle of the bands? How many strands make up each of the “ribbons”?

Click here to tweet your #AnyQs about this image.


#5 – Orion

What makes the arrow rise? What makes it fall? What do the numbers represent?

Click here to tweet your #AnyQs about this image.


#6 – Cameron

How many nuts are there? If you connected them around the outside what shape would they make? What is the measure of the interior angles on the shape?

Click here to tweet your #AnyQs about this image.


#7 – IDS

Why do you think there are two number 10s on each side of the zero? Do the numbers on the inside dial have anything to do with the numbers on the outside?

Click here to tweet your #AnyQs about this image.


Don’t forget, you can also download and use the text file to put in your #anyqs.


#8 – Candy Basket

What’s the width of the ribbon making up the basket? What’s the volume of the basket?

Click here to tweet your #AnyQs about this image.


#9 – Stadium Seats

How many seats are in the row? How could you figure out how many seats are in the whole stadium without counting all of them?

Click here to tweet your #AnyQs about this image.


#10 – Crazy Stockings

What are some of the angle measurements? Is there a pattern and if so, when does it repeat?

Click here to tweet your #AnyQs about this image.


#11 – Boskalis

How tall is this cylinder? What’s the volume?

Click here to tweet your #AnyQs about this image.


#12 – Micro-Smart

In how many different ways can these ladies use their outfits to make one outfit for someone else?

Click here to tweet your #AnyQs about this image.


#13 – Rotapanel

What are the shapes that make this work? How many different “billboards” can be shown?

Click here to tweet your #AnyQs about this image.


#14 – OTC Sign

How many rows are there at OTC? How many booths? Can you figure out the least number based on just this sign?

Click here to tweet your #AnyQs about this image.


#15 – Booth Number

What digits are symmetric? What type of symmetry do they have?

Click here to tweet your #AnyQs about this image.


#16 – GS-Hydro

How tall is this? How many feet (or miles) of material did it take to build it? What’s the angle of the legs to the ground?

Click here to tweet your #AnyQs about this image.


Did you enjoy these images? Share your thoughts (and your #AnyQs) in the comments! And tell your friends on twitter to do it too!

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