This article is a written essay for the problem of the month in the math 213 course.

This
artifact exemplifies my ability to problem solve. For this particular problem, I was asked to
investigate what shapes could be cut in half to create two equal parts. I believed that there was an
infinite amount of ways to cut an even sided polygon into two equal halves. I decided to
investigate this argument.
I chose to work with all regular polygons. These included; an equilateral triangle, a
rectangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, a heptagon, and a dodecagon. I was forced to work in a
creative manner, because there werent any guidelines for this project. I was investigating a
theory that I had created. Throughout my investigation, I realized that the equilateral triangle
appeared in every figure. If a figure was composed of even numbered equilateral triangles, I
knew that shape could be cut in an infinite numbers of ways to create two equal parts. This is
because the triangles met at the center of the figure. If the figure was composed of odd numbered
triangles I knew the shape didnt have an infinite amount of ways to be cut in half. To go further,
I found that if a figure was composed of an odd amount of equilateral triangles it could only be
cut into two equal parts one way.
This problem of the month helped me understand how shapes are formed. This will carry
over into the classroom when I am a teacher. I have a new appreciation for math, and especially
geometry. Problem solving and investigation are both essential qualities for students to have.
Therefore, this was an opportunity for me to fine tune these skills in a practical manner.
I want to incorporate exercises similar to this into my classroom in the future. I will do
this project differently by forgoing the essay portion of this assignment. I think that students will
be able to grasp the concept of this exercise by just working through the problem on scratch

paper. Although the written portion was beneficial to me, I dont think it was have the same
impact on younger students.
After thoughtful consideration, I believe this artifact demonstrates my ability to problem
solve, and investigate. I was able to look deep into a problem, and find several solutions to a
particular problem. This was strictly geared towards mathematics, but I believe these skills can
easily be carried over into other subjects.