Inequality Dinosaurs
Syllabus: Represent and interpret linear inequalities in two variables graphically
Calimero (the little, black, cartoon character with an egg shell on his head) has been taken back in time to the age of the dinosaurs! Quickly move all five of the eggs into the safety zone. Be careful to interpret the inequalities signs correctly to ensure you place the eggs out of danger.
Be careful, no two eggs must have their centres perfectly aligned (same x-coordinate) as this creates an electric field resulting in a sudden discharge of lightning. Your partner will have to take over the mission giving you time to recover!
Watch the video below for a quick overview of the gameplay, then scroll down and start moving the eggs out of the Pterodactyls hunting grounds.
How to play
- Best played as a two player co-operative game. Pairs complete against other pairs to see who will be first to hatch the eggs.
- Calimero (the little black cartoon character with an egg shell no his head) has been transported back, with his clutch of eggs, to prehistoric times and finds his eggs threatened by pterodactyls. He has finally worked, by observing their flight patterns, the inequalities that define their hunting grounds, and hence a zone of safety
- Read off the inequalities on each activity and move the eggs, as quickly as you can, to the zones of safety indicated so that the eggs can hatch in safety. The cross in the centre of each egg marks the moving point and key zone that needs to be out of the pterodactyls reach.
- Be careful not to align the eggs. Once aligned (any two eggs lying on thesame x-coordinate) an electrical field is generated between the two provoking a lightning strike from the clouds above. If this happens, your partner will have to take over the mission giving you time to recover.
- Once you complete a level, move on to the next one. Good luck!
Resources
Try each of the levels from 1 to 5 below : different pairs of students will find different activities more or less challenging, but all are at the same level of difficulty.
Ready for a challenge? Try these harder 
levels A to E (coming soon …)
Level 1: Vertical lines
Level 2: Vertical lines
Level 3: Vertical lines
Level 4: Horizontal lines
Level 5: Horizontal lines
Tags: inequalities, graphs, solving equations graphically, linear equations