To The Students,

Blue Ribbon problems present you with an opportunity to investigate complex, interesting problems over several days.  The purpose is to focus on the process of solving complex problems.  You will be evaluated on your ability to show, explain, and justify your work and thoughts.  Save all your work, including what does not work in order to write about the processes you used to reach your answer.

Completion of a Blue Ribbon Problem includes four parts:

• Problem Statement:  State the problem clearly in your own words so that anyone reading your paper will understand the problem you intend to solve.
• Process and Solutions:  Describe in detail your thinking and reasoning as you work from start to finish.  Explain your solution and how you know it is correct.  Add diagrams when it helps your explanation.  Include things that did not work and changes you made along the way.  If you did not complete this problem, describe what you do know and where and why you are stuck.
• Reflection:  Reflect on your learning and reaction to the problem.  What mathematics did you learn from it?  What did you learn about math problem solving strategies?  Is this problem similar to any other problems you have done before?  If yes, how?
• Attach work:  Include all your work and notes.  Your scratch work is important because it is a record of your thinking.  Do not throw anything away!