Your nightmare comes true: you are about to completely solve a puzzle, when you realize that a piece is missing. Or is it?!? With this puzzle, you can have it either way! As always, there are many ways to present this other than as a “missing puzzle piece.” How will you tell the story?
Performance
Setup & Preparation
- Download the black and white PDF file
- Download the color PDF file
Printing Notes:
- The large triangle that acts s the “frame” for the presentation also does double-duty as a handy-dandy carrying case for all of the puzzle pieces! You’ll need the graphics page (single-sided print), scissors, and glue to assemble this optical illusion.
- Be precise: it is important that you cut only on the solid black lines. If you get sloppy with your cutting, the optical illusion will not be as convincing.
Explanation
Alternate Ideas:
- There are two different effects depending whether you start with the completed puzzle or the puzzle with the missing middle (question marks showing).
- You can use this puzzle to represent ideas. For instance, begin with the “missing piece” (question marks visible), then explain that we already have all of the pieces needed to solve whatever the problem is.
- Begin with the completed puzzle, then pick up the pieces and use your “Jedi mind powers” to apparently shrink the pieces. When they are placed back onto the triangle, a large piece is missing from the center.
- What can you come up with?
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