Materials List: Optimizing Pencils in a Tray

Each group needs:

  • ~20 wooden pencils of varying (but consistent between groups) lengths, such as 7.5 inch (full-length) and 3.5 inch (golf)
  • 1 grooved whiteboard-style marker tray that is 18.5 inches long and 0.375-inch wide (this width is preferred for a snug fit with standard wooden pencils); such as a piece of wood with a groove cut into it; the tray can be makeshift as long as the “grooved” condition is met
  • 1 large sheet of paper or a small/portion of a whiteboard, on which to work out and then display mathematical arguments
  • pencils or whiteboard markers
https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_linear_programming_lesson01_activity1