Teacher's Notes for Fill in the Magic Square

Have students fill in the blanks in partially completed magic squares. This activity first requires students to find a completed row, column, or diagonal to add up in order to solve for the magic constant. Students must then use a combination of subtraction, guess and check, and trial and error techniques in order to fill in the blanks. Students can then gain an appreciation for the difficulties involved in creating magic squares, and can empathize with Muhammad's perseverance and effort on his 11x11 magic square.