From: Gail (for Teacher2Teacher Service)
Date: Nov 05, 2001 at 06:54:16
Subject: Re: Mathematical Palindromes for Elementary Ed.

Dear Sarah,
     I agree with Kristina and Jeanne that "palindrome" itself is not a 
mathematical concept necessary for students to know, but it can provide you 
with a resource for having students investigate and practice other vital 
concepts and procedures.  My fifth graders get much more practice adding to 
find palindromes than they would if I gave them a page of problems from a 
worksheet or a book.  Here is what they do:

Pick any two-digit number (for example, 65).  Reverse the digits (56).  Add 
the two amounts together (65 + 56).  You get 121, which is a palindrome.  
That is a one-step palindrome.  Some numbers take a little longer, some a 
lot longer...    If you take 79 and add 97, you get 176. Now reverse those 
digits and add 671. How many steps until you get a palindrome?
Try it and see.

 -Gail, for the T2T service