LO SHU MAGIC SQUARES

Magic Squares come from Africa and Europe, but the oldest version may have come from China. Storytellers relate that Yu the Great, a Chinese Emperor 4,000 years ago, was sailing down the Lo River, or Lo Shu. A turtle appeared in the water and Yu the Great saw a pattern on its back.

Notice that the sum of the number of dots in each row, column, or diagonal is always the same, the "magic sum" of 15.

Here is what Yu saw.

OBJECT
Complete a magic square.

MATERIALS
3 x 3 and 5 x 5 square grids
Calculators

And here is the magic square:

Complete the following magic squares. Each square must contain consecutive numbers. Sums for each square will be different.

last revised 3/24/03

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Here is what Yu saw.		OBJECT Complete a magic square. MATERIALS 3 x 3 and 5 x 5 square grids Calculators
Here is what Yu saw.	And here is the magic square:
	Complete the following magic squares. Each square must contain consecutive numbers. Sums for each square will be different.