Try a Smaller Case
📋 What it is
When a problem feels too big, solve a tiny version first to find the pattern, then scale it up.
🗣️ Coach says
Faced with “how many handshakes among 100 people?”, don’t panic — try 2 people (1 shake), 3 (3 shakes), 4 (6). The pattern appears, then you scale up. Shrinking a scary problem is a pro move.
🧠 Memory hook
Too big? Shrink it — solve 2, then 3, spot the pattern, then scale up.
😂 Giggle
Why did 11 love two-digit multiplication?
Because 11 times a number is just its digits with a little space in between (most of the time)!
😲 Whoa!
Mathematicians solve famous hard problems this exact way — try small cases, spot the pattern, then prove it works for all sizes.
✅ Quick check: Handshakes among 4 people: everyone shakes everyone once. How many? (Try it small.)
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
6 — person 1 shakes 3 others, person 2 shakes 2 new ones, person 3 shakes 1: 3+2+1 = 6.
Solving the small case reveals the counting pattern (3+2+1).
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Count handshakes for 3 people, then 4, then 5. What pattern do the totals follow? (1, 3, 6, 10…)
🔎 How did you work this?