Happy birthday, Rubik’s Cube!

The Rubik’s Cube is celebrating its 30th birthday this year!

In 1980, the Cube was introduced to America at a Hollywood event by Hungarian film star Zsa Zsa Gabor – the same year Ronald Reagan became president, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back raked in the biggest box office gross, Post-It Notes launched along with the Sony Walkman, and (ahem) the year I was born. Nearly one in every five people in the world has twisted, jumbled and enjoyed this immensely popular puzzle.

I have to admit I’ve never been able to solve a Rubik’s Cube. I adore a good puzzle, but this one always leaves me stumped! My husband, on the other hand, loves it. I bought him a Rubik’s Icon Cube at Barnes & Noble a few years back and he displays it proudly on his desk. Instead of the traditional bright colors, the Icon Cube features shades of black, silver and white and sits in its own little stand. Very sleek.

What’s new?
It’s no secret that the U.S. is falling behind in math and science. American students rank 21st in science and 25th in math compared with students around the world, putting us at a disadvantage.

Today the Rubik’s Cube is being used to teach important math concepts including area, perimeter, volume, angles, algorithms and enumeration, among many other geometry and algebra topics. The new “You CAN Do The Rubik’s Cube” program is designed to get the country’s youth engaged in math and science in a fun way!

What can you do?

• Youth: The new You CAN Do The Rubik’s Cube website features a downloadable step-by-step solution guide for unlocking the secrets to the 3×3 Rubik’s Cube. Online cube communities on Facebook, YouTube, and YouCanDoTheCube.com allow participants to share Rubik’s Cube experiences!
• Educators: Lesson plans with a math twist show teachers and youth leaders how to use the Rubik’s Cube as a memorization, sequencing, and problem solving tool. The You CAN Do The Rubik’s Cube solution guide and lesson plans have been designed to help educators engage youth with hands-on education activities and are aligned with standards set by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
• Parents: After-school and weekend Rubik’s activities foster life lessons such as problem-solving, negotiation, and teamwork, and provide an interactive, tangible way for youth to learn fundamental math disciplines like fractions and measurement.

With the help of this new initiative, thousands of youths from schools, camps and after-school programs nationwide are accomplishing the unthinkable – solving the cube one fun twist at a time, while learning about algebra, geometry, and determination! For more information, and to learn how to bring the “You CAN Do The Rubik’s Cube” program to a local school or youth organization, visit YouCanDoTheCube.com.

WIN IT!
Three lucky readers will learn how to solve the world’s most famous puzzle! To enter to win a Rubik’s Cube along with a solution guide, please leave a comment telling me what you were up to in 1980. If you weren’t born yet, that’s okay! Me? I was in my mother’s womb for half that year, then had to evacuate our home in Corpus Christi due to the wrath of Hurricane Allen. Not that I remember, but I’ve been told.

For extra entries:

• Subscribe to my feed by feed reader or email (or let me know if you already do).
• Follow me on Twitter (@OhMariana) and tweet about this giveaway (1X): Happy birthday, Rubik’s Cube! Enter to win a Cube, along with a solution guide – http://bit.ly/a5UvZs #RWNH (pls RT)
• Link to me in your sidebar or blog roll. Feel free to grab my button (at the bottom of the page).

The Rubik’s Cube folks are providing these prizes to my readers at no cost to me. Contest ends May 1st, 2010 11:59 pm EST. US entries only. One person per household may enter. Leave a separate comment for each entry & a valid email address. Winners, chosen at random, have 3 days to claim their prize.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for a list of all my latest giveaways!