The Dishes Problem

The first thing I did when I saw this problem was set up an algebraic equation, where n is the number of guests. I looked for the sum of the dishes, with each term representing a different dish (e.g. n/2 is the number of dishes of rice, since every 2nd guest gets one):

n/2 + n/3 + n/4 = 65

Multiply both sides by 12:

6n + 4n + 3n = 780

Gather like terms:

13n = 780

Divide both sides by 13:

n = 60

And so the answer I got was there were 60 guests in total.

I think it is important to offer puzzles from different cultures, so that students are able to understand mathematics from a different perspective. It is very helpful for students from that particular culture as most of the problems they deal with are from the Western culture, and may not reflect their experiences in life. Showing them that their stories have a place in the classroom too is imperative to show that they and their background matter. 

I think a story helps with setting up the problem. A lot of students complain that math is too rigid and boring, and if every problem just had a simple algorithm to solve I would tend to agree. However, problems with stories attached help in both visualizing and enticing the reader to solve the problem, as it may give the student more enthusiasm since they are invested in the story, and want to find out the conclusion.