It’s Autumn in UK & FALL in the USA so it’s the perfect time for a little bit of outdoor math for Grade 3-5 with AUTUMN leaves. Of course, you don’t need FALL LEAVES for this exercise, but it is colorful.
This fab idea comes from Juliet Robertson, an outdoor education consultant in Scotland. Her blog Creative star learning is one of the most inspiring outdoor maths blogs you will find.
Check out Mathpig’s protractor joke here.
Another fab idea from Juliet Robertson.
This idea comes from Burkard and Giuseppe @ the fabulous MATHOLOGER channel. Students can make a pattern called a cardioid that pops up all over math according to Burkard.
Follow these steps. There is a pdf file below the first diagram for printing exercise sheets.
And then watch the MATHOLOGER video for a really interesting explanation.
x2 Tables on a Circle pdf file for printing
This circle graph blank could also be used for x3 and x4 tables, which produce totally different yet equally amazing patterns.
Halfway there, now it gets tricky. +52 to each point on the circle and keep multiplying by 2.
ie. 27 x 2 = 54, 28 x 2 = 56 and so on.
so 0 = 52, 1 = 53, 2 = 54, 3 = 55, 4 = 56 etc
This shape is called a CARTIOID.
“A growing body of research shows us that outdoor play leads to better physical and mental health, has positive effects on cognitive function and learning, and reduces the incidence of behavioural problems.” Maria Zotti, Nature Play, SA.
Peter Dunstan, Principal Kilkenny PS, SA, writes in SAPPA magazine, Primary Focus, that outdoor play fosters “wonderment, independence and freedom” as well as “social skills, imagination, creativity and problem solving”.
Inspired by SAPPA and NaturePlay, Mathspig has produced her own outdoorsy maths list:
References:
7. Robin Hood Give us your best shot.
9. You can measure the volume of your lungs by blowing one breath into a balloon and pushing it into a full bucket of water. Measure the overflow.
15: Outdoor Maths: Times Tables
21. Light intensity links. Here and here.
36. Killer heels that really kill.
They take their maths seriously in Germany. They have monuments to mathematicians. They name streets after mathematicians. They take maths into shopping malls.
They think maths is so important they even put maths on stairs. Here is some times tables art from Germany.
Mathpig just learnt this from a young Mathematician age 9.
It is a great way to do maths because you are thinking ‘Mmmm! How can I work these numbers.’
Getting maths students to think about what they are doing is so much better than just having them guess ‘ Arrrr! Whatever. Click B.’
More jump strategy information here.
This will be very useful later when it comes to a similar method used to simplify long division:
Even small children can think maths is hard work.
But it can be just as much fun as any other subject
if we use our imagination.
Maths does not have to be the UGLY DUCKLING
of school work.
So you are in Grade 3. You are asked to do this: Use the repeated multiplication strategy to solve: 5 x 3. Here’s your answer:
……………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………..
Firstly, give the kid a cigar. According to The Telegraph, UK, the kid is only in Grade 3 and can read: repeated multiplication strategy without their head exploding. Secondly, this kid understands the question.
5 x 3 = 5 + 5 + 5 except, according to the teacher, this answer is wrong.
The answer should be:
3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3
……………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………..
According to The Telegraph : The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in the US defended how the paper was marked, saying it gives students a better understanding of the problems they are solving.
Of course, the NCTM is suggesting:
5 x 3 = 5 times 3 = 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3
5 x X = 5 times X = X + X + X + X + X
But what about:
X x 3 = ?
X x 3 = X times 3 = 3 times X = X + X + X
Mathematicians have to think like this! They must be nibble. Mathematicians must think for themselves.
……………………………………………………………………..
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Too many kids hate maths due to FEAR or BOREDOM. How much would you hate maths if you got correct answers marked WRONG?
And how much would you FEAR the next maths test?
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Needless to say, I’m with Bart. Math teachers should not mark right answers wrong for any reason. More reasons why kids hate maths here: BEWARE OF MATHS FUNDAMENTALISTS
Cheerio for now
Hellooooo Sweeties,………………………………………………………………………
Some frightening maths this week. When researching DANGEROUS MATHS, Mathspig found one branch of maths is the most dangerous maths of all. Let’s call it GUESS-AMATICS. Today, maths is often taught via computer program packages. Some of these computer packages turn maths into a guessing game.
This exact and rather frightening scenario was described to me by the mother of a 5 year old. The mother decided it was time to turn the game off. When students play mathematical computer games too often they don’t have to think, they just guess the answer and try again. But be warned this ‘Oops! Try again’ maths can kill you’! Some maths you cannot ‘try again’. You HAVE to get it right the first time. Medication is one area where ‘Oops! Try again maths kills”
You need sufficient maths to understand medication doses or you might do yourself harm.…………………………………………………………………………………..
And here is just one very frightening statistic:……………………………………..
According to FDA data 1.3 million people in the USA are injured each year from medication errors. 
Meanwhile, we need nurses, caregivers, doctors, paramedics, First Aide volunteers, parents, grandparents, babysitters, teachers and all health care professionals to have sufficient maths to be able to calculate simple medication doses. Or we need them to simply READ the dose and make sure it is correct. Unfortunately, many of those who should be able to work out medication doses are either incapable or not paying attention. And your life could be in their hands:
In the UK 1 in 20 hospital deaths is due to medical error. Nearly 12,000 patients die needlessly in hospital every year due to blunders by staff, researchers warn. Drugs or fluid mismanagement was identified as a problem in 21% of preventable deaths (NHS 2012) or, doing the maths, 21% of 12,000 is approx 2,500 deaths due to bad maths! 
According to a new study just out from the prestigious Journal of Patient Safety, four times as many people die from preventable medical errors than we thought, as many as 440,000 a year.
Reports show between 9,000 and 24,000 hospital deaths due to medical error.
Official Australian government reports reveal that preventable medical error in hospitals is responsible for 11% of all deaths in Australia or 1 in 9 deaths.
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Dangerous Maths 1:Young drunk dead
Dangerous Maths 2: Death by Snake, Spider, Quad bike, Kangaroo, Raccoon and Vomit
Dangerous Maths 3: Shark Attack
Take care and do the maths……………………………………………………
Hoo Roo………………………………………………………………………………
This fab idea comes from Juliet Robertson, an outdoor education consultant in Scotland. Her blog Creative star learning is one of the most inspiring outdoor maths blogs you will find.
Check out Mathpig’s protractor joke here.
Another fab idea from Juliet Robertson.
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