Summer Holidays are done. School is BACK in Australia. But how do middle school teachers get students excited about Maths? Here are some ideas.
“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:
Naturally, a lot of this drinking takes place during the Christmas holidays or the Silly Season. Unfortunately, it appears to be the SILLY SEASON all year round in Australia.
Data from 32,022 people from 22 countries were used in the preparation of this Global Drug Survey
CANADA Under 18 years of age. 1996 It is believed that as many as 83 percent of teenagers in Canada consume alcohol. Back in 1996, underage drinking was responsible for 3,500 deaths and 2,000,000 injuries. A 2002 survey found that 20 percent of eight graders had consumed alcohol within the previous month. Source
USA.4,358 people under age 21 die each year from alcohol-related car crashes, homicides, suicides, alcohol poisoning, and other injuries such as falls, burns, and drowning. Source
There is a lot of middle school maths in fashion from design, to fabrication to costing. But it’s much more fun to see some of the maths in the NY MET GALA outfits.
This is the best Middle School Probability outdoor exercise EVER!
Equipment:
1 coin per student.
Instructions:
In the schoolyard, students move back and forward with the flip of a coin. Must be a good flip. This exercise works best with a grid drawn on the schoolyard in chalk, perhaps. (See pic below) If possible film the exercise from above.
Now here are lots of people doing this 2D random Walk on Wall St. The results are totally amazing.
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Watch for the Bell Curve. It’s AWESOME.
This video was made by The National Museum of Mathematics NY.
Mathspig Blog 
