Maths isn’t TOO HARD; it’s TOO BORING, Sir!

Hello my little Peeps,

In 2012 The New York Times ran an article by Andrew Hacker titled ‘Is Algebra Necessary?’ The argument was, basically, that too many students find algebra difficult and colleges in America use math results to screen students thus further disadvanting already disadvantaged students. The author had a point. eg. Of all who embark on higher education, only 58 percent end up with bachelor’s degrees. The main impediment to graduation: freshman math.

Perhaps, algebra could be taught in a different way. Mathspig was inspired by New York Grade 3 teacher, Alycia Zimmerman, who uses Lego to teach fractions (See next post) and came up with the following examples.

Lego Mean, Median and Mode

Lego Algebra

But Mathspig has always lerved Lego Maths. Here are just a few examples;

Ratios: Lego Olympics

Ratios: The Rosetta Project Scaled down to a Lego Universe

Other links to Lego Maths.

And while you are doing your Lego Maths you an also use the Lego Template to design your own Lego Figurine.

Download Template here.

Have fun peeps.

Cheerio

Mathspig

 

m+m maths 4: How many m+ms will kill my dog?

You can find more Death by Chocolate Maths here and here.

MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig …………………………………………………. with Kerry Cue

Hellooooooooo Sweeties,

This has to be the best way to save the planet. Yes! Eat up my little lovelies. For every kilo you pack on, you reduce your carbon footprint. Isn’t that the best news for piggies everywhere!!!!! You will find the yummy maths here:

How to pig out and save the planet

Meanwhile, here are some other mathsy things to do with pigging out for fun and profit:

Who uses more calories to travel 10 km: mini or man?

How far do you have to walk to walk off 1 kg of fat?

How far can a biodiesel car drive on 1 kg of human fat?

  ………………………………………………………………………..

Cheerio my Chubbies

Mathspig

 

MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig …………………………………………………. with Kerry Cue

Hellooooooooo Sweeties,

Mathspig is always bemused that politicians (all shades), who struggle with maths of the economy, taxes and even their own expense accounts, suddenly become experts on how to teach maths.

Back to Basics is the current catch cry of politicians around the world … to win votes, of course. But what does it mean?:

Back to the 1950s?

With class sizes of 50, student reports stating ‘Margret was 33^rd in the grade’ and the ‘strap’ waiting at the ready in the teacher’s desk draw.

Back to the 1960s?

When maths wasn’t taught to girls. (In Year 8 Mathspig went to a convent. The nuns only taught arithmetic.)

Back to the 1970s?

When the school curriculum was seen by some to be class-based patriarchal propaganda. Some schools stopped scoring football games to prevent the elitist paradigm spreading.

Today?

For some Back to Basics means Direct Instruction: a rigid, repetitious form of maths instruction when maths can be so much more. See Beware Maths Fundamentalists

Mathspigs Mission:

To make maths interesting, relevant and fun.

Here are some examples:

RATES:………………………………………………………………….

The Curious Nature of Drummers’ Brains

………………………………………………………………………..

% and LINEAR GRAPH:………………………………………

Hunger Games: How long does it take to bleed to death?

 ………………………………………………………………………..

PARABOLIC EQN:………………………………………………….

Hunger Games:  How much an arrow drops in 100m?

 ………………………………………………………………………..

GEOMETRY:………………………………………………………..

The raising of the Concordia

 ………………………………………………………………………..

PYTHAGORUS:…………………………………………………….

How Radar Works and the Search for a Ghost Ship

………………………………………………………………………..

Cheerio

Mathspig

 

MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig …………………………………………………. with Kerry Cue

Helloooo My Lovelies,

Get ready to sing-a-long.

Here it is a Christmas Maths Song: 

12 Days of Kris-maths

On the 12th day of Kris-maths

my maths class gave to me:

12 Proofs a proving

11 Bar Graphs plotting

 

10 Factors finding

 

9 Surds a sorting

8 Midpoints Marking

7 Powers adding

6 Curves a graphing

5 Golden Rules

4 Perfect squares

3 Cube roots

2 Sine Curves

and gifts wrapped in a fractal tree

 

 

Happy Kris-maths

Bye-de-bye

Mathspig

MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig …………………………………………………. with Kerry Cue

Hellooo my little lovelies,

There is no limit to the maths a girl can do. She can use maths to design earthquake safe buildings, solve a murder or do Hunger Games maths.

But mathspig includes ‘girl’ topics in this maths blog to show girls how maths can be used as a powerful tool to critique pop culture:

Killer heels that really kill

Odd Bods in Marie Claire

or just to have fun:

Geometric Hair

And now and again pop culture turns up some very good maths promos for girls. 

Hey, Year 9 maths girls! Watch This.

Popular Culture and MEAN GIRLS Maths

Bye-de-bye

Mathspig

PS: You do not have to like pink. In fact, most people prefer blue. (See Time Magazine. Why Girls Like Pink) But, mathpiggies, pigs are pink!!!! And Mathspig lervs pink piggies.

MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig …………………………………………………. with Kerry Cue

Hellooooooooo Sweat Peas,

If you counted @ the rate of 1 number per second …. That’s 7 Billion seconds 

or (rounding off) 117,000,000 mins

or 1,944,000 hrs

or 81,000 days

or 221 years !!!!

Oooooooo! But this is sloooooow counting. 

How fast can you count?

You’ll find an online stop watch here.

Time yourself counting to 60. This will give you your count rate (60/time = rate nos. per sec)

Now you can calculate how long it would take YOU to count to 7 Billion.

Who is the fastest counter in your maths class?

More population maths follows.

Bye-de-bye

Mathspig

MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig …………………………………………………. with Kerry Cue

 

 

Helloooooo Little Mutants,

……………………………………………

This week I’m soooooooo excited about

Wolverine the movie

I just had to do lots of X-men maths.

Read on Mutants.

………………………

Cheerio

……………………. 

Porkerine

aka Mathspig

 

MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig …………………………………………………. with Kerry Cue

Hello Sweet Peas,

This week we are busting Maths Myths. There are many Urban Myths involving maths.

Myths involving maths work because the number sounds sort of right.

eg. Drink 8 glasses of water a day.

Drink 64 fl oz or 1.89 litres of water a day  does NOT sound quite right, yet this is the same volume of water!!

Here is an Urban Myth involving maths from Mythbusters.

In 2009 (Episode 117) Grant, Tory, and Kari investigated the Myth that a giant 2m (7 ft) Lego ball rolling down a hill could smash a car.

They borrowed 1 million blocks and with all hands on deck built a 1,400 kg (3,000 pound) ball.

Did it smash the car?Nah! It fell to bits first.

Myth Busted.

But you can turn yourself into a Little Lego Character here.

There is a fabulous exercise for middle school maths with worksheets on how rumours spread @ 6 degrees of separation.

Now on with the Maths Myth Busting

Cheerio

Mathspig

MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig …………………………………………………. with Kerry Cue

Hellooooooo Sweeties,…………………………………………..

…………………………………………………..

This week two NOW YOU SEE IT. NOW YOU DON’T tricks.

One with cards and another with your money … that is, if you like the pokies.

…………………………………………………………….

Cheerio

Mathspig