THE SPEECH MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig MathsPig ……………………. with Kerry Cue

Hello My Mathematical Friends,

Official Seal of MATHSPIG
The President of the
United States of Mathematics

The Gettysburg Address, Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ Speech and Winston Churchill’s ‘We shall fight on the beaches … we shall fight in the fields and in the streets … we shall never surrender’ speech were speeches that inspired millions in difficult times.

Maths needs an inspiring speech.

Why?

Because today too many kids do maths like this:

They sit in front of a computer. They answer questions on a program as if they’re shooting at a target. They don’t care about the maths. They just want to know their score. All very entertaining … but they’re not working their brains. They do not think.

Many do not know their tables even in Year 7.

Maths has turned into a guessing game. And they struggle with it.

Here is the comic take on the problem: Hugo Does His Homework, sort of.

But there is a serious side.

Maths needs an inspiring speech. So listen up Middle School students. Here it is:

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Take Care

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Mathspig

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,

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This week I’m soooooooo excited about

Wolverine the movie

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

Read on Mutants.

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Cheerio

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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,…………………………………………..

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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.

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Cheerio

Mathspig

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

Hello My Sweat Peas,

Mathspig has written for newspapers for 30 years. Aaaaah! The maths is frightening. One reason for starting this blog is to show mathpiggies everywhere why we need maths.

One area where we need maths concerns HEALTH STATISTICS. We make all sorts of decisions based on HEALTH STATISTICS.

It is not just the NUMBERS we must understand, but also the LOGIC.

Clear thinking. What do these numbers actually mean. Mathspig has even talked to HEALTH REASEARCHERS, who do not understand statistics. They use computer programs.

So this week Mathspig is applying LOGIC to Health Statistics. She’s looking at the Health Statistics that  Aren’t Good for Your Health.

One Health Statistic of interest involves genes and disease. Angelina Jolie had her healthy breasts removed because of the statistics involving breast cancer. But genes are NOT THE FULL STORY.

And Mathspig, who lervs pi, also loves chubby folk. The health statistics for fatties aren’t always as bad as some claim. See We’re All Gonna Die 2.

To learn a little about Health Statistics and LOGIC read on Sweet Pea.

Ciao

Mathspig

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

Hellooooo My Sweeties,

A serious topic this week, then again, maths is serious if it leads healthy women to have healthy breasts removed by surgeons because of statistics. 

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You’d want to understand those statistics, wouldn’t you? Read on and judge for yourself if Angelina Jolie’s decision was based on good maths.

Cheerio for Now

Mathspig

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

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

Helloooooooo My Maths Lovelies,

Maths gets a bad press. Senior students especially girls are dropping maths. And it is happening mathpiggies in English speaking countries. Look at the % of students studying maths at university from Dropping maths Doesn’t Add Up, SMH, 27 Feb 2013.

Maths is now classed for many university degrees as – Scream now. Arrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhh! – ASSUMED KNOWLEDGE. Well, you better start assuming they don’t have any knowledge.

Maths needs better PR at school.

Maths is not visible in schools. Other subjects have their selling points.

 Languages other than English have FOOD.

Geography has VOLCANOES and TRAVEL.

English has PLAYS and FILMS.

History has BLOODY WARS and TYRANNTS.

Drama has a school MUSICAL or PLAY.

Art has, D’uh, rooms full of amazing ART.

Science has BAD SMELLS, EXPLOSIONS and DAVID ATTENBOROUGH.

How can we make maths more visible and more fun in high school?

Be AUDACIOUS, my little mathspiggies.

Think BIG and then even BIGGER again.

Here are 12 ways of making Maths

more visible in your school.

Toodles

Mathspig

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

Helloooooooooo my Sweeties,

I’m not talking to you. I’m talking to my box of chocolates but, as you seem to be listening, you will be excited to know this week we’re looking at Sweet Tooth Maths.  We will do chocoholic maths with Easter Eggs and Fast Food Maths with coke, Red Bull, Pepsi and Nutrient water. O how sweeeeeet it is!

Watch out for:

Sweet Tooth Maths 1

Sweet Tooth Maths 2

Sweet Tooth Maths 3

And don’t forget other my Easter Posts:

Easter Egg Maths for Chocoholics

Our Aussie Easter Egg Addiction

Toodles

Mathspig