MATERIALS: Sheet of paper (eg. A4), ruler, scissors & coloured felt pens.
I am using an Aranea Black Mask Design. We are going to design and make a MATHS MASK PATTERN. If you want to make one out of fabric you will find all the necessary instructions here.
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The amount of sugar in the giant egg weighs as much as a Fiat Punto.………………………………………………………………..
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The amount of sugar in the giant egg weighs as much as a Fiat Punto.
One reason why students think maths is a waste of time is because they do not see it in their world. It’s not just middle school students. We are all maths blind.
Here is the challenge. At the beginning of your next maths class:
Ask your students what ‘mathsy’ thing they have on them and see what happens. Mathspig started her ICME 13 Workshop with that question and maths teachers from around the world struggled to answer. Here is what happened.
More ideas below.
Note: I missed the significance of ‘Standing on the Shoulders of Giants’ Quote. It was from the great mathematician Sir Isaac Newton, 1776.
More Maths on or around you:
*food snacks: nutrition information, calories, cost.
*medication: recommended dose, concentration eg. 5 mg, quantity, cost.
*room temperature: weather forecast.
*Light Bulbs: Watts, brightness (lumens, inverse quadratic function)
*Flooring: Wood (parallel lines), carpet (tessellations), coefficient of friction (Don’t want people to slip in the wet).
*Windows, doors: Hinges (Fulcrum, Effort as a Hyperbolic function), opening/closing door is an equation of a circle, angles, fly screens (pattern), windows (pulleys sometimes), handles (knob or lever impacts on effort)
Table/desk/chair: Based on statistics to fit majority of students.
Leaning back on chair: Centre of Gravity. Watch out.
Sharpening pencil: Circular motion, sharpness of blade reduces force needed. Why?
Pens, books dropping on floor: Good old gravity. Works every time. Quadratic fn.
Fonts: Size. Based on statistics for readability. Watch the small print.
Jewellery: Geometric shapes & patterns, but also symmetry of diamond facets, weight of diamonds in carats, purity of gold in carats (different carat).
Zips: Interlocking pattern hopefully not interlocking with your skin.
Heating: Flow rate, cost, vent locations.
Architecture: Of building involves length, height, area and cost.
External Noise: Wall thickness. Sound proofing.
Rubbish: Recycling. Why do it?
Tights: You buy them using a height weight graph on the back of the packet.
Here is a fabulous idea for prompting students to ‘see’ maths in the world. This activity was designed by Axelle Person Faughn, North Carolina University (Below).
The idea is simple.
Ask students to take pictures of maths they see in their lives. The photos below were taken by Axelle’s students.
Alternatively, you can give students an equation and ask them to find a picture representing that equation. Axelle gave Mathspig a slip of paper with the words ‘Demonstrate limits’. I sent back a picture of curly hair and a link to the equation of a helix.
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Is that pasta really a Sine Curve?
Maths involved:
*length of xylphone keys. These will be accurately measured to produce the correct note. Ditto width and thickness.
*rate of rotation of gears, wheels
*parabolic path of marble falling on xylophone keys
*ratios of gear wheels
*statistics. The marbles do not always bounce indentically off the keys. So the cup needs to be big enough to capture – what?- 99.99% of the bouncing marbles. I think less. You can count the number of marbles – ball bearings – that have escaped. You can see them on the floor at the end of the video. So you can calculate the % that escape.
*timing (Each element of the machine has to be timed to create the musical effect. Not chaos.)
*Engineering Maths: Strength of laminate. This will have been tested by the manufacturer. Laminates have a much greater tensile strength than one piece of wood.
*Computer Cutting: A program exists to accurately cut out those wheels from a laminate.
*Cost
*How do you buy 2,000 marbles (ball bearings)? Do you count them? You would buy them by weight.
*Any more suggestions?
Middle school maths challenge
%, probability and a fight to the death
This problem is trickier than you think. You will need this information.
Hunger Games Maths Survivor ANSWER 1
Hunger Games Maths Survivor ANSWER 2
You will find more HUNGER GAMES maths including How long would it take you to bleed to death? here.
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:
There is sooooo much maths in the news, triumphs and tragedies, I don’t know where to begin.
First of all a tiny little spacecraft not much bigger than a washing machine has landed after a 10 year voyage on a comet 520 million km away from earth. Wow! Mathpig has some interesting space maths for you:
Rosetta Spacecraft
Also in the news ……………………….
Wild storm in Brisbane yesterday caused severe hail stone damage to city buildings. The Australian Website
The tragic death of Australian Cricketer Phillip Hughes at only 25 years-of-age after he was hit in the head by a cricket ball, despite wearing a helmet, highlights the danger of some sports.
NZ team Tribute to David Hughes BBC
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Many commentators in Australia claimed that the Philae landing was:
This is equivalent to hitting the bullseye of a dartboard in Perth from Sydney. With a billion euro ($1.4bn) dart. While blindfolded (as the mission was powered down for almost the entire journey). ABC The Drum
Inner bullseye of dartboard = 12.7 mm
67P comet = 4.1 km = 4,100 m at widest point
Distance comet from earth = 520 million km
Actually, hitting the 67P comment was more like roulette as the Rosetta mothership swung into orbit. And, as the earth and the comet are moving, the distance constantly changes, but you can watch the distance changing here.
Fabulous Graphics from the Daily Telegraph
We will assume someone can stand on earth and throw a dart at the comet … Yes! They would need very big triceps.
So the commentators aren’t even close. It would still be a feat hitting a bullseye with a dart from 160km, but that would be from Sydney to, um, Nowra on the coast.
The distance from Sydney to Perth is 4100 km. At best the commentators would be talking about throwing a dart from Brisbane to Adelaide is 2044km (below).
A raucous romp through the absurdities of American Gun Culture
10 Reasons Students Hate Maths: BUSTED
10 Reasons Students Hate Maths: BUSTED
10 Reasons students hate maths: BUSTED
10 Reasons Why Students Hate Maths: BUSTED
10 Reasons students Hate Maths: BUSTED
10 reasons to hate maths: BUSTED
10 reasons to hate maths: BUSTED
10 reasons to hate maths: BUSTED
10 Reasons to Hate Maths: BUSTED
10 Reasons to Hate Maths: BUSTED
Comic & cutting comment plus random raves.
Mathspig Blog 