Browsing around in my blog links, I found this:
The Secret of the Pharaoh’s Treasure, Part 1
Alexandria Jones stood outside her father’s tent. The glare of the sun on the rocky desert hurt her eyes. Holding up a hand to shield her gaze, she spotted her dad (the world-famous archaeologist) arguing with the foreman.
Poor Dad, she thought. He was sure this was the right site, but so far he’s found nothing.
She looked down at her feet, where her faithful dog Ramus waited, panting. “Well, Rammy, it looks like Dad will be busy for while. What do you say? Shall we go exploring?”
Alexandria ducked into the tent for her backpack and canteen.
Thump! Something bounced against the side of the tent. Ramus barked.
Alex stepped outside and looked quickly around. No one was in sight. She saw a fist-sized rock beside the tent, with a note tied to it. She picked it up and read:
Ha! The real Pharaoh’s Treasure lies under a pyramid of stones, and it’s mine. You can’t stop me this time! —Simon Skulk
Continue reading The Secret of the Pharaoh’s Treasure, Part 1
Spring Cleaning My Blog Links
Our whole family is coming down with something again. What a nuisance!
Since I don’t feel up to real cleaning, I guess it’s time to spruce up my sidebar. If you haven’t posted since November or December of last year, you’re outta there. And for those of you who use Blogger — well, I’m sorry, but if I get a persistent “Blogger: 404 – Page Not Found” then you’re gone, too. If you are still actively blogging, please send me an email.
Quotations VIII: The Essence of Mathematics
Our homeschool co-op classes are done for the semester, so this will be my last compilation of blackboard quotes for awhile. I love collecting quotations, however, so I will be treating you to some of my favorites “just for teachers” over the summer. Stay tuned!
It is better to solve one problem five different ways, than to solve five problems one way.
Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.
Continue reading Quotations VIII: The Essence of Mathematics
For Those Really Long Family Trips…
Discovered on a “mathematics” tag search:
Weird Things People Search For
Sometimes I laugh when I read the search engine terms that have led people to my blog. Other times I’m left scratching my head. What in the world are these people thinking? So, for your reading pleasure, I present a few phrases that must have meaning to someone:
man falling off a cliff applet
Well, it sound more dramatic than the cannonballs and flying arrows we used when I took physics.
crazy math challenge free worksheets
As in, “I’m crazy about math”? Or is it, “Math drives me crazy”?
Introducing Alexandria Jones
It began with some 4th-8th grade friends who met in my dining room to work math puzzles and play games. At first, a few of the kids wondered how anyone could have fun with math. But we did enjoy ourselves, and Math Club grew until we couldn’t fit anyone else around the table.
Carnival of Mathematics #6
The new Carnival of Mathematics is up and running at Modulo Errors. Highlights for me included:
Teaching Math
One opinion about when to introduce formal arithmetic (workbooky math) to children. What is the opportunity cost of too-early mathematics?
Criss-Cross Multiplication
An algorithm for two-digit multiplication that is easier for mental math.
Party For Polyglots
A brain teaser puzzle, not too difficult.
Coloring Knots
A topological doodling project.
Thou Surly Bat-Fowling Hugger-Mugger!
Here is another highlight from my “To blog about it someday” folder: the Shakespearean Insulter. What fun!
There’s no room for faith, truth, nor honesty in this bosom of thine.
It is all filled up with guts and midriff.Taken from: Henry IV, part I
And if you are interested in actually studying the bard, here are some links you may enjoy:
Shakespeare. Yes, again. And again.
Advice on teaching Shakespeare to children.Bardolatry
Many links to teaching advice, book recommendations, and more.
There is no reason to put off Shakespeare until your student reaches high school. My then-kindergardener enjoyed the Trevor Nunn version of Twelfth Night so much that she wanted to get her hair cut, “So I can pretend to be a boy.” This is homeschooling at its best: each of us learning at our own level — and loving it.
The “Are You a Homeschooler?” Quiz
It is spring cleaning week at our house, and I thought I’d do some virtual cleaning, too. So from a folder where I stuff the “To blog about sometime” websites comes this quiz. It claims to determine whether you deserved your high school diploma — Ha! There is no way I could remember anything from that long ago.
So tell me, what did the quiz really measure?
Denise Gaskins' Let's Play Math 