All the activity of packing and shipping books to fulfill Kickstarter orders was too much for Cimorene.
But now that the leftover boxes are empty (except for some nicely crumpled packing paper), she fully approves.
And she posed so nicely, I think this is the sharpest cat photo I’ve ever gotten. Good girl!
Here’s the full quote:
I like to play games. Almost any type of game.
I also like to play math.
If you’ve known enough mathematicians, you may have noticed that this isn’t unusual. I’m not sure if a love of games and puzzles among mathematicians exceeds a love of music among mathematicians, but both are strong and intersect.
Math in play is also a way of teaching mathematics. I think that as a metaphor, it best describes how I want to teach math.
I am constantly seeking ways to get my students thinking about math as a verb. It is about doing, not just about having right answers or the end product.
Games help set the culture I want to develop: Teaching students that multiple approaches and strategies are valued; trying is safe; and conversations about why, how, and discovery are the goals.—John Golden
Yes, Playing Around
CREDITS: “Football outside Jakarta” photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash.
As I’ve mentioned before, I decided to try my hand at rewriting the Standards for Mathematical Practice into student-friendly language.
Here’s my version of SMP5…
My students are so busy that time-consuming math projects are a luxury. How is it possible for older kids to play with mathematics?
Too often, the modern American school math curriculum is a relentless treadmill driving students toward calculus. (Does this happen in other countries, too?)
But that’s definitely not the only way to learn. For most students, it’s not the best way, either.
Here are a few ideas to get your older children playing with math…
So, I decided to try my hand at rewriting the Standards for Mathematical Practice into student-friendly language.
Here’s the fourth installment…
I love puzzles. Don’t you?
Here are several examples of river-crossing puzzles you and your kids can try. They date back at least to the time of Alcuin, the famous scholar from the court of Charlemagne.
I wish someone would write a whole math curriculum devoted entirely to puzzles.
Master teacher W.W. Sawyer didn’t write a curriculum, but he often used puzzles in the classroom.
“It is quite possible to use simultaneous equations as an introduction to algebra. Within a single lesson, pupils who previously did not know what x meant can come not merely to see what simultaneous equtions are, but to have some competence in solving them.
“No rules need to be learnt; the work proceeds on a basis of common sense.
“The problems the pupils solve in such a first lesson will not be of any practical value. They will be in the nature of puzzles.
“Fortunately, nature has so arranged things that until the age of twelve years or so, children are more interested in puzzles than in realistic problems.”
—W. W. Sawyer, Vision in Elementary Mathematics
Then he gives this example:
“A man has two sons. The sons are twins; they are the same height. If we add the man’s height to the height of one son, we get 10 feet. The total height of the man and the two sons is 14 feet. What are the heights of the man and his sons?”
Not only can children solve puzzles like this, but even better — they can make up story puzzles of their own. You could spend a whole week or more making up silly height puzzles for each other to solve. By the time you were done, your kids would have a great introduction to algebra!
Maybe I never grew up. Because I still prefer puzzles over “real world” math problems.
What are your favorite kinds of puzzles? Please share in the comments section.
CREDITS: “Boat puzzles” comic from xkcd.com.
[THE FINE PRINT: I am an Amazon affiliate. If you follow the book link and buy something, I’ll earn a small commission (at no cost to you). But this book is a well-known classic, so you should be able to order it through your local library.]
You may remember, I decided to try my hand at rewriting the Standards for Mathematical Practice into student-friendly language.
My kids loved to argue. Do yours?
“Cat wash yoga” photo by Dimitri Houtteman from Pixabay.
“Without mathematics you can’t do anything! Everything around you is mathematics. Everything around you is numbers.”
—Anna Claybourne, I Can Be a Math Magician
Dover Publications sent out a new email today with fun coloring and craft samples. And several puzzles from I Can Be a Math Magician: Fun STEM Activities for Kids by Anna Claybourne.
Enjoy!
If you’d like to receive future Dover Sampler emails, you can sign up here.
THE FINE PRINT: I am an Amazon affiliate. If you follow the book link above and buy something, I’ll earn a small commission (at no cost to you).
“In the beginnings of arithmetic and algebra, the main purpose is not to get the pupil making calculations. The main purpose is to get him into the habit of thinking, and to show him that he can think the problems out for himself.
“Pupils ask ‘Am I allowed to do this?’ as if we were playing a game with certain rules.
“A pupil is allowed to write anything that is true, and not allowed to write anything untrue!
“These are the only rules of mathematics.”
—W. W. Sawyer, Vision in Elementary Mathematics
[THE FINE PRINT: I am an Amazon affiliate. If you follow the link and buy something, I’ll earn a small commission (at no cost to you). But this book is a well-known classic, so you should be able to order it through your local library.]
I love this quote so much, I turned it into a printable math activity guide. I hope it helps inspire your students to deeper mathematical thinking.
Here’s the product description…
Join the Math Rebellion: Creative Problem-Solving Tips for Adventurous Students
Take your stand against boring, routine homework.
Fight for truth, justice, and the unexpected answer.
Join the Math Rebellion will show you how to turn any math worksheet into a celebration of intellectual freedom and creative problem-solving.
Help your students practice thinking for themselves as they follow the Two Rules of the Math Rebellion: “A pupil is allowed to write anything that is true, and not allowed to write anything untrue! These are the only rules of mathematics.”
Denise Gaskins' Let's Play Math 