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Morning Coffee – 17 September 2019

Posted on by Denise Gaskins

Morning Coffee image

One of the best ways to help our children learn math (or anything else) is to always be learning ourselves.

Here are a few stories to read with your Tuesday morning coffee:

  • David Wees discusses ways to use visual patterns to introduce and extend students’ understanding of algebra and functions.

“What we should all be shooting for is a world where everyone is mathematically literate, and where fear or anxiety around mathematics doesn’t prevent people from doing the things they dream of doing. Everyone should see some beautiful mathematical ideas and know what it feels like.”

—Dan Finkel
What we mean when we say “Anyone can do math”

CREDITS: Feature photo (top) by Kira auf der Heide via Unsplash. “Morning Coffee” post format inspired by Nate Hoffelder at The Digital Reader.

A Puzzle for Palindromes

Posted on by Denise Gaskins

If you haven’t seen the meme going around, this is a palindrome week because the dates (written American style and with the year shortened to ’19) are the same when reversed.

Here’s a math puzzle for palindrome week — or any time you want to play with math:

  • Print a 100 chart.
  • Choose a color code.
  • Play!

What do you think: Will all numbers eventually turn into palindromes?

Links

You can find all sorts of hundred charts on my Free Math Printable Files page.

Read about the history of palindromes on Nrich Math’s Palindromes page.

Find out more about the Palindromic Number Conjecture in Mark Chubb’s article An Unsolved Problem your Students Should Attempt.

Or play with Manan Shah’s advanced palindromic number questions.

Math That Is Beautiful

Posted on by Denise Gaskins

One of the sections in my book Let’s Play Math: How Families Can Learn Math Together — and Enjoy It encourages parents to make beautiful math with their children.

Do you have trouble believing that math can be beautiful?

In “Inspirations,” artist Cristóbal Vila creates a wonderful, imaginary work studio for the amazing M.C. Escher. You’ll want to view it in full-screen mode.

How many mathematical objects could you identify?

Vila offers a brief explanation of the history and significance of each item on his page Inspirations: A short movie inspired on Escher’s works.

Read about the inspirations, and then try making some math of your own.

“I looked into that enormous and inexhaustible source of inspiration that is Escher and tried to imagine how it could be his workplace, what things would surround an artist like him, so deeply interested in science in general and mathematics in particular. I imagined that these things could be his travel souvenirs, gifts from friends, sources of inspiration…”

—Cristóbal Vila
Inspirations: A short movie inspired on Escher’s works

Playful Math Education Carnival 130

Posted on by Denise Gaskins

Play. Learn. Enjoy!

Welcome to the 130th edition of the Playful Math Education Blog Carnival, a feast of delectable tidbits of mathy fun.

The Playful Math Carnival is like a free online magazine devoted to learning, teaching, and playing around with math. It’s back-to-school time in the U.S., so this month’s edition focuses on establishing a creative math mindset from preschool to high school.

You’re sure to find something that will delight both you and your child.

By tradition, we start the carnival with a puzzle in honor of our 130th edition. But if you would like to jump straight to our featured blog posts, use our handy Table of Contents.

Click here for all the mathy goodness!

Updated Geometric Coloring Designs (Free)

Posted on by Denise Gaskins

I created these coloring pages for my homeschool co-op math kids, and then collected them into a downloadable 42-page PDF coloring book for your family to enjoy.

The booklet includes several ready-to-color designs, a wide assortment of graph paper, advanced create-your-own tessellation pages, and links to all sorts of online math art resources.

But when I posted the link to Twitter, a friend noticed that several of the resource links were broken. (Thanks, Mark!)

While I was fixing those, I added some new links (to the wonderful School of Islamic Geometric Design pattern templates and classroom resources).

So even if you’ve downloaded the file before, you may want to pick up this new-and-improved edition.

Click to Visit My Free Printables Page

More Ways to Play with Math Art

Get Your Weekly KenKen Puzzles for Kids

Posted on by Denise Gaskins

KenKen6x6

KenKen arithmetic puzzles build mental math skills, logical reasoning, persistence, and mathematical confidence.

Free via email every Friday during the school year.

What a great way to prepare your children for success in math!

Sign up anytime:

Click Here for KenKen Classroom Newsletter

How to Play

For easy printing, right-click to open the image above in a new tab.

Place the numbers from 1 to 6 into each row and column. None of the numbers may repeat in any row or column. Within the black “cages,” the numbers must add, subtract, multiply, or divide to give the answer shown.

Find the Sweetness in Math

Posted on by Denise Gaskins

Have you ever tasted the sweetness in math?

Or noticed your child having one of those “Aha” moments?

I’d love to hear your story in the comments!

You can think of puzzles and games as the sugar that helps the medicine to down, and you’re at least a bit healthier in your approach to math. But even better than sugar and nasty medicine is food that’s delicious enough to take away our craving for sugar and nutritious enough to take away any need for medicine. In the same way, good problems can help us fall in love with math and make a delicious meal of it, sinking our teeth into tough problems, tenderized by their intrigue.
…
Most people like games, so that’s an easy place to begin. At first, the games can be the sweetness that helps the math medicine go down. Over time perhaps you can find the sweetness in the math itself — in a problem that inspires you to work and struggle, until you finally get it, just for your own satisfaction.

— Sue VanHattum
“Parents and Kids Together: Learning in Community”
Playing with Math: Stories from Math Circles, Homeschoolers, and Passionate Teachers

CREDITS: “Girl with Bubbles” photo courtesy of Leo Rivas on Unsplash.

New Book: Ying and the Magic Turtle

Posted on by Denise Gaskins

Math your children can enjoy.

That’s the power of living books.

And there’s a new one coming soon, from the wonderful people at Natural Math.

“Long ago in the land of China, there were many rain storms … and the land of China was slowly sinking into the sea. This is the story of how a wise emperor, an observant girl, and a magic turtle saved the villages of China from the great flood.”

So begins the story of Ying and the Magic Turtle.

Children, parents, and teachers can enjoy the book for its rich beauty in mathematics and as an ancient legend.

We can play with the mathematics, too, solving the puzzle of the turtle’s shell right alongside Ying.

And we can delve deeper into the power of magic squares by working with puzzles presented at the end of the story.

Join the Crowdfunding Campaign

For more details about Ying and the Magic Turtle, including a peek at the delightful illustrations, check out the Kickstarter crowdfunding page:

Click here for Ying and the Magic Turtle

Donate to support the ongoing adventure of playful math for children!

Giveaway: Let’s Play Math Sampler

Posted on by Denise Gaskins

Want to help your children learn math?

Teach them to play.

My new Let’s Play Math Sampler: 10 Family-Favorite Games for Learning Math Through Play contains short excerpts from my most popular titles, including a preview of two games from my work-in-progress Prealgebra & Geometry Games.

It’s a great way to get started with playful math!

This week, my publisher Tabletop Academy Press is offering a free copy of the Sampler to TWO lucky winners.
[Winners with a U.S. mailing address will receive both paperback (by U.S. Media Mail) and ebook (by online download) versions of the book. International winners will receive ebooks only.]

How to Enter the Giveaway

The giveaway is over, but I’d still love to hear your “math memory” comments.

  • Share a math memory! Scroll down to leave a comment with something from your school days, a cute thing your child has said, or anything else about learning or playing with math.

Congratulations to our winners: Michael and Caroline. Check your email for details on how to claim your Let’s Play Math Sampler books.

Playing with Math @ Math Hombre Blog

Posted on by Denise Gaskins

Check out the latest carnival of playful math for all ages:

John put together this carnival of mathematical fun with numbers and shapes, math art, creative wordplay, games, a calculus beach towel, tips on using play to heal a broken relationship with math, and more — even Shakespeare!

Each monthly Playful Math Education Blog Carnival brings you a great new collection of puzzles, math conversations, crafts, teaching tips, and all sorts of mathy fun.

It’s like a free online magazine of mathematical adventures, helpful and inspiring no matter when you read them. Enjoy!

Click Here to Read the Carnival Blog

Want to Join in the Fun?

Do you have a favorite blog post about math activities, games, lessons, or hands-on fun? The Playful Math Blog Carnival would love to feature your article!

We welcome math topics from preschool through the first year of calculus. Old posts are welcome, as long as they haven’t been published in past editions of this carnival.

To submit a blog article for consideration, fill out this form:

Click Here to Share Your Post

Have you noticed a new math blogger on your block that you’d like to introduce to the rest of us? Feel free to submit another blogger’s post in addition to your own. Beginning bloggers are often shy about sharing, but like all of us, they love finding new readers.

CREDITS: “Bubbles of light” photo (top) by Ignat Kushanrev and “Flamingo” photo by Vicko Mozara on Unsplash.