Sue VanHattum and I were chatting about her young adult math books.
[Sue would love to get your help with beta-reading her books. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for details.]
In the first book of the series, Althea and the Mystery of the Imaginary Numbers, Althea learns that Tartaglia came up with a formula to solve cubic equations and wrote about it in a poem.
Sue had discovered an English translation of that poem and shared it with me. (You can read it on JoAnne Growney’s blog.) Then we wondered whether we could come up with a simpler poem, something an algebra student might be able to follow.
Perhaps you and your kids would enjoy making up poems, too. An algebra proof-poem might be too difficult for now, but check out my blog for math poetry ideas.
In this 4-video series, Tanton presents five key principles for brilliant mathematical thinking, along with loads and loads of examples to explain what he means by each of them. A call for parents and teachers to be mindful of the life thinking we should foster, encourage, promote, embrace and reward — even in a math class!
Essays and videos showing how to approach math puzzles in a way that a) is relevant and connected to the curriculum, and b) revels in deep, joyous, mulling and flailing, reflection, intellectual play and extension, insight, and grand mathematical delight.
Here are some essays illustrating astounding tidbits of mathematical delight. And here are some purely visual puzzles to surprise.
Denise Gaskins' Let's Play Math 