Hooray! The MathCounts Mini videos are back. September’s edition is all about translating word problems into algebra:
You can practice turning words into math with these MathCounts Problems of the Week.
Square One TV: The Mathematics of Love
The Engineer was away on a business trip, and Kitten and I were in the mood to veg out on YouTube, so I hunted for some golden oldies. We used to watch Square One TV faithfully, back when my eldest was in first grade. I can’t believe they haven’t released this show on DVD!
We found recordings of my two favorite songs (“Nine, Nine, Nine” and “8% of My Love”), but the picture quality was horrible. This video was the runner-up:
Elementary Arithmetic
My car makes a loud, scary, grinding noise, and of course the repair shop is closed until Tuesday — so instead of visiting relatives for the holiday weekend, I get a quiet “writer’s retreat” at home.
If you’re stuck at home, too, perhaps you’ll enjoy this bit of fun…
Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef
Wow! And to think, I was proud of myself for finishing a crochet afghan. Once.
For More Details
Try It Yourself
Chain several. Leave straight to work in rows, or connect into a loop. Single crochet until your patience runs out, increasing every nth stitch (add an extra sc in the same place). Experiment with different colors and patterns. This pdf will give you more ideas.
The more frequently you increase, the frillier your hyperbolic plane will be, while a less-frequent increase makes it easier for students to see the structure. Daina Taimina recommends a 12:13 ratio (increase after every 12th stitch) for classroom use.
Hat tip: 2010 MAA Found Math Gallery, Week 45, and authentic arts by jenny hoople for the pdf.
The Weird Number
A bit of number fun to start your week off right:
And speaking of those “scary” numbers out in the forest… Monday is Pi Day!
Have some irrational fun with these posts:
[Hat tip: Julie mentioned this video on the Living Math Forum.]
Having Fun with Math
Here’s another math blog for your RSS reader: Math 4 Love. Kitten laughed out loud at their One-Minute Math Video.
The Problem with Manipulatives
You may have seen this video making the edu-blog rounds:
Be My (Math) Valentine
Just as I was looking for a creative Valentine’s craft for Kitten, this showed up in my inbox:
Xi at 360 provides step-by-step instructions, with photos:
And for more Valentine’s Day fun:
Days of Christmas with Vi Hart
If you haven’t subscribed to Vi Hart’s blog yet, what are you waiting for?
Denise Gaskins' Let's Play Math 