 Maria's Math News, November 2014 |
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Hello!
This time we'll look into math anxiety, "matheMAGIC", and Fibonacci numbers! 
2. Math anxiety and how to prevent it (grades 1-12) 3. Mathemagic with Arthur Benjamin (video) (grades 3-12) 4. Worksheets in PDF format (grades 3-7) 5. Lesson on Fibonacci numbers (grades 4-8) 6. Perennial Math competition (grades 3-8) ~Maria |
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1. Math Mammoth news
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2. Math anxiety and how to prevent itUpdated!7 Reasons behind Math Anxiety and How to Prevent It This article lists some of the major factors that contribute to math anxiety in students and gives helpful ideas for teachers to motivate children to study math and to prevent math anxiety. Including:
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3. Mathemagic with Arthur Benjamin (video)This is a pretty amazing performance of "mathemagic" — calculating things in one's head by Arthur Benjamin. He not only can calculate but also ENTERTAIN, so this video is sure to captivate you! I enjoyed it a lot, and my children watched it multiple times in a row.
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4. Worksheets in PDF format
The pages also include lots of ready-made PDF worksheets. Enjoy! |
5. A lesson on Fibonacci numbersHave you ever heard about the Fibonacci numbers and the Golden ratio? A tiling that uses squares whose side lengths are successive Fibonacci numbers. Ask students to continue it! Image from Wikipedia. Here's a lesson I just wrote about them: Fibonacci numbers and the golden section – lesson for middle and high school students You might ask, "Should our children or students even learn about Fibonacci numbers or the golden ratio?" True, they aren't any standard fare in math books. However, I feel that yes, students should know about them. I think it's important that our young people learn a few math topics that show how MATH appears in NATURE. You could even call it "MATH APPRECIATION". Children study "art appreciation" so they can appreciate human works of art. Shouldn't we also appreciate the "artworks" in nature, such as flower petals and seed heads? And, once you understand a little bit about the math behind them, you will appreciate them even more. Check it out here! |
6. Perennial Math competitionI got a message from Sylvia at Perennial Math - they hold an online math competition that runs from November through February. Here are the details of the competition in a nutshell:
Personally, I heartily recommend giving students challenging problems to solve. While you should use problems from various sources, a math competition can be a part of that and some students really like competitions. Sign up online at www.perennialmath.com |
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That's it for this newsletter! If you liked something in it, share it! Simply forward the email to your friend/colleague. Subscribe here. Till next time, Maria Miller |
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