Grade 6-8: Trigonometric Sine Function

Visualization of the trigonometric sine function

Grade 1-3: Addition or Subtraction Jump Rope (Skipping)

Skipping rope is not only a healthy exercise,  it is a great tool to make learning fun.

Materials Needed: 
Jump rope
flash cards (optional)
Two people: one to skip rope and the other to call out the equation

This activity enables students to practice addition and subtraction by creating simple math equations. 

Person 1: Will create a math equation and say it out loud without stating the answer. For example 1+1=
Person 2: Will skip the answer by repeating the equation and then solving the problem. For example 1+1=2.

The same can be done for subtraction, but instead have the Person 2 (skipping) jump backwards during the subtraction. 
Person 1: 2-1=
Person 2: Skips twice forward, stops, skips one back. 2-1=1

Grade 6-8: The Fibonacci's Sequence

The Fibonacci's Sequence is a series of numbers in which each number ( Fibonacci number ) is the sum of the two preceding numbers. 
The simplest is the series 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, etc. The next number is found by adding up the two numbers before it.

1. • The 2 is determined by adding the two numbers before it (1+1)
   • Similarly, the 3 is determined by adding the two numbers before it (1+2),
   • And the 5 is (2+3),
   • and so on!

   (The Fibonacci sequence is defined by the property that each number in the sequence is the sum of the previous two numbers; to get started, the first two numbers must be specified, and these are usually taken to be 1 and 1. In mathematical notation, if the sequence is written  then the defining relationship is

with starting conditions .)

Grade 3-8: Converting to the Metric System

Metric Fun Facts!

Did you know?
• The Metric System is official known as Le Système International d'Unités, or the International System of Units, it's more simply known the world over by its abbreviated name, the SI.

• In the 1790s and during the Revolution in France that the French devised the primitive basis for the modern metric base-10 system.

• The meter was originally 1/10,000,000 the distance from the North Pole to the Equator, through Paris Francel. 
• a gram is the weight of one cubic centimeter of water, which makes 1 liter of water weighs 1 kilogram
• metric units are all all multiples of ten

• More than one type of ton? Yes!
A short ton is equal to 2,000 pounds or about 907 kilograms. 
A long ton is equal to 2,240 pounds, or about 1,016 kilograms. 
A metric ton, which is assigned the official symbol "t" in the International System of Units, is equal to 1,000 kilograms, or about 2,204 pounds which is also 1 megagram -- denoted by the symbol Mg.

The Metric System is Case Sensitive: What?
mm = milimeter
Mm= megameter

The basic metric units are: 
meters (for length)
grams (for mass or weight)
liters (for volume)

The different units convert into one another: 
one milliliter = one cubic centimeter 
one gram = the weight of one cc of water. 

Grade 3-5: Cooking with Math

Baking to learn measurements is an easy, fun way of teaching math to children.  Plus you get to eat the end result. Since not everyone is a chef, but everyone has to eat, cooking is a great way to involve math and eating together!

Below is a simple recipe to make Rice Krispies squares. Choose a different recipe and let you child explore various measurements. Double the recipe and have the child calculate the new measurements.
Most of all, Have fun!

Recipe: Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats (12 servings)
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons butter
1 package (10 oz., about 40) marshmallows
or 4 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows
6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal

DIRECTIONS

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. 2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.
3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.
MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:
In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Follow steps 2 and 3 above. Microwave cooking times may vary.

The ratio of ingredients is important because if you put in too much or one ingredient and not enough of another, the finished product will not be consistent and most likely won't taste good.

Math Games: Fractals

According to Merriam Webster, a fractal is a curve or geometric figure, each part of which has the same statistical character as the whole. Fractals are useful in modeling structures (such as eroded coastlines or snowflakes) in which similar patterns recur at progressively smaller scales, and in describing partly random or chaotic phenomena such as crystal growth, fluid turbulence, and galaxy formation.

The term fractal was coined by Benoit Mandelbrot in 1975 in his book Fractals: Form, Chance, and Dimension.

In 1979, while studying the Julia set, Mandelbrot discovered what is now called the Mandelbrot set and inspired a generation of mathematicians and computer programmers in the study of fractals and fractal geometry.

Fractals involve numbers and equations, like other mathematician ideas. The difference is that fractals can be used to generate complex, beautiful images. 

Here is a gallery of computer-generated fractals. 

Math Games: Elementary Math Scavenger Hunt

© Diane Chase, www.AdirondackFamilyTime.com

Get ready for summer with a math scavenger hunt. Combine nature with math! 

Counting: 

Can your child find 1 leaf, 2 dandelions, 3 flowering trees, 4 birds, and 5 pebbles? 

How many flowers does he or she see? 

What other things is your child observing? 

Pick a bouquet of flowers and count how many flowers of each color,  add them together. 

How many petals are on a particular flower? 

Math Cartoon

Math Tips 5¢

(credited to Blair)

Pythagorean Theorem

Here’s the Pythagorean theorem demonstrated visibly

a² + b² = c²

Why Choose A Math-Related Profession?

According to the University of California, Davis 

Why Choose a Mathematics-Related Profession ?

Mathematics teaches patience, discipline, and step-by-step problem-solving skills. For those with a substantial background in mathematics, an unlimited number of career opportunuities are available. According to a 1990 publication of World Almanac Books of New York, NY, careers that require a very strong background in mathematics were listed as the five "best" jobs. They were :
software
 engineer
actuary
computer systems analyst
computer programmer
mathematician

Almost all of the top fifty jobs in this "best" jobs list involved mathematical reasoning and knowledge. This list was the result of the comparison of two hundred fifty jobs classified according to :
income
future outlook
physical demands
job security
stress
work environment

Read more

Math Quotes

"But mathematics is the sister, as well as the servant, of the arts and is touched by the same madness and genius."

~ Marston Morse (American mathematician 1892-1977)

Math Career