Math Untangled at the Franklin Pumpkin Heave. After much tweaking, our trebuchet hurled a gourd 119 feet!
Math Untangled
Making math fun! * Math Untangled is owned, operated and presented by NY Certified math teacher Tyler Chase.
Math Untangled
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Saranac Lake Math Count™ Video Makes it to Final Four
Click here to view the Algebra Basketball video |
The video first went through a public vote and stayed within the top 100 videos. The second round was provided by judges that now advanced the team to the semi finals. The final voting will take place in Boston during the MathCounts™
The MathCounts team will present their video in Boston during the National Competition in May.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Calculator fun
Calculator
fun.
Calculators are no substitution for knowing your facts, but
sometimes they can be used to make some fun mathematical discoveries.
For grades 1-3
Try multiplying any number by 10. What do you notice? Now try multiplying by 100. Now 1000.
Think you could do it without a calculator now?
Grades 4-5
Same as the younger kids, try multiplying any number by 10
then 100 then 1000. Seems pretty simple
doesn’t it. You might not need a
calculator. Before you make up a rule
though, try multiplying a number like 4.7 by 10, then 100 then 1000. Now try 2.587.
Once you feel that you can come up with a rule, try dividing
by 10, then 100, then 1000. Can you
figure a rule out for that?
Grades 6-8
Alright, get out you calculator but also paper and
pencil. I’ve got two tricks you might
find pretty cool.
Start with a two digit number, like 35 and multiply it by
11. When you get the answer write it
down making the middle number a different color. Try this several times. You should start to see a neat pattern
forming making it easy to multiply any two digit number by 11 without a
calculator.
Now check this out.
Take any two digit number ending in 5, like 45. Square it (multiply it by itself.) Write down your answer. Do this again several times. What do you notice? It might take a little while and you may need
to ask your parents for some help, but a real nice pattern is there.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Math Circle Fun
Circle Fun
Grades 1-3
You'll need a ruler for this. Near the center of a piece of paper make a dot. Now, measure a distance in any direction from that dot and make another dot. Do this again measuring the same distance from the original dot now in a different direction. Keep going back to the same dot and measuring the same distance only in different directions. When you've done this many times, say at least 10, connect the outer dots. What if you did this a million times? What do you think it would form?
Grades 4- 5
Cut a regular piece of paper into strips 3 inches wide. Roll them up to make 3-inch long tubes less than 2 inches in diameter. Now, using another piece of paper, Using either a compass or simply a piece of string, make a circle with radius 1 inch, then 2 inches, then 3 inches and so on. Cut the circles out to form disks. Between each disk place a tube and see how high you can build a tower.
Grades 6-8
Using a sewing tape measure, find a something circular in the house. Measure the distance around the circle. Now measure the distance across at its widest point (diameter.) Next take the distance around (this is the circumference) and divide by the diameter. Record your answer. Repeat with other circular objects recording your answer each time. Do you notice something happening? Anything familiar?
Grades 1-3
You'll need a ruler for this. Near the center of a piece of paper make a dot. Now, measure a distance in any direction from that dot and make another dot. Do this again measuring the same distance from the original dot now in a different direction. Keep going back to the same dot and measuring the same distance only in different directions. When you've done this many times, say at least 10, connect the outer dots. What if you did this a million times? What do you think it would form?
Grades 4- 5
Cut a regular piece of paper into strips 3 inches wide. Roll them up to make 3-inch long tubes less than 2 inches in diameter. Now, using another piece of paper, Using either a compass or simply a piece of string, make a circle with radius 1 inch, then 2 inches, then 3 inches and so on. Cut the circles out to form disks. Between each disk place a tube and see how high you can build a tower.
Grades 6-8
Using a sewing tape measure, find a something circular in the house. Measure the distance around the circle. Now measure the distance across at its widest point (diameter.) Next take the distance around (this is the circumference) and divide by the diameter. Record your answer. Repeat with other circular objects recording your answer each time. Do you notice something happening? Anything familiar?
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Junk Mail and Mail?
Grades 1-3
Count how many pieces of junk mail make it to the recycling
bin each day. Compare the number of
pieces of junk mail to other mail. Make
a big comparison at the end of the week.
Grades 4-5
Junk mail can be pretty heavy. Keep track of the junk mail that ends up in
the recycle bin in your house. At the
end of the week, hold it all while you stand on a bathroom scale. Then weigh yourself and subtract. This is how much weight your family recycled
in junk mail this week. Multiply by 52
and you’ll have an idea of how much junk mail comes to your house every
year.
Grades 6-8
Does one day of the week generate more junk mail than the
others? Try setting up a simple line graph
for a couple of weeks. Record the number
of pieces that your family receives each day.
Make a prediction for the third week and see what happens.
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