Warm-up

 If there are 39 skittles in a two ounce package, how many skittles are in a two pound bag?

Warm-up

If one recipe of clam chowder requires 2.5 pounds of clams and there are 14 clams in a pound, how many clams will you need?

The Importance Of Math To Brain Development.

It is well known that math has a lot to do with encouraging specific aspects of brain development.  In addition, math and brain development are closely related so when students learn math, their cognitive processes are being engaged and brain development is stimulated in a variety of ways.

In addition, many of these skills they learn that develop their brains, can also be applied in real life.  Skills from problem solving skills, recognizing patterns, and so much more. 

First, when students learn and practicer mathematics, they are strengthening neural connections within the brain. As students engage in mathematical activities such as solving problems, manipulating numbers, new connections are formed between the brain cells thus enhancing brain development. This also helps with the neuroplasticity of the brain causing it to strengthen its ability to learn and problem solve.

In addition, mathematics requires students to practice critical thinking, logical reasoning, and problem solving skills.  When students regularly participate certain types of mathematical activities, they develop these cognitive abilities which benefit them in other parts of their lives.

Furthermore, math often has students using spatial relationships, practicing visualization of objects and manipulating geometric shapes in both 2D and 3D. Using these skills in math helps student develop the brain functions associated with visualization and spacial perception and their use in other areas.

Mathematics also helps students develop their memory and recall because students are expected to memorize multiplication tables, memorizing and recalling formulas, concepts, and processes.  This helps students strengthen their memories while improving the brains ability to retrieve information to be used in both in and out of school. 

Problem solving in mathematics has students breaking down complex situations into smaller easy to do steps and finding Stratagies to solve these situations. The analytical skills learned in this situation contributes to higher order cognitive skills.  The same skills used in math to identify patterns and relationships help the brains ability to recognize patterns in the real world.

Finally, math has students planning tasks, organize information, and manage time, all skills that are needed in other jobs and in life.  The brain practices using these tasks and is able to transfer the same skills to projects in real life.  So anytime your students ask why learn math, you can answer this by talking about how it benefits them and their brain.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

Using Sticky Notes In Math Classes.

 

I am a strong proponent of using sticky notes in math classes because they are a great way to give students the ability a physical way to work with both math problems, and concepts.  I usually prefer the physical ones but one could also use digital sticky notes for problems being collaborated on. 

One can write the equations being used on a sticky note and placed in the corner of the desk for quick reference.  With it right on the corner, the student doesn't have to have their notebook out.  There are graph based sticky notes that could be used for graphing equations in notebooks or placed on the desk for reference but these graphs can be created on regular sticky notes.  One can also place coordinate graphs or number lines on sticky notes.  

One can also use multiple sticky notes to create equations using different colored notes for variables, constants, or even operations so students can see what is going on.  Then they can use sticky notes to show the steps and using different colors allows students to see which one can be combined as they are the same color.  Another way is to write the equation and each step needed to solve the equation on a separate note so students can see the order.   In addition, the steps can be listed on the notes so the student can write solve the problems using the steps to the side.  They can also mix these notes up and then place them in order as a way of practicing.

Furthermore, sticky notes allow students to move things around, place like terms together, same sign terms , match up opposite signs for terms that equal zero, solving systems of equations, finding points on a coordinate plane, and so much more.  Sticky notes also help students organize various problem solving strategies. The notes also allow students to break complex problems down into smaller more manageable steps.  Sticky notes are perfect for doing substitution or substitution in calculus or trig. 

Sticky notes also allow you to find the key information in word problems and separate it out so they are not distracted the problem itself. It makes it easier for many students if they only have the important information available to solve word problems.   

In addition, sticky notes can be used as reminders.  These reminders might be about where common errors occur, not to forget certain things, or the exception such as when you divide by zero, you get undefined. Finally, sticky notes can be used to define mathematical vocabulary, create flashcards for concepts, formulas, or vocabulary.  So many ways to use sticky notes.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

Music + Math = Higher Scores

 

You have the kid who tells you they can't work unless they are listening to music.  I have a few who insist on listening to music but it seems as if they often spend more time looking for the "right" tune than they spend doing work. Well that might be true. A scientist looked through 55 studies involving 78,000 students conducted over the last 50 years to see what combining math with music does. She also searched various academic databases on the same topic.

There were three type of musical intervention mentioned in this analysis.  The first were standard music lessons where students listen to, compose, or sing.  The second is instrumental where students learn to play one or more instruments either as part of a band or individually. The last is when music is integrated into the math lesson.

As far as general methodologies, tests were given to students at the beginning of the intervention and again at the end and then the gain in test scores were compared to students who did not participate in the intervention. When music was included as part of the math lesson or as separate lessons, scores increased over time.  In fact, 73% of the students who had lessons that integrated music and math improved significantly as compared with those who had none.  

In addition, 55% of the students who had music lessons improved while 68% of the students who learned to play a musical instrument improved over the students who didn't do either. Furthermore, the results indicate that music has a bigger impact on elementary students who are learning basic concepts or learning arithmetic. This may be because certain core concepts such as fractions and ratios are common to both music and math.

Math and music also have much in common such as abstract thought, quantitive reasoning, and using symbols symmetrically. Integrating music into math may be so effective because this type of lesson allows students to establish a connection between math and music while providing opportunities to explore, interpret, and understand math.  Since these lessons may be more fun,. students experience less math anxiety. 

Unfortunately, the author of this analysis was unable to look at how factors such as gender, socio-economic status, and length that music was studied effected everything. So learning to play an instrument and having general music lessons helped improve overall test scores, integrating music into math lessons had the biggest effect.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

warm-up

 If there are 6 mangosteen in one pound of fruit and it a pound costs $25.00, how much did you spend to buy 182 pieces of fruit?

Warmup

 If an average umbrella has a diameter of 40 inches, approximately how wide is the street in feet?