Natural Math In a Math 2.0 email group conversation about screencasting and tools like vZome, Brad Hansen-Smith of WholeMovement posed this question: Can you explain how using this virtual zome tool will give students a better understanding of polyhedra than actually building it from scratch for themselves? I have the same question about any virtual experience when compared to actual experience of doing something. Here was my reply: It is better to have both experiences. 1. 2. Step review works wonders with sharing. 3. The word “easy” here is the difference between thousands and millions doing the three activities I described above. I posed the same question to Katherine, my daughter, who added two items to the list: In virtual constructions, you can see infinity. I am adding another key item that came to mind: modularity.
Workboxes: Math At a conference last fall, I heard Kim Sutton mention something about using Zoo Pal Paper Plates to show parts and whole in math. She briefly described putting the parts in the ears and then showing the whole in the larger plate area. I couldn't find the zoo plates locally (Amazon link is below), but decided to try it with a plastic plate from a local one buck store. I've used this a couple different ways to explore the part-whole relationship in addition with my 5yo... With Dice: He tossed one die into each of the smaller compartments and put that many items (I used centimeter cubes) in each dish. With Pre-Written Number Sentences & Penguin Pieces: I wrote several number sentences. This could easily be replicated at home or school. Disclaimer: If you order from Amazon links on love2learn2day, all commissions go toward foster care through Grace and Hope at no additional cost to you.
Math Fiction Math Fiction – All Ages Suitability comments on Main Reader Page ► = Our family's favorites Y = for the youngest kidsTo print, click on the printer icon at the bottom of the list The Dot and the Line, A Romance in Lower Mathematics z, Juster, Norton (VERY enjoyable and beautifully illustrated short story for young adults, author of Phantom Tollbooth) Uncle Petros & Goldbach's Conjecture x The Parrot's Theorem - accessible to HS x See comments at LMF posting about this book Flatland by Edward Abbott Conned Again, Watson z Bruce, Colin 2001 Sherlock Holmes style logic and math stories, up to date The Planiverse z Dewdney, A.K. 1984 Computer contact with a 2D world (modern version of Flatland) computer sci/fi theme, for upper middle school on up sci fi theme The Mathematical Magpie, Clifton Fadiman Fantasia Mathematica z Fadiman, Clifton, reprint of 1950's classic mathematical anthology Sylvie and Bruno Concluded by Lewis Carroll The Mathematical Tourist, Peterson, Ivan 1998 Math in nature, life