Homework Success Network

Chocolate Math --don't worry, It's fun!

This takes less than a minute…Here goes:

Don't tell me your age - you probably would tell a falsehood anyway
- but the Hershey Man will know your age by Chocolate Math.

Work this out as you read.

DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!

This is not one of those waste-of-time things, it's fun.

1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (more than once but less than 10).

2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold).

3.  Add 5

4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator.

5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1759… If you haven't, add 1758.

6. Now subtract the four digit year in which you were born.

 You should have a three digit number:   ___  ___  ___  

 The first digit of this was your original number (i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week).

The next two numbers are… YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it IS!!!!!)

THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2009) IT WILL EVER WORK,  SO SPREAD IT AROUND WHILE IT LASTS.

Now….how does it work?

Looking for a summer "science project"?

When school is out (and I know I'm jumping the gun a little), kids may believe they are taking a vacation from "learning", too.  This notion suggests that learning is boring or  even "homework" to be avoided.  This year, you might think about trying a new tradition to change your kids' attitude to learning is fun--especially if you disguise the learning projects as family entertainment.  

 For example, SteveSpanglerScience.com offers lots of projects that your family can learn from and they're FUN, too!!!! In particular, this summer you might combine gardening with science using "water jelly crystals".  These non-toxic crystals absorb up to 150-300 times their weight in water.  They start out dry and look like big chunk salt.  But when you add water, they get REALLY interesting!  They swell and feel squishy.  And, when you put the squishy  jelly droplets in the garden or in flower pots, they hold on to the water and time-release it.  It's Science; It's Ecology; It's Environmental; and it's FUN!

For more information and a dandy video describing the crystals, visit SteveSpanglerScience.com .  You'll see the science project in action and be able to order some crystals for your own at-home summer science project.  Squish!

Takes or Mis-takes--the art of successful Test Taking

  "Stop making Stupid Mistakes" by Richard Rusczyk is just one of the articles available at www.ArtofProblemSolving.com . He suggests techniques that seem obvious, but not using them often gets students in trouble.  Even if a student knows how to do the math problem, lack of organization or clarity can easily cause a mistaken answer that could have been easily prevented. Here's a quick synopsis:
1) Read the question--this should be easy.  But often a student will complicate the question with expectations and assume a fact or circumstance that really isn't there. 
2) Write clearly--so you can easily read your own notes and math processes.  In the hurry of the moment, chicken scratches can be misinterpreted and an error in calculation can cause a missed answer. Boo!
3) Organize your work--if your scratch paper is congested with confusing formulas and numbers, it may be difficult to find where you were in the problem-solving process.  An organized scratch paper can help you return to the problem and confirm your accuracy or your errors...keep it neat!
4) Be aware of your time--budget your time so that you won't spend too much time on one answer and miss the opportunity to answer others that may be easy for you. 

For more details (and some useful graphic examples), read the rest of the article at   "Stop Making Stupid Mistakes"      And while you're there, look at some of the other really helpful resource information and articles.  GREAT SITE!

Parents get math help for kids

How many schools are teaching Math to Parents?  Not many, I'd bet.  But in Tuscon, parents can attend workshops that help them help their kids…by reframing math and how to teach it. 

 

According to an article at www.azstarnet.com www.azstarnet.com:  "School improvement coach and workshop leader Phyllis Burks told 10 participants in the third workshop of the year that teaching math isn't about filling out worksheets."  She goes on to suggest that: "Kids learn better through visualization."  And she demonstrates parent's movements that could be incorporated into  math discussions.

 

For example: "When they talk about addition, and the concept of putting things together, they should make sweeping, gathering movements with their arms, she said. They could make a breast-stroke motion, for example, to show taking things away when discussing subtraction."

 

Burks coaches: "Help them see what we're doing and see the operation."  To read the rest of the article, visit "Parents get math help for kids". 

 

Parents influence children's success in mathematics

A recent article in the Lansing State Journal starts out: "Mathematics looks different today from how it looked several generations ago. Ask any parent who has spent time in the classroom and glanced at an Algebra textbook, "Application, Communication, and Extension" (A.C.E.) problem, tried to help with a "Reflection" or any other math homework. The sequencing of math concepts, approaches to teaching, and even math vocabulary have all changed. What has not changed for students are periodic lapses in their progress."

What parent doesn't feel a bit daunted by the New "new math"?  Charles Dumas (the article's author) continues with some specifics about how you can help your child succeed even if you don't actually know what the math concepts are and if you feel unprepared to act as a tutor. 

To read the rest of the article click on Success in Mathematics.  After all, when the goin' gets tough, the wise parent goes to get more information.

Math is Everywhere--Check out what you eat

Lots of kids don't think Math is useful in general everyday situations.  I beg to differ-- the link listed below lands you on a site that talks about health, exercise and nutrition in practical terms everyone can learn from...and it's full of "math".  When you cruise the site, you might think to print out some of the "papers" so that you and your children can super-spy where the Math is hiding.  Specifically, the following link provides a look into portion sizes:   http://www.kidnetic.com/BrightPapers/?c=Food&p=48  It might make it easier to sense size, volume and value of common foods we eat. 

Although you may not always be tuned in yourself to the many events and information opportunities you have every day, you might try to be on the look-out so you can include "Math" in your day-to-day conversations with your kids.  How about these ideas?:

• Read the labels (How big is a "serving" really?  Get out a measuring cup and visualize);

• Get out the measuring tape and scale --how tall are you compared to your weight (how many pounds does one inch of you weigh?);

• Without using a calculator, guess how much will two tickets to the movies cost (add a child's and an adult's ticket amount to find out exactly);

• Calculate time--how many minutes do you have to get ready for school (subtract the time wake up from the time you need to be out the door);

• Create evidence--how many hours do you spend on homework each week (keep a chart and add up the evidence at the end of each week). 

• What else can you measure, calculate, compare?...before you know it, you're doin' the math!

The more Math becomes relevant and useful in everyday life, the more your child is likely to appreciate learning about math, math problems and ferreting out the answer to story problems.  Life is a story problem--it's handy to be able to do-the-math.