Math Humor

At the beginning of the year, we talked about ways to interject fun.

Humor is always an easy way to do this.

Today we solved a proportion problem on a mole.

One student solved the problem using the multiplier method instead of cross products.

Which prompted another student to announce that she had use "mole"tipliers!

Lol!

City of Angles

Angles are found everywhere. 

All we have to do is look for them.

This last week, we found the missing angles made in 

     Stained glass windows,

           A patio deck, 

                   A stairway rail,

                             And streets.

Students put their vocabulary to work to create their own city of angles...

Complete with well known landmarks such as Target, McDonalds, a fire place, etc.

Check out some of the projects!

Supplementary, Vertical, Corresponding...OH MY!

Angles.  Angles.  Angles.
The 8th graders have been working on identifying and using the angle properties.
Corresponding Angles.
                 Supplementary Angles.
                                  Vertical Angles.
                                             Alternate Interior Angles.
                                                         Alternate Exterior Angles.

Today, to end the unit, we used our skills to solve real world type problems.
Angles created by 8 streets.
Angles created in construction projects.
The angles in a stained glass window.
Or the challenging problem...angles in a patio deck.

Students were moving their thinking together as they problem-solved their way through each missing angle.  

Swimming Circles

In class today we talked about the options we have when we don't know how to solve a problem.
Copying them from a friend gets the answer on paper but it doesn't move our thinking.
In fact, no thinking is even involved!
When I asked what happens to a student who chooses this method,
I loved the answer I got in one class...
"They just keep swimming in circles".  (in reference to my goldfish jumping out of their bowl).

It's frustrating to just keep swimming in circles.
Not to mention BORING!
It's better to ask questions and become an active participant in the learning process.
Yes, it takes time.
Yes, it takes focus to be in the moment.
Yes, it takes a positive attitude instead of jumping on board of the "I-Don't-Get-This" bandwagon.

The rewards of moving our thinking are much more beneficial than just swimming in circles.
You get to see new things!
You get to experience the exhilaration of understanding something and then applying it!
You get to help others.
You get good grades.
You increase your self esteem.
You have just helped yourself to maybe get the next concept a little easier.

This year let's "swim" to move our thinking.
It can get quite dull if we just stay in the same fish bowl all year long!

My Snips Aren't Working!

The "snipped" addresses for my online binders were working last week.
This weekend they quit working for reasons unbeknownst to me!

Sooooo....

I have linked the long, hard-to-communicate web address to the binder in the Online Textbook tab in this blog.

I apologize for this little glitch on a weekend when homework was due!

Here is the actual address if you would like to bookmark it, put it on your iPod/iPad's home screen, or if you get bored and need to memorize something.  :)

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=454048&backurl=/shelf/my