M4WS Home Assignments to be Watched Before the Next Class
ASSIGNMENT FOR APRIL 27
orry for the delayed post. I was having trouble with the website a few days ago.
This week is our last week. I have had a great time working with you all this year! Even though participation was sometimes spotty, I can honestly say all of you have impressed me at some point throughout the year. You have all been really attentive in class and working hard, so as promised, there will be PIZZA form Little Caesars this week for our last class. Bring your own drink and/or alternate food if you'd like. Weather permitting, we will eat outside while we complete our string art projects.
Thank you for an incredible year!
Jennifer Castro
ASSIGNMENT FOR APRIL 20
We've been discussing plotting points and lines on a Cartesian Coordinate System. Here are a few links for you watch on them:
I'm enjoying looking at your assignments from last week. You all are really doing well! I hope to get to the string art this coming week, until then here are a few links to help you solidify your understanding of the graphing we have been doing in class.
Plotting Points and Numbering Quadrants. This video goes over important vocabulary as well as the numbering of the quadrants. Something we haven't talked about in class.
Plotting lines. It a tutorial going over how to plot lines. We didn't talk much about finding the x-intercept in class, this link shows you this method. Make sure read all four pages.
Rise over Run. This is an explanation of slop as we were using it in class. Make sure you click through all the pages here too.
A game for learning more vocabulary about lines.
ASSIGNMENT FOR APRIL 13
My apologies for the late post. This week is a repeat of last week.
We talked about string art last week. Here is a mesmerizing video to watch.
ASSIGNMENT FOR April 6
This week we are doing a challenge. Each student needs to create their own mystery picture using coordinate pairs on a coordinate plane.Here is what to do:
1. Each coordinate plane should go from -10 to 10 on both the x-axis and y-axis. This will result in a square 20 X 20.
2. Draw out a picture using at least 20 coordinate pairs with straight lines connecting them. My picture we used last week had about 100, so 20 should be easy to do.
3. Each point on the picture is labels by its x coordinate first and then the y grouped in parenthesis and separated by a comma: (x,y)
4. Create a column of coordinate pairs for all the points on a continuous line. When you reach the end of the line and need to take your pencil up, Write STOP.
5. Here is an example of one so you can see how it was done: Fox Face
6. I will choose three for us to do outside, weather permitting.
7. To be chosen the coordinates need to be correct!.
8. We will then divide into teams to see which team can do the best job at reproducing the picture they are given.
ASSIGNMENT FOR MARCH 16: WATCH AND TRY
A video for you all. Hope it inspires you!
Like Games?
How to always win at Dots and Boxes
This coming week we will do more math games.
BONUS!!!!!!! A New Vi Hart rant on pi. Happy Pi Day!
ASSIGNMENT FOR MARCH 9: WATCH AND TRY
A Ted ed talk that is, I'll admit, a bit strange. After watching the videos, click on the other tabs to explore more fractals.
The Case of the Missing Fractals
The Mathematician we will talk about this week:
Benoit Mandelbrot
BONUS:
Someone mentioned the use of math and movies last week. This video shows how mathematics has been shaping your childhood heroes for years! Pun intended! The mathematics involves is actually quite advanced. You will hear terms like limits, and Eigen values. This is from calculus, but don't be afraid, this Pixar animator does a great job of showing you how this math is vital to modern animation.
ASSIGNMENT FOR March 2: WATCH AND TRY
For those of you who want a fun way to develop your mathematical thinking, you may want to take a look at Dragonbox. These games and apps are easy enough for small kids to play, but fun enough that all ages enjoy them. They teach you to think about balancing things in a mathematical way. This helps with balancing equations in chemistry as well as algebra.
Two more mathematicians you should know about.
Andrew Wiles
Florence Nightingale
Videos:
ASSIGNMENT FOR FEBRUARY 23: WATCH AND TRY
Look up one of these mathematicians of history. No written work this week, but you may want to write down some facts to bring to the discussion, No, you really won't remember the details on your own!
Srinivasa Ramanujan
Ada Lovelace
Videos:
I hope you recognize the connection to some of the previous Vi Hart videos in this video about fractals. Try to make your own.
ASSIGNMENT FOR FEBRUARY 16: WATCH AND TRY
SNOW DAY!!!! I hope you all enjoy this snow day very much, but that doesn't mean we get an entire week off!
This Coming Week:
- Valentines! We will still be handing out our valentines even if it is after the Holiday. Please bring valentines so that we all have a fun time! I am not the only one who thinks Valentines and symmetry go hand in hand. Check out this Link to Science Friday. We will discuss these math terms in class next week.
- Math Olympiad. Matheletes, you know what to expect! This coming week we will take test number 4 of 5.
- Biology students: Ms. Jen Gentry will be working on your timelines during this class so you all can keep on schedule.
- Turn in your research on Maria Agnesi
Videos:
We use a lot of very big numbers and very small numbers in science. Scientific Notation is a way to deal with these numbers without all of those pesky place holding zeros.
My Why U - Scientific Notation
ASSIGNMENT FOR February 9: WATCH AND TRY
More Math Antics on Percentages:
I assigned a couple of things this week that are out of the norm for this class.
1. Valentine's Day Math Project:
We will have an old fashioned valentine exchange. Valentine's Day in not my favorite holiday, but I like the idea of using it to show kindness to each other.I agreed in class that this was optional but I realized later that this is a bad idea. If only a few come with their cards, there will be a lot of left over cards! I truly hope I get a lot of participation.
The requirements:
A. They must show some symmetry in any way. (excluding any notes or messages they write on them.)
B. Any messages written must be kind. Nothing inappropriate!
C. Make all 18 the same. I don't want students making "special" valentines for their best friends.
D. Do not write who they are to, but write your name on them so they know who they are from.
I really hope this will inspire creativity and that you have fun.
2. Look up a mathematician, Maria Agnesi. Make sure to find out how this woman of great charity became linked to the word "witch". There is a written assignment to this: 5th graders write 5 facts. 6th graders write 6 sentences. 7/8th graders write 3 paragraphs. There are many people of history who are worth remembering.
ASSIGNMENT FOR february 2: WATCH AND TRY
More Math Antics on Percentages:
Art Videos: Nothing yet. Check back later.
ASSIGNMENT FOR JANUARY 27: WATCH AND TRY
More Math Antics on Percentages:
Percents and Equivalent Fractions
Videos:
This week's Vi Hart video lets you get to see her in the videos. I have a couple of videos for you to watch, but you don't have to try anything, just be ready to try some of this on a smaller scale in class next week!
Khan Academy Office: A History
ASSIGNMENT FOR January 13: WATCH AND TRY
This week we were talking about percentages. For example I've decided to reward the class if I receive 90% participation from you all this semester. In order to keep up with this system I have created a poster that will be used to keep up with the progress as we approach our goal.
**Make your own graph**
Your assignment this week is to create your own graph or chart to keep up with the class progress. Be creative and make sure you do your best. I will not accept last minute free-handed circles as pie charts. I expect there to be a scale and for the work to be neat.
Videos:
Math Antics: What are percentages?
And now for our Vi Heart Video! It's still winter and snowflakes are still appropriate decorations. Check out this video on snowflakes and symmetry! Bring some to class and we'll hang them up!
Snowflakes, starflakes and swirlflakes.
ASSIGNMENT FOR January 6 : WATCH AND TRY
Last week I had you watch the Math Antics video introducing algebra. I suggest you go back and re-watch the video if algebra is new to you. This week, I have the next videos for you:
Math Antics: Solving Basic Equations Part 1
Math Antics: Solving Basic Equations Part 2
And now more videos I've been holding back just for November! Thank you Vi Hart for making Thanksgiving mathematical! Last week we made mathed potatoes, this week, let's complete the Thanksgiving dinner:
For the math-tedpeice, the main dish! WARNING!!!! For those with weak stomaches or opposed to watching someone working with lots of raw poultry, this video just may ruin your Thanksgiving! Don't watch if you don't want.
Thanksgiving Turduckenen-duckenen
ASSIGNMENT FOR November 18 : WATCH AND TRY
DON'T FORGET: MATH OLYMPIAD NEXT WEEK!
We are still working with negative numbers. Here is a video explaining how to multiply and divide integers. Remember, integers are negative whole numbers, zero, and positive whole numbers. Enjoy!
Math Antics - Integer Multiplication and Division
We've also been introducing algebra. Math Antics has a great introduction to this subject too.
Math Antics - What is Algebra?
And now a video I've been holding back just for November! Thank you Vi Hart for making Thanksgiving mathematical!
ASSIGNMENT FOR November 11 : WATCH AND TRY
Trick or Treat! Enjoy these paper tricks to amaze your friends and family.
We've been spending class time working with negative numbers and how to add and subtract them. These Math Antics videos explain this wonderfully! This coming week we will be playing a game with adding and subtracting integers, so be sure to practice these types of problems!
Math Antics - Negative Numbers
Math Antics - Adding and Subtracting Integers
ASSIGNMENT FOR OCTOBER 28 : WATCH AND TRY
Okay, okay, we all love Vi Heart, but I have to wonder if she is the only person out there making mathematics so fun and cool. Being that it is a big world out there, of course there are more people out there taking math tricks and patterns and making fun videos for you. Today I will give you three videos. One from Vi Heart, one from Andrea Hawskley, and one showing from Gwen Fisher (she makes mathematical beadwork!) who shows some really pretty knots using the same method shown last week. I'll be interested to hear if you think these videos are as entertaining as Vi's. And as always, try something you see here and bring it to class!
Trisky Braiding by Andrea Hawksley
ASSIGNMENT FOR October 21 : WATCH AND TRY
It's all about snakes this week! Drawing snakes and playing with plastic ones. For those of you who watch this video and bring a drawing from the first video, I will have a very appropriate reward this week! (My box of prizes were waiting for me on my doorstep when I got home from WEB yesterday. Figures!) I think this first video is my all-time favorite Vi Heart video. I always wanted to learn how to do those Celtic Cross designs.
Doodling in Math Class: Snakes and Graphs
ASSIGNMENT FOR October 14 : WATCH AND TRY
I love this first video. It really ties in a lot of the conic sections you were introduced to this week. Again, if Vi looses you, just hang in there. Someday, for those who continue to study math and science beyond the basics, you will undoubtedly see these again and understand them better. (approx. 17 minutes)
Doodling in Math Class : Connecting Dots
Doodling in Math Class : Squiggle Inception
You all have heard of pi, but have you heard of tau? Tau is 2 X pi. Apparently our favorite mathematician, Vi Hart, is tired of Tau being underrepresented. She's so fed up, she wrote a song about it.
ASSIGNMENT FOR SEPTEMBER 23 : WATCH AND TRY
We slow the pace a bit this week. Here are brain teasers with the answers explained. See if you can figure the riddle out before Sal does by pausing the video and working it out. (approx. 15 minutes)
And for those who love doodling, here are two more from Vi Heart. Binary trees shows the power of exponentials. Where the Stick Number Games video revisits our friends the prime numbers. And as always, when dealing with Vi Heart videos, don't worry if it seems too much, just watching them makes you smarter! (approx. 10 minutes)
ASSIGNMENT FOR SEPTEMBER 16 : WATCH AND TRY
Only one Vi Heart video this week! (approx. 4 minutes)
Bonus: Do some doodling like the ones you saw here!
ASSIGNMENT FOR SEPTEMBER 9 : Watch and try
Ready for more Vi Heart videos? (approx. 26 minutes)
The theme here is Pythagoras, with one just about doodling for FUN! I must admit, these blow my mind quite a bit. No need to understand it all, just allow yourself to be amazed!
Doodling in Math Class: Infinity Elephants
Bonus: Do some doodling like the ones you saw here!
ASSIGNMENT FOR september 2: watch and try
Watch the following videos (approx. 22 minutes)
Doodling in math: Spirals, Fibonacci, and being a plant:
Bonus: Bring an example of the Fibonacci Sequence and be prepared to explain it!
Assignment for August 26 : Watch and try
Watch the following videos (approx. 16 minutes)
Bonus: Make your own hexaflexagon