Math Links for Week Ending Mar 1, 2013

Here it is, the moment everyone has been waiting for. Yep, the next largest prime has been found and here is a visualization of its digits. Ain't it pretty?
http://io9.com/5985749/the-worlds-largest-known-prime-number-in-rgb
Curriculum Tags: All

I love this self data stuff. Dan Meyer, I think, got his idea for collecting data about himself from Nicholas Felton. Nick collects data about his life. Very detailed info like how many coffees he drinks every year. But then he creates this annual report with detail graphs and data about the previous year. The reason I bring this up is because I think this would be kind of a neat project to do with a class. Have them collect data about themselves for a week and then create graphs of it.
http://feltron.com/
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8, MBF3C, MDM4U

One of my favourite blogs for differentiated instruction ideas in math is I Speak Math. I have been behind in her posts for a bit so this is a summary of some of the good ideas over the last few months
Zero! Card game - nice simple game that uses regular playing cards to add integers
Word Problem Equations - Even though she feels this needs work, its still a nice way to differentiate working with word problems. Read the comments for ideas on how to tweak it.
Monster Equations - a nice little tweak on solving simple equations. Perfect for introduction to equations
Homework Binder- some interesting ideas on how to get kids to do their homework and how to get them to complete it after the fact.
Math Workstations - A nice way to take worksheets and make them into math stations
Homework Choice - here is a nice way to get kids a bit more interested in homework and creating problems
Curriculum Tags: All

Here is a really good article about how people are bad at assessing risk. For example, he talks about the idea that a low probability event that gets repeated a lot actually has a relatively high chance of occurring. He uses the example of the possibility of slipping in the shower as something that has a low probability (say 1 in 1000) but the fact that you take thousands of showers in your lifetime almost makes it an eventuality.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/science/jared-diamonds-guide-to-reducing-lifes-risks.html?hpw&_r=0
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8, MBF3C, MDM4U

Thinking Blocks is a website that has many applets that would be useful for elementary math teachers. Kind of similar to the Ministry of Ontario's (http://epractice.ca/). It deals with things like multiplication, addition, fractions etc
http://www.thinkingblocks.com/index.html
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8

Here is a nice video of the geometric area property of Pythagorean Theorem. It was created by Macedonian students and apparently the song sung by the students is also about Pythagoras. Thanks to Carla Aquino for this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RqNqe60s2A
Curriculum Tags: Gr8G, MFM1P, MPM1D, MFM2P, MPM2D

An another one about Pythagorean Theorem. This time from The Simpons. Here Homer makes the same mistake that the Scarecrow makes in The Wizard of Oz.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO1Vhc88QkM
Curriculum Tags: Gr8G, MFM1P, MPM1D, MFM2P, MPM2D