Ontario Math Links: Math Links for Week Ending June 30th, 2015

Friday, June 30, 2017

Math Links for Week Ending June 30th, 2015

I'm a sucker for posts about assessment. So when @MrOrr_Geek posted this story about assessment, I was in. I love the premiss because it's about changing the paradigm about assessment in his classes. And not to give it all away but I loved the tag line at the end "Assessment is power not punishment". That is, most kids fear assessment but he is trying to build a culture in his classes where assessment empowers students. Even if you don't use @Freshgrade, the underlying principles are pretty intriguing. Watch below to find out how.
Curriculum Tags: All
http://mrorr-isageek.com/conalls-assessment-story/

I have been sitting on this activity for a while. I actually made it last December but just got around to posting it now. We have started to develop a number of activities using a continuum model for student practice where the practice problems become incrementally more difficult as students progress (at their own pace). In this case we've tackled trig identities. Take a look.
Curriculum Tags: MCR3U
http://engaging-math.blogspot.ca/2017/06/trig-identities-continuum.html

I like card matching activities because they get students to do the math but in a way that is much more palatable for students. In this case @marybourassa (adapted from @pamjwilson) has students match up different representations of linear functions (points, slope, equations, graphs) and students have to match them. We did a similar activity with functions in context here but this one is good for analytic linear functions.
Curriculum Tags: MPM1D, MFM2P
http://marybourassa.blogspot.ca/2017/06/linear-matching.html

There is no shortage of questions you can ask about the Tim Horton's Roll Up the Rim contest. This time @mathletepearce has turned it into a 3Act Task on Probability.
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8, MBF3C, MDM4U
https://tapintoteenminds.com/3act-math/roll-up-the-rim-150/

Some evidence as to why you can't just look at the summary statistics for data sets without looking at the visual representations. In the spirit of the Anscomb's Quartet (my post here), here is a number of data sets that have the same summary but different graphs. Don't miss the Datasaurus too.
Curriculum Tags: MDM4U
https://www.autodeskresearch.com/publications/samestats

With all of the accusations of "Fake News" I thought this article on how to spot fake statistics was quite topical. It's from last year but still quite relevant.
Curriculum Tags: MDM4U
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jul/17/politicians-dodgy-statistics-tricks-guide

This is a fight we have all the time. That is, the notion that students come into your class thinking that they are not a "math person" or the societal idea that it's even OK to claim you are not a math person (yet they would never say "I don't read"). Thanks to @michelecooper for this one.
Curriculum Tags: All
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/7389739-the-math-problem-i-m-not-a-math-person-/

And along the same lines is this TED talk from @MonaChalabi on Three ways to spot a bad statistic.
Curriculum Tags: MDM4U
https://www.ted.com/talks/mona_chalabi_3_ways_to_spot_a_bad_statistic

A nice visual guide on thinking probabilistically from @juliagalef
Curriculum Tags: MDM4U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrK7X_XlGB8

Sometimes examples of math are right under our noses. In this case, it's an example of a dilatation that is seen every time the Twitter app opens. Get the video or animated gif at the folder below.
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B9algQOOR_bkMmZBXzV4ZmtmZnc