Math Links for Week Ending Nov. 22, 2013

A new portal to house resources for K-12 mathematics has just been released. Mathies.ca is a site that houses resources for parents and students. Some are just another place to give light to things that have been around (Gap Closing, Homework Help etc) but there are also new applets available as well. Over the next few weeks I will be highlighting some of these apps. In the mean time you can look for yourself.
Curriculum Tags: All
http://mathies.ca

I really like this post on modelling sinusoidal motion. Some interesting dialog about proper modelling situations. I like the idea about having students guess the graphs of height fro various situations. And I love the animated gif of the different shaped Ferris wheel.
Curriculum Tags: MCF3M, MCR3U
http://rationalexpressions.blogspot.ca/2013/11/the-double-ferris-wheel.html



Its worth mentioning visualpatterns.org again, if only to point out that there was a slick redesign to the site. Take a look at the over 130 patterns (and even add your own).
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8
http://www.visualpatterns.org/

I am always looking for good data sets. If you are not familiar with the game show Deal or No Deal then I think you may have been living under a rock (ha ha). Its one of those shows that is easy to play and has versions all over the world. An added bonus is that its a treasure trove of probability based math. That being said the someone has collected information about the 215 episodes that have aired in Australia. Things like the case picked, the case with the biggest prize, the deal made and other anecdotal info. For more ways to analyze it take a look at the Learn and Teach Statistics Blog. To make things a bit easier on you I have also put the data in a CSV, Google Doc and a Fathom file.
Curriculum Tags: MDM4U
http://learnandteachstatistics.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/analysis-of-deal-or-no-deal-results/

From the I Speak Math blog comes a great idea. Using games in math is a good idea. Here they have started to compile different games that could be used in a math class. Most of these can be adapted to any grade level. Maybe you have one you would like to add, you can edit the document and add it on your own. Have fun.
Curriculum Tags: All
http://ispeakmath.org/2013/11/18/math-games-collection-on-google-docs-add-your-game-today/

Hey, what good is data if you can't use it to find Waldo? Well someone has looked at where Waldo has been and came up with a strategy for doing just that. Finding Waldo. Thanks to Mark Esping for this one
Curriculum Tags: MDM4U
http://www.slate.com/2013/11/where_s_waldo.html


Having difficulty in math is pretty commonplace. But sometimes we as teachers might not have an idea of what that is life (as a math teacher, likely you were good at math as a kid). Having that empathy is good for helping students through it. To get a sense of what having difficulty in math is like, try these simulations.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/mathdiffs.html

I really like this visual representation of the series 1³ + 2³ + 3³ + ..... It really shows how a visualization can help you understand a situation. The neat thing about this is that it could be used in grade 7 or 8 patterning as well as grade 11 series. Thanks to the Lets Play Math Blog for this one.
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8, MCF3M, MCR3U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJqv7xKOaVs

Math Links for Week Ending Sept 20th, 2013

I really like Adam spencer. Maybe it's because he has a Phd in math but chooses to be a morning radio DJ. Or maybe because he is really good at taking complex ideas and making them understandable by most humans (usually in a humorous way). Here is his TED talk on prime numbers. Another great offering is his Book of Numbers where he looks at all the mathematical properties (and oddities) of the first 100 numbers.

Curriculum Tags: All
http://www.ted.com/talks/adam_spencer_monster_prime_numbers.html

I am a big fan of having part of an assessment being done with technology. Having taught math for several years in a computer lab I would regularly have part of the test done on the computer. I like how Amy Gruen mixed the use of cards and iPads running Desmos to do just that. Specifically here when it comes to transformations but you could see that this could be adapted to just about any topic. 

Curriculum Tags: MBF3C, MCF3M, MCR3U, MCT4C, MAP4C, MHF4U

http://squarerootofnegativeoneteachmath.blogspot.com/2013/08/desmos-test-question.html

Real World math is a site that uses the power of Google Earth and Google Sketchup (both free apps) to bring math to the real world. With lessons that are as simple as estimation to as complex as intersection of planes in 3D (with volume, line graphs and more in between). One small caveat. As a teacher you have rights to the full lessons but you have to request a password first. So you fill out a small form and they email you one. Simple as that. Thanks to Paul Georges for this one
Curriculum Tags: All
http://www.realworldmath.org/

I love this series who's limit is e. Shown very nicely here on Desmos. I especially like the fact that in the table of values you can see the series being built.

Curriculum Tags: MCR3U, MHF4U
https://www.desmos.com/calculator/g0wfrqghzz

Having good questioning skills is not something you are born with. It is an acquired skill. Fear not. Here is a blog post that will give you 26 ways you can switch up your questions. 

Curriculum Tags: All
http://mathforum.org/blogs/max/26-questions-you-can-ask-instead/

You can always count on Yummy Math for quality resources. Here are a few of their more recent ones. As always the handout is free but to get the editable version and solutions you need to be a member.

This one is about the amount of caffeine in various brands if coffee. 

Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8, MDM4U
http://www.yummymath.com/2013/how-much-caffeine/

This next one deals with a good topic for students. Does it pay to go to school. It may start out as if its a data management prompt (which it could be) but you can see how this can turn into something more when you deal with the wage values over the span of decades (and perhaps include interest calculations)
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8, MCF3M, MCR3U, MBF3C, MDM4U
http://www.yummymath.com/2013/does-it-pay-to-get-educated/

This last one combines slope and Pythagorean theorem when talking about slopes of mountain trails. Since it has slope, this could be used in grade 8 as an extension or be modified to focus mainly on Pythagorean Theorem.
Curriculum Tags: MPM1D, MFM1P, MFM2P,
http://www.yummymath.com/2013/steepness-and-fall-hiking/


I have some mixed feelings about this site but agree with it in principle. Nix the Trix is a site that tries to address the prevalence of using "tricks" to teach math concepts. Think "move the negative to the other side and change the sign". I know that I have been guilty of teaching these in the past but I think I am evolving. By teaching these tricks we gain time in the short term perhaps but students only make those gains in the short term as well. That is, if they don't have the conceptual reason a "trick" works then its just that, a trick, and not a mathematic concept. Just one more rule to memorize with no meaning. No wonder we have to re teach so much from year to year. That being said this site tries to address these ideas in the form of an evolving Google Doc. Take a look.
Curriculum Tags: All
http://nixthetricks.com/

I really love this first day activity. It uses the "What do you know/notice/wonder?" theme. First get them thinking about math in general, then your course, then at the end hit them with a few questions to show the skills they have. In the activity on this post he uses a picture of the ISS but on a similar activity he uses this picture of an underwater bridge. You can see the results of the activity here.
Curriculum Tags: All
http://mathteachermambo.blogspot.ca/2013/07/first-day-precalculus.html

Really quick one from Dan Meyer. Perfect as a Minds On when talking about transformations in grade 7 or 8. Of course there is no need to show students this video, just create your own and work the magic in your own classes.
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8
http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=16933

I like this as a way to introduce trig functions in MCR3U and MCF3M. Follow the link to see the full idea of the lessons. But watch the video to get a sense of how to introduce the concept.
Curriculum Tags: MCR3U, MCF3M
http://rationalexpressions.blogspot.ca/2013/09/the-first-three-days-of-trigonometry.html

Here is a great discussion starter about outliers
Curriculum Tags: MDM4U
http://untilnextstop.blogspot.ca/2013/09/heres-graph-that-makes-statement.html

Math Links for Week Ending Aug. 23, 2013

One of the things that Dan Meyer did this summer is called "Makeover Monday"
where he and his readers take various bits of textbook work and retool them. Here are the results:
Bedroom Area (Area, Rates) http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=17230
Checkerboard Boarder (Quadratics, Patterning) http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=17257

Bedroom Carpet (Composite Area, Rates) http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=17348
Internet Plans (Systems of Equations) http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=17391
Meatballs (Composite Volume) http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=17442
Tire Marks (Root Functions) http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=17499
Postage Rates (Piecewise Graphs) http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=17502
Ferris Wheel (Periodic Functions) http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=17501
Shipping Routes (Systems of Equations, Patterning) http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=17500
Boat Race (Vectors, Geometry) http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=17503
Penny Circle (Quadratics) http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=17153

Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8, MPM1D, MFM1P, MPM2D, MFM2P, MCR3U, MCV4U

Here is a neat activity that links equilateral triangles and quadratics (or root functions)

http://www.cut-the-knot.org/arithmetic/algebra/ParabolaAndEquilateralTriangles.shtml

Curriculum Tags: MCF3M, MCR3U

One dot, one person. That is, over 300 million dots representing each person in the US. All plotted out and colour coded by race. Neat visualization. Here is the link to the large zoomable map.
http://www.coopercenter.org/demographics/Racial-Dot-Map
Curriculum Tags: MDM4U

I must be fascinated by these things because I know I have pointed them out before. These pictures made of curves are neat. But unrelated to this is a new feature of Wolfram Alpha to "Analyze My Facebook Data". To do this you have to give Wolfram Access to your Facebook page but then it does its magic. Give it a try. 

http://blog.wolframalpha.com/2013/08/12/set-the-curve-with-wolframalpha/

Curriclum Tags: MDM4U, MCR3U

From Edudemic, a nod to McGraw Hill's Eglossary of math
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/08/eglossary-math-glossary-for-middle-high.html

Curriculum Tags: All

A whole pile of I Have, Who Has cards already premade for math.
http://www.mathwire.com/whohas/whohas.html
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8

Here is a really cool algebra puzzle that requires only generating and solving linear equations. Take a look here
http://letsplaymath.net/2013/08/22/puzzle-algebra-on-rectangles/
Curriculum Tags: MFM1P, MPM1D

In this video the boys from Top Gear (UK) take a look at how models scale down in size but actually scale up in durability
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioYE_6Lx_hA
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8, MPM1D, MFM1P

The Big Bang Theory has no shortage of math references. Here's one that could be used as a Minds On for solving linear equations or speed
Curriculum Tags: Gr8, MPM1D, MFM1P
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s9td5kvK5c

I still don't know what the 2nd guy says but this is still kinda funny "street math"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stXG3np-BWE
Curriculum Tags: All

I love this one from XKCD dealing with the idea of small probabilities and statements that sound sensational but really aren't 

http://xkcd.com/1252/
Curriculum Tags: MDM4U

Math Links for Week Ending May 31st, 2013

I was really sad when I saw this. Apparently Google hates math. Go into any Google search and type in "math makes me" and watch the suggestions that come up in the autofill. This does not happen in Bing! It did also seem like you got slightly different results in different browsers.
Curriculum Tags: All

Some Sketchpad files that were brought to my attention this week. The first one is a nice one that deals with Venn diagrams. Some clever stuff going on behind the scenes here to make this work. Thanks to Inaam Alsalman for this one.

http://sketchexchange.keypress.com/sketch/view/513/set-puzzles
Curriculum Tags: MDM4U




I really like this one on balancing equations. Its great for those just starting as it re enforces the idea of what you do to one side you do to another. I also like the fact that there is a blank scale so you can create your own puzzles. Thanks to Laurie Hannan for this one.
http://sketchexchange.keypress.com/sketch/view/47/balancing-with-balloons-solving-equations-with-negatives
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8, MPM1D, MFM1P


Just about every platform has a version of Jeopardy. Why not Sketchpad? In this one all the questions are about area. My only criticism for this one is that the answers are written in terms of pi for the circle questions. Some students may have a problem with this. But I do like that it randomly generates questions. Thanks to Lori Abkarian for this one.
http://sketchexchange.keypress.com/sketch/view/179/area-jeopardy-game-updated
Curriculum Tags: Gr8


This one does a good job of generating trinomials that need to be factored using algebra tiles (even ones with negatives). However, I strongly suggest you watch the introductory movie to show how to play the game first. Thanks to Michael Harrington for this one
http://sketchexchange.keypress.com/sketch/view/479/factoring-games,-part-one
http://sketchexchange.keypress.com/sketch/view/480/factoring-games,-part-two
Curriculum Tags: MPM2D, MFM2P

One of the students taking an additional math teacher qualifications course I am teaching made this video with Educreations on the iPad. I was pretty impressed with the way it looks. Clearly this is a good tool if you are looking at ways to Flip your classroom. Thanks to Kristin Gomes for this one.
http://www.educreations.com/lesson/view/trig-ratios/7622944/
Curriculum Tags: MPM2D, MFM2P

Many of you may have seen this proof before but its a nice visual way to show that the Pythagoren Theorem works without the use of words. Thanks to Sothea Ly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRXfc5OZqm0
Curriculum Tags: Gr8, MPM1D, MFM1P, MPM2D, MFM2P

Math Links for Week Ending May 10th, 2013

Right out of the gate, a great post from Dan Meyer. He has been showering us with 3Act Tasks for years now but now some more detailed info on how to actually execute them in class. Read the entire blog post here (including all the great comments, particularly Kate's about what might happen when you try to do one of these):
http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=16470
Curriculum Tags: All

I really liked this "real world" task dealing with speeding tickets given by the police but measured by pilots in the air using hash marks on the roads. I remember as a kid, my dad getting one of these on the 401.
http://MrHonner.com/2013/04/09/calculus-gave-me-a-speeding-ticket/
Curriculum Tags: MCV4U




The first of two posts from the Square Root of Negative One on Trig. Both are activities. This first one is a hand related way to remember trig ratios of special angles. One thing I like about this post (besides the insights) are the links to others that have posted about this so that you can get many perspectives.
http://squarerootofnegativeoneteachmath.blogspot.ca/2013/05/trig-hand.html
Curriculum Tags: MCR3U, MCF3M, MHF4U



The second is a series of flash card activities that deal with trig ratios and various angles. I like this because with a single set of cards, she has come up with sev
eral ideas of how to implement them in the class (even giving insight as to what might go wrong).
http://squarerootofnegativeoneteachmath.blogspot.ca/practice.html
Curriculum Tags: MCR3U, MCF3M, MHF4U



Hey? You want some math comics, how about this site that is chock full of them: Weapons of Math Destruction. If there was social commentary of math and education of math, this might be it.
http://www.weaponsofmathdestruction.com/thumbnails.cfm
Curriculum Tags: All

I really liked this article from a math teacher about what its like to have math anxiety. I think that a problem that many of has as math teachers is that most of us probably did well in math and thus have no empathy for someone who struggles. And by not having that perspective we might actually dismiss any issues that kids have as trivial. But read this article and particularly, I like the bullets at the end of the typical kid who can't do math.
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/04/math_teacher_explains_math_anxiety_and_defensiveness_it_hurts_to_feel_stupid.html
Curriculum Tags: All

We will round out this week with a neat animation created using oscillating sine waves. Nice application of trig functions
Curriculum Tags: MCR3U, MCF3M, MHF4U
http://gizmodo.com/this-animation-based-on-oscillating-sine-waves-is-utter-493970700

OSCILLATE from Daniel Sierra on Vimeo.