Math Links for Week Ending Jan. 23rd, 2015

So Nix the Trix is an initiative born of Twitter. I mentioned it first way back here. The idea is that we need to abandon short cuts in math (eg cross multiplying) in favour of conceptual understanding instead. The new version can be downloaded as a pdf or ebook for free. It's a collaboration between a number of teachers from the Twitterverse (or more specifically the Math Twitter BlogoSphere #MTBoS).
Curriculum Tags: All
http://drawingonmath.blogspot.ca/2015/01/nix-tricks-second-edition.html






One of my favourite books about autism, math and dead dogs is now a Broadway play. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is a great little novel that has a compelling story as well as math interwoven through out (including chapters numbered only with prime numbers). Now it's a Broadway play. The actor who plays the lead is interviewed here on Science Friday
Curriculum Tags: All
http://www.sciencefriday.com/segment/01/09/2015/a-broadway-hit-with-an-autistic-math-whiz-at-its-center.html

I like this post from Dan Meyer where he highlight what has become to have the moniker "WTF problems". These are problems that, when given to students, cause them to pause and wonder what is going on. Although there are only a few examples, the ones give are pretty good. For example:

Here are some points in the plane:
(4, 1), (17, 27), (1, -5), (8, 9), (13, 19), (-2, -11), (20, 33), (7,7), (-5, -17), (10, 13)Choose any two of these points. Check with your neighbor to be sure that you didn’t both choose the same pair of points. Now find the rate of change between the first and the second point. Write it on the board. What do you notice?

I like the idea of giving students different things to do and having a surprising result. Hopefully there will be more to come or if you have your own then add it in Dan's comment section.
Curriculum Tags: MPM1D, MFM1P
http://blog.mrmeyer.com/2015/wtf-math-problems/

I like this question posed by Patrick Honner: "To increase the volume of a cylinder, is it better to increase the radius or the height?" Sometimes it is just the question that you ask that makes a simple thing (in this case, calculating the volume of a cylinder) a little more engaging for students. 
Curriculum Tags: Gr8, MPM1D, MFM1P
http://mrhonner.com/archives/14555


A second post from Mr. Honner is a nice little talk he does about how technology can fail you. I really like how he takes the time to talk about what various technology does with things like holes and division by zero in functions. These are things that I have done (zooming into a hole) but I really like the ease and demeanour that he does it in such a nice and concise package. Take a look.
Curriculum Tags: MCR3U, MHF4U, MCV4U
http://mrhonner.com/archives/14601

Here is a nice video that could be used to talk about distance time graphs with non linear relations. I think you could use it in grade nine as a real example of both non linear relations and distance time graphs but could be used equally as well in advanced functions and calculus when talking about rates of change
Curriculum Tags: MFM1P, MPM1D, MHF4U, MCV4U
http://www.wired.com/2015/01/motorcycle-car-jet-one-win/

Some nice connections to Fibonacci numbers on these 3D printed sculptures.
Curriculum Tags: All
http://sfglobe.com/2015/01/14/3d-printed-sculptures-look-alive-when-spun-under-a-strobe-light

This may be quite the opposite of how I started this week's post with Nix the Trix but I still like this simple reminder of the properties of division by zero. Plus it comes with a printable template.
Curriculum Tags: All
http://misscalculate.blogspot.ca/2015/01/dividing-by-zero-posters.html