|
June 2016
In this edition of the News you will find:
Don't Miss The Bargains
New Cube Tube Videos
Maths300 ETuTE
Self-selected Mathematics Learning
Tasks of the Month
Task 232, Dice Footy
Task 233, Money Money Money
Please feel free to distribute this information.
|
Email News Services
If you would like to subscribe please send an email request to: doug@blackdouglas.com.au:
- In the subject line write Subscribe Maths.
- In the body of message state which divisions you want to subscribe to, or simply write Subscribe All.
- Add your name and preferred email address.
Update messages are sent from:
Mathematics Centre monthly
Calculating Changes bi-monthly
Maths300 update news as it happens
Working with Mathematics Centre
will help you find your way around our site
Browsing Hint
Use the View/Zoom options of your browser to 'move' the page closer or further away. Ctrl +, Ctrl - and Ctrl 0.
|
- New Cube Tube Videos
At Malmö Högskolan trainee secondary teachers in Barbro Söderberg's class were exploring the growth of Tricubes. Eight Tricubes make a Tricube, as shown in Task 234, Growing Tricubes. They had used this template to construct Sizes 1, 2 & 4. This produced a new problem: Is there a Size 3 and, if so, can we construct it?
Growing Tricubes 1, recently added to Cube Tube, shows their struggle to build Size 3 on the assumption that if it existed it would require 27 Tricubes. Growing Tricubes 2 confirms their success (which could also have been achieved another way).
Unfortunately, their further work was not recorded. They went on to model the number of Tricubes in each size as a one to one match with the number of unit cubes in a cube of the same size. Then discovered that the sum of unit cubes in the cube sequence appeared to be a square number. Wow!
Dissecting the cubes into squares and strips showed that it was indeed possible to lay out the sum of the cubes as a square at each stage. More Wow! factor. Further, the lay out showed a square whose side lengths are the sum of natural numbers. This led them right back to Task 139, Squound, which they had explored earlier.
But all this was only demonstration; not proof. Barbro ended the lesson with (in Swedish) ...and that is why we will explore proof by mathematical induction in our next lesson.
See Link List below for links related to these videos.
- Maths300 ETuTE
Since the relaunch of Maths300 on July 1 last year, many schools have joined its member community. But are you making the most of your membership?
The simple purpose of Maths300 lessons is to provide fuel for on-going, classroom-based discussion about the elements that make mathematics learning better for teachers and students at all levels. Using a Maths300 lesson is, potentially, far more than teaching a class in a different way. It is an opportunity for in-house professional development.
Teach a second, third, fourth... lesson and you begin structuring an in-house professional learning plan. The regular Maths300 eNews offers starting points for this journey. Maths300 ETuTE offers additional ways to plan the journey.
Maths300 ETuTE allows you to choose from a set of 49 one page tutorials, each based around a stimulus question. The choice can be made:
- randomly, or
- by content, or
- by year level
and encourages the construction of units of work. See Link List below.
|
|
Tasks & Task Kits
- Individual tasks
... $11.99 each
- Kit of 20 tasks
Strand specific
Choose your strand(s)
... $239.80 each
- Starter kit of 50 tasks
Choose your year level(s)
... $599.50 each
- Task Centre Kit of 100 tasks
Range of strands and year levels
... $1,199 each
Maths With Attitude
- Limited number of kits left
- Special price $299
- $100 saving per kit
Other Materials
- 3D Geoshapes Class Starter Pack
102 Equ. Triangles, 120 Squares
30 Pentagons, 24 Hexagons
3 sets only
... $165 each
- Triquares
Pack of 6 foam panels of 18
... $88 each
- Rotagrams
Pack of 20
... $36 each
Use this Latest Order Form
Contact
Spare Parts
- Have you checked your task collection lately to see if you 'have all the bits'?
- Now is the time to contact us.
- Stock is running down.
|
- Self-selected Mathematics Learning
One discussion point frequently met when exploring Maths300 is:
- Is there benefit in revisioning our curriculum as learning to work like a mathematician rather than just learning to choose and use the tools/skills of a mathematician?
If so, then Maths300 lessons support modelling what it means to work like a mathematician. However, for the most part the only invitations they offer to self-select mathematics (as a mathematician would) are within the context of all students working on the same problem, albeit at differentiated levels. The whole class investigation limits the self-selection component in favour of modelling the process of Working Mathematically to everyone simultaneously.
There are other resources which support more personalised self-selected mathematics as shown by photos from this 3 hour workshop at Karlstad University for around 100 teachers and teacher trainees.
The first half of the session was built around whole class investigations, modelling Working Mathematically and identifying and exploring pedagogy. The self-selected mathematics learning in the second half was built around Mathematics Tasks, Picture Puzzles and Menu Maths Packs. See Link List below.
Over time, modelling, invitation to self-select and practice of mathematical skills builds a Working Like A Mathematician (or Working Mathematically) curriculum.
- Tasks of the Month
Two new cameos this month.
The Task Cameo Content Finder has been updated to include these tasks.
- Dice Footy is a dice game modelling of the scores in an Australian Rules football game. Previous knowledge of the code is not necessary because the scoring rules are explained. A match is played over four quarters and the winner is the team with the higher points total at the end of a match. The task practises calculation of averages (with opportunity for asking Can I check it another way?) and then introduces a challenge involving probability considerations.
- Money Money Money is a delightful task which captures attention by inviting us to daydream about, and handle, large amounts of money. Then it offers a set of challenges of increasing difficulty which are based around reasoning and problem solving strategies supported by arithmetic practice, algebraic representation and simultaneous equations.
Click a photo to access its cameo, or access all current cameos through the Link List below.
Keep smiling,
Doug.
Link List
- Did you miss the Previous News?
If so you missed information about:
- Bargain Prices
- New Picture Puzzles Menu
- Picture Puzzles in Sweden
- Discussion Lessons & Bundling
- Tasks & Teacher Training
- Maths300 & Gifted Student Research
- Iceberg Information about three Tasks of the Month
(Tasks 229, 230, 231)
- ...and more...
|
 |
Did You Know?
|
Previous News
March 2016 ... February 2016
November 2015 ... October 2015 ... September 2015 ... August 2015
July 2015 ... June 2015 ... May 2015 ... April 2015 ... February 2015
Dec. 2014/Jan. 2014 ... November 2014 ... October 2014 ... September 2014 ... August 2014
July 2014 ... June 2014 ... May 2014 ... April 2014 ... March 2014 ... February 2014
Dec. 2013/Jan. 2014 ... November 2013 ... October 2013 ... September 2013 ... August 2013
July 2013 ... June 2013 ... May 2013 ... March 2013 ... February 2013
Dec. 2012 / Jan. 2013 ... November 2012 ... October 2012 ... September 2012 ... August 2012
June/July 2012 ... May 2012 ... April 2012 ... March 2012 ... February 2012 ... January 2012
December 2011 ... November 2011 ... October 2011 ... September 2011 ... August 2011
July 2011 ... June 2011 ... May 2011 ... April 2011 ... March 2011 ... February 2011
Dec 2010/Jan 2011 ... November 2010 ... October 2010 ... September 2010 ... August 2010
July 2010 ... June 2010 ... May 2010 ... April 2010 ... March 2010 ... February 2010
Dec.2009/Jan.2010 ...November 2009 ... October 2009 ... September 2009 ... August 2009
July 2009 ... June 2009 ... May 2009 ... April 2009 ... March 2009 ... February 2009
Dec.2008/Jan.2009 ... November 2008 ... October 2008 ... September 2008 ... August 2008
July 2008 ... May/June 2008 ... April 2008 ... March 2008 ... February 2008
Dec.2007/ Jan.2008 ... November 2007 ... October 2007 ... August/September 2007
... July 2007 ... June 2007 ... May 2007 ... April 2007 ... March 2007 ... February 2007
Dec. 2006/ Jan. 2007 ... November 2006 ... October 2006 ... September 2006 ... August 2006
July 2006 ... June 2006 ... May 2006 ... April 2006 ... March 2006 ... February 2006
Dec. 2005/ Jan. 2006 ... November 2005 ... October 2005 ... September 2005 ... August 2005
July 2005 ... June 2005 ... May 2005 ... April 2005 ... March 2005 ... February 2005
Dec. 2004/Jan. 2005 ... November 2004 ... October 2004 ... September 2004 ... August 2004
July 2004 ... June 2004 ... April/May 2004 ... March 2004 ... February 2004
December 2003 ... October 2003 ... August/September 2003
July 2003 ... June 2003 ... April/May 2003 ... March 2003 ... February 2003 ... January 2003
December 2002 ... November 2002 ... October 2002 ... September 2002 ... March 2002
December 2001 ... October 2001
Continue exploring our history back to July 1992 through the Sense of History link.
|