Maria

Maria's Math News, November 2014

Hello!

This time we'll look into math anxiety, "matheMAGIC", and Fibonacci numbers! smile

1. Math Mammoth news

2. Math anxiety and how to prevent it (grades 1-12)

3. Mathemagic with Arthur Benjamin (video) (grades 3-12)

4. Worksheets in PDF format (grades 3-7)

5. Lesson on Fibonacci numbers (grades 4-8)

6. Perennial Math competition (grades 3-8)


~Maria

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1. Math Mammoth news

  1. cover for Math Mammoth Grade 5-A Complete Worktext, South African version
    Math Mammoth South African version is now available for grades 4 and 5!

    Math Mammoth South African version, Grade 4
    Math Mammoth South African version, Grade 5

    You can read detailed descriptions and download free samples at the above links.

  2. Vote for Math Mammoth at 2015 Practical Homeschooling® Reader AwardsTM!

    Math Mammoth has been nominated for the Practical Homeschooling Reader Awards. Please visit the page and cast your votes for the best homeschooling products - hopefully including Math Mammoth! smile

    Also... one lucky voter will receive a free level of Rosetta Stone valued at $159!

    => www.home-school.com/2015-reader-awards

  3. I've posted many giveaways lately on my Facebook page and will continue to do so for a few weeks. Check them out!

  4. Math Mammoth Thanksgiving sale is around the corner... ALL downloads & CDs will be discounted at 25% off, starting November 17!

2. Math anxiety and how to prevent it


Photo courtesy of Wecometolearn
Updated!

7 Reasons behind Math Anxiety and How to Prevent It

This article lists some of the major factors that contribute to math anxiety in students and gives helpful ideas for teachers to motivate children to study math and to prevent math anxiety. Including:
  • how teachers feel about math
  • whether mistakes are valued or not
  • tests and especially timed tests
  • whether math is presented to be a creative subject or not
...and more. Check it out!

3. Mathemagic with Arthur Benjamin (video)

This is a pretty amazing performance of "mathemagic" — calculating things in one's head by Arthur Benjamin. He not only can calculate but also ENTERTAIN, so this video is sure to captivate you! I enjoyed it a lot, and my children watched it multiple times in a row. smile




4. Worksheets in PDF format

You can now make worksheets for these topics in both html and PDF formats at my site:

The pages also include lots of ready-made PDF worksheets. Enjoy!


5. A lesson on Fibonacci numbers

Have you ever heard about the Fibonacci numbers and the Golden ratio?


A tiling that uses squares whose side lengths are successive Fibonacci numbers. Ask students to continue it! Image from Wikipedia.


Here's a lesson I just wrote about them:

Fibonacci numbers and the golden section – lesson for middle and high school students

You might ask, "Should our children or students even learn about Fibonacci numbers or the golden ratio?"

True, they aren't any standard fare in math books. However, I feel that yes, students should know about them. I think it's important that our young people learn a few math topics that show how MATH appears in NATURE. You could even call it "MATH APPRECIATION".

Children study "art appreciation" so they can appreciate human works of art. Shouldn't we also appreciate the "artworks" in nature, such as flower petals and seed heads? And, once you understand a little bit about the math behind them, you will appreciate them even more. smile

Check it out here!

6. Perennial Math competition

I got a message from Sylvia at Perennial Math - they hold an online math competition that runs from November through February. Here are the details of the competition in a nutshell:
  • 4 tests per year (November-February)
  • Free PowerPoint Practice Questions to get your team prepared
  • Team and Individual awards, certificates for all participants
  • 3 different levels Rookie (grades 3-4), Intermediate (5-6) and Advanced (7-8)
  • Tests can be taken online or printed with scores entered by teacher
  • $75 per team of up to 30 students at 1 level
  • $20 per individual student if parent wants to buy a membership
  • District Pricing available

Personally, I heartily recommend giving students challenging problems to solve. While you should use problems from various sources, a math competition can be a part of that and some students really like competitions.

Sign up online at www.perennialmath.com



That's it for this newsletter! If you liked something in it, share it! Simply forward the email to your friend/colleague. smile

Subscribe here.

Till next time,
Maria Miller
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