Middle School Math Spotlight

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May

Spotlights 2010 - Archive

Monday, 10 May 2010 11:44 | Written by Micheline LeBlanc |

Archived 2010 spotlights:

April 2010 - Resources for CST Review

March 2010 - Pi Day

Last Updated (Monday, 10 May 2010 11:49)

May 2010 - Math Apprentice

Monday, 10 May 2010 11:27 | Written by Micheline LeBlanc |

mathapprentice Math Apprentice: Math is the path to anything you want to be

Math Apprentice is a site that connects math to real world careers by allowing students to be apprentices at various companies, applying their math skills to real world challenges. It introduces students to more advanced mathematical ideas as they read about additional math concepts used in each showcased career. The site was created with the belief that it is important for students to interact with math concepts beyond the standards, since this is where the joy of math can often be found.

The math behind each job:

Doodles (artwork) - transformations
Game Pro (video game programming) - Pythagorean Theorem
Wheelworks (bicycle design) - gear ratios
Sweet Treat Cafe (running a restaurant) - sales data, adjusting the recipe, buying supplies, setting the prices
Space Logic (robotics) - distance = rate x time, interpreting a graph
Builders, Inc. (builders and contractors) - area and perimeter
Adventure Rides (roller coaster design) - relationship between height and speed
Trigon Studios (computer animation) - sine and cosine functions

There are detailed notes and strategies for middle school math use. Check it out.

Last Updated (Monday, 10 May 2010 11:40)

March 2010 Spotlight - Pi Day

Saturday, 06 March 2010 13:34 | Written by Micheline LeBlanc |

Pi Day

Last Updated (Saturday, 06 March 2010 17:47)

April 2010 - Middle School Math CST Resources

Monday, 05 April 2010 14:54 | Written by Micheline LeBlanc |

There are four sets of resources for CST Prep:

A. Khan Academy - The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing a high quality education to anyone, anywhere. They have 1000+ videos on YouTube covering everything from basic arithmetic, pre-algebra and Algebra 1. There is a series specifically designed for CST Algebra.

B. A series of three grade-specific downloadable resource files for exam review. The suggested activities are taken from the Middle School Math Matrices and Resources, but they do not include tutorials. They include games, videos, puzzles, etc., that may engage students in test prep.

C.Jeopardy Games - created with CST released questions

Grade 6

Grade 7

Algebra 1

D. Middle School Math Test Prep Resources web page, including blueprints, released questions and support mateirals for the CAHSEE.

Last Updated (Monday, 05 April 2010 16:05)

March 2010 Spotlight - Pi Day

Tuesday, 02 March 2010 10:56 | Written by Micheline LeBlanc |

π Day

$illuminations graphic$	Two of many lessons at Illuminations: Pi Line - Lesson Plan - students will measure the diameter and circumference of various circular objects, plot the measurements on a graph, and relate the slope of the line to π, the ratio of circumference to diameter. Apple Pi - Lesson Plan - Using estimation and measurement skills, students will determine the ratio of circumference to diameter and explore the meaning of π. Students will discover the circumference and area formulas based on their investigations.
$pi day graphic$	Math Forum - a list of many different types of Pi Day Activities From the Math Forum - Making a Pi Necklace - As a 7th grade math teacher, this teacher likes to make mathematics as visual as possible. For Pi Day, her students make Pi necklaces.
$Mr Herte Pi Day Graphic$	Mr Herte's Pi Day - Pi Day is a day to celebrate mathematics in your school. It gives us the perfect springboard to allow students to have fun while investigating mathematics concepts, being creative and even a little silly. If you have any ideas email them to Mr. Herte.
$Teach Pi.org graphic$	Teach Pi.org one-stop Pi Day shop for teachers and number lovers. This organization believes that promoting an enthusiasm for learning, through celebration and creativity, will lead only to a richer classroom environment and a deeper appreciation of mathematics. Pi Day Rap Video - Lose yourself in the digits Pi Day Rap Lyrics - Lose yourself in the digits
$Education World Pi Day graphic$	Plan a Pi Day Party for March 14 - If one day of the year screams Party! in math class, that day is March 14. Each year on 3/14, teachers in classrooms across the globe take a break from the normal routine to plan a special celebration in honor of pi, or the number 3.14...
$TeacherNetGraphic$	Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi - According to the Teachers Network, this is a fun unit that ties in literature and mathematics. Using technology and the books Sir Cumference and the First Round Table and Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi, students will explore the concepts of circumference and pi.

Last Updated (Tuesday, 09 March 2010 12:14)

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