Build Math Confidence July 2021 Volume 146
Upcoming Math Education Events
Easy Medium Hard? (or Easy .5?)
Jordan Ellenberg published this piece in the Washington Post (Want kids to learn Math? Level with them that it's hard) in late June which got over 1000 comments. I often ask students "Easy Medium Hard?" for feedback on my teaching but also for students' metacognition. I estimate that 80% of the time, I know what students will find easy, medium or hard...20% of the time I am wrong and someone will find a typically challenging problem easy and vice versa. (A rising 8th grade often says "Easy .5!")
Most importantly I want students to know what they know so they can be more mindful and more successful. The article mentions the famous 1992 Math Class is Tough Barbie Incident -- in hindsight, this may actually be ok and is not necessarily discouraging -- Engineering courses especially Electromagnetics and Calculus-based Physics ARE tough!!
Sun! One in a Billion by Stacy McAnulty
Author Stacy McAnulty is super positive on Math as she shares in her bio: "Technically, I’m the E in STEM. My degree is in mechanical engineering, and before becoming a full-time writer, I worked in the automotive and aerospace industries. But my first STEM love was M. Can I get a hip-hip-array for MATH?"
McAnulty has written over a dozen picture books as well as stories for middle schoolers. This book, one of a set of 5 books in Our Universe series (Earth! Sun! Moon! Ocean! Mars!), helps students develop order of magnitude while learning about our solar system.
Stevie Lewis illustrated 3 of the 5 titles and David Litchfield the other 2.
Two Plus Two in the New Yorker
Alabama: 5 Alaska: Leaning 4
Arizona: TBD Arkansas: 3-something
California: 4.000001 Colorado: About 4?
Connecticut: $4.4 billion
To see all states, click here
Ian Frazier is known for his wit and has been writing for the New Yorker since 1974.
Brain Puzzler
Represent the number 1 using the numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 one time each.
Click here for the answer to June's Brain Puzzler.
 
Thanks, Robin the Math Lady Schwartz