DreamBox Learning®» Math in Real Life http://www.dreambox.com DreamBox Learning, a web-based math learning company Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:01:10 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Tuesday Teacher Tips: Encouraging the Use of Building Blocks at a Young Age http://www.dreambox.com/blog/building-blocks-at-a-young-age http://www.dreambox.com/blog/building-blocks-at-a-young-age#comments Wed, 22 Jun 2011 03:05:31 +0000 Lisa W http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=8068 Welcome to the Tuesday Teacher Tips series! Each week we’ll highlight teaching and learning resources, ideas to use in the classroom, as well as things to ponder as you go about your teaching day.

One of the final math units I taught this year was a geometry chapter on recognizing two-dimensional drawings and nets as three-dimensional figures. We worked with nets; first predicting what they were, and then cutting, folding and taping them together. The students also studied drawings from multi-perspectives—top, side, front, back—and constructed what the three-dimensional figure looked like with their wooden cubes.

When we do this type of math I’m always a little surprised at which students get it immediately and which students struggle. For the students who “get it,” there is almost this huge sigh of relief; it feels like math time is play time and they are not doing “real math.” But for the students who don’t understand, their frustration seems to mount the entire math period. They want the formula of how to make it work; they want an easy answer. What they really need is the time and experience of working with the materials.

In the primary grades, there is a vast difference between the students who have had lots of literary experiences at home and those whose reading experiences are limited to the classroom. Children who are exposed to literacy from birth to school-age come to the classroom with an entire set of skills from their steady diet of books, words, storytelling, and illustrations.

It’s similar to the children who use building sets and blocks at home on a daily basis. They are used to looking at a picture and trying to replicate it with their materials. They are used to looking at buildings at various perspectives to try to get their version “just right.” And they are used to rotating, sliding, and flipping objects.

Teachers and educators have done an excellent job of getting the word out to parents about the importance of reading at home from the time their child is an infant. Maybe as math educators we need to follow the same example. By giving toddlers a set of blocks or age-appropriate building materials we can educate parents on the importance of developing their child’s spatial and geometric skills from a young age.

What are your experiences with students and geometry in the classroom? How do you encourage geometric learning when students have limited experiences? Email and let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/building-blocks-at-a-young-age/feed 0 Tuesday Teacher Tips: Using Webcams in Classroom Learning http://www.dreambox.com/blog/webcams-and-classroom-learning http://www.dreambox.com/blog/webcams-and-classroom-learning#comments Tue, 17 May 2011 15:46:38 +0000 Lisa W http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=7832 Welcome to the Tuesday Teacher Tips series! Each week we’ll highlight teaching and learning resources, ideas to use in the classroom, as well as things to ponder as you go about your teaching day. bearcraftprojectI was recently talking to a good friend, Dana, who teaches 1st grade. She was excited about the authentic learning that was happening in her classroom this winter and spring. This year her class has been faithfully watching the Lily and Hope den cam on the North American Bear Center’s website. The Bear Center is an educational outreach center located in Ely, Minnesota. Lily and Hope are mother and daughter black bears being studied by the Wildlife Research Institute in Ely. This winter Dana’s 1st graders, as well as viewers from around the world, watched the den cam and were able to “meet” two newborn cubs (Jason and Faith) as they came into the world in January. Everyday this winter Dana’s students faithfully watched the web cam and discussed their observations. Dana integrated the following real-life math activities artemperatureound bears; the students were motivated and excited to learn everything they could about the topic. Charting temperature—each day the class charted the temperature in their area and compared it to the temperature in Ely, Minnesota. Calculating ages—using the family tree information on the Bear Center’s website, Dana’s class calculated the ages of each bear. Comparing Weights—Dana used the weight of each bear to compare and order numbers, teach number line concepts, as well as introduce mathematical vocabulary such as greater than and less than. Graphing Data—each time the students had a sighting or heard the bears, the class recorded the information on a graph. Problem Solving—Dana’s class was so captured by the bears that they held a class read-a-thon to raise money to buy bags of nuts to feed the resident bears at the Bear Center. The class discussed how much monreadathoney was needed to buy one bag of feed and how many minutes they had to read to buy that bag. On a daily basis they recorded their reading minutes and used a graph to display the information. How do you integrate the outside world into authentic math experiences for your students? Email us and let us know. We love to hear all of the great things that teachers are doing to involve their students in real-life math experiences!]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/webcams-and-classroom-learning/feed 0 Tuesday Teacher Tips: Math and Environmental Education http://www.dreambox.com/blog/math-and-environmental-education http://www.dreambox.com/blog/math-and-environmental-education#comments Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:26:39 +0000 Lisa W http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=7803 Welcome to the Tuesday Teacher Tips series! Each week we’ll highlight teaching and learning resources, ideas to use in the classroom, as well as things to ponder as you go about your teaching day. The month of April provides many opportunities to integrate environmental learning into your classroom. Environmental Education Week (April 10-16) The National Environmental Education Week website has great resources. This year’s theme is “Ocean Connections.” To find a variety of lessons to use in your classroom, click on the “Resources” tab and scroll down to “Curricula Library.” Earth Day (April 22) Two websites provided lots of environmental lesson plans and resource links: Earth Day Network and Greening Schools. Arbor Day (April 29) How can you celebrate Arbor Day at your school? Download the Arbor Day Foundation’s Celebrate Arbor Day Guidebook. Or check out their other educational resources.

Incorporating math into environmental studies

Data analysis provides a natural link to the natural world. Nature Walk Take a nature walk with the class and have them record the wildlife that they observe. When you return to the classroom create a pictograph. Weather Studies Create a line graph of the daily temperature in your area. Use a different color to graph the temperature in another part of the country or world. Analyze the differences. Research Recycling Find facts about recycling, like Everything You Wanted to Know About Recycling, and use the information to create data-driven posters to educate the school about recycling. How do you integrate math into your science and environmental studies? Email us and let us know. We’d love to hear from you. ]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/math-and-environmental-education/feed 0 Tuesday Teacher Tips: Grocery Store Ads http://www.dreambox.com/blog/grocery-store-ads http://www.dreambox.com/blog/grocery-store-ads#comments Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:48:22 +0000 Lisa W http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=7244 Welcome to the Tuesday Teacher Tips series! Each week we’ll highlight teaching and learning resources, ideas to use in the classroom, as well as things to ponder as you go about your teaching day. Recently, I've been saving copies of the weekly grocery ads, the multi-page flyers that come in the Sunday paper. They work great to teach and reinforce so many real-life math skills. Collect enough for each student in your class; none have to be the same. Estimating Tell the class that you are giving them a budget of $5.00 (or $1.00 or $20.00…). Ask them to look through their ad to see what they can buy without going over their allotment. Explain that they can’t write any of their problems on paper; it all has to be done using mental math. How did they figure out the problem without writing down the equations? Did they estimate to the nearest dollar, quarter, or dime? Now have them figure out the exact answer. How close was their estimate to the exact answer? Comparing numbers Assign students to cut out five items, along with its price, from their ad. Next, ask students to arrange the items by cost from least to greatest. Then have them glue their items on a piece of construction paper. Display the posters in the front of the room to use during a class discussion. What costs more, a head of lettuce or a can of soup? Which costs less, a bag of candy or a box of cereal? How did you know which was the smallest and which was the greatest? Calculating totals and figuring out change Tell the class that they can buy any two items in their advertisement. Have them write down the items and calculate the exact cost of the purchase. Now tell them they are paying with a five or ten dollar bill. How much change they will receive? What is the fewest number of coins that the cashier will give them? Do they have money left to buy anything else? Multiplication You can easily have the class multiplying or doing repeat addition with grocery store ads. Ask students to find the cost of a pound of hamburger. How much would it cost to buy five pounds? How much would ten jars of peanut butter total? Measurement The ads give students the opportunity to discover how different items are sold: individually, by the pound, by the bunch, by the package, or by capacity. How is it is stated in the ad so they know the way it is sold? When is the metric system used and when is the standard system used in the grocery store? What are some everyday materials you use in your classroom? Please share, we’d love to hear about them. ]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/grocery-store-ads/feed 0 A Present for the Whole Family—A Thermometer! http://www.dreambox.com/blog/familiy-present-thermometer http://www.dreambox.com/blog/familiy-present-thermometer#comments Thu, 30 Dec 2010 18:28:40 +0000 Lisa W http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=7215 What’s the temperature outside? Want a present that the whole family can enjoy? Buy an outside thermometer! It’s a great way to use real-life math. Place the thermometer in a place that your child can easily see it. Teach them how to read it. Show them how you look at the top of the red line and move your finger over to see what the temperature is. If there are numbers on both sides, talk about Celsius and Fahrenheit, and explain which system meteorologists usually refer to. Go to the Weather Channel Kids! website. You can type in your zip code and see a two-day forecast. Will it be hotter or colder tomorrow than it is today? Is the temperature on the website's forecast the same as it is in your backyard? (Then type in grandma’s zip code in Florida to see what the weather is like for her today.)

An experiment with the thermometer

Try some experiments with a kitchen thermometer and water. Fill three different cups with water. In one, just have lukewarm water. In the second, add ice. Heat the third cup up on in the microwave (watch that it doesn’t get too hot for little hands!). Under your supervision, have your child find the temperature of each cup of water and record it. Show them how to write the temperature correctly. The more you use the thermometer, the more the numbers on it will mean something to your child. What other ideas do you have for math-related presents that the whole family can enjoy? We'd love to hear about them!]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/familiy-present-thermometer/feed 0 Tuesday Teacher Tips: How many inches of snow are we getting? http://www.dreambox.com/blog/how-many-inches-of-snow http://www.dreambox.com/blog/how-many-inches-of-snow#comments Wed, 22 Dec 2010 00:42:02 +0000 Lisa W http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=7207 Welcome to the Tuesday Teacher Tips series! Each week we’ll highlight teaching and learning resources, ideas to use in the classroom, as well as things to ponder as you go about your teaching day. With the current winter storm in my area, everyone is keeping their eye on the weather. Weather presents lots of opportunities for real-life math. How many inches of snow will there be? What's the temperature? What’s the wind chill factor? How many miles per hour is the wind blowing? Check out these websites to use with your students to learn about weather, and use a little math in the process!  Weather Channels Kids: From the Weather Channel. Among other things on the website, type in your zip code for a kid-friendly 2-day forecast. Then type in a California zip code. Compare the temperatures. Weather Wiz Kids: A site written by meteorologist, Crystal Wicker. Lots of excellent information, including a page on the various instruments used to measure weather! Web Weather for Kids: Includes weather safety tips, weather experiments, and definitions.  FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) for Kids: Information on how to prepare for a disaster (flood, hurricane, tornado, etc.), causes of disasters, and what to do if there is one. Videos, photos, Disaster Supply Kit recommendations, games, and lots of important information are included here. Do you have any weather websites you like to use in the classroom? We'd love to hear about them!]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/how-many-inches-of-snow/feed 0 Teaching Math Vocabulary http://www.dreambox.com/blog/teaching-math-vocabulary http://www.dreambox.com/blog/teaching-math-vocabulary#comments Wed, 15 Dec 2010 20:10:47 +0000 Sherry B http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=7147 Joseph was scared, even his knees were shaking. 10 is an even number.
    Our football team will face their opponent on Saturday. How many faces are on a polygon?

The language of mathematics

As you plan your next unit of math instruction, determine the relevant vocabulary you want to call out for your students. Create a “Math Words” class chart and add new words as they arise during instruction. Always explain the vocabulary by connecting its meaning to the learning experience.

What words your students should know

Check your district curriculum documents for terminology that your students are responsible for knowing. Once you’ve identified those words, you and your students can add these terms to your Math Words chart as students learn them in meaningful problem-solving contexts. For a list of examples, read our November Educator Newsletter. And remember - reinforcement is key! Continue to use the words repeatedly and encourage your students to use the vocabulary in discussions and in their writings. What methods do you use in your classroom or home to teach math vocabulary? Share your ideas with us - leave us a comment below!]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/teaching-math-vocabulary/feed 0 Supporting Math Learning: The Six DO's for Families and Teachers http://www.dreambox.com/blog/the-six-dos http://www.dreambox.com/blog/the-six-dos#comments Thu, 09 Dec 2010 22:10:19 +0000 Tracy H http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=7108 NCTM’s President’s Message, focuses on how to help your child or student with math. This instantly reminded me of doing homework after school, struggling with a math problem, and asking my mother for help. When she heard the problem she apologized–she couldn’t remember how to do the math I was working on. NCTM’s President, J. Michael Shaughnessy, offers some great advice to parents and teachers on how to support their children and students when they’re in need of math help. He encourages parents and teachers to “(1) Remember, mathematics is important, and we can all do it. (2) Work together as a team with your child—don’t show how to do it. (3) Investigate the NCTM resources that can provide assistance when helping your children with their math work.” Shaughnessy has provided a list of six DO’s for families and their math students to encourage math learning at school and at home:
  1. Be positive
  2. Link mathematics with daily life
  3. Make mathematics fun
  4. Learn about mathematics-related careers
  5. Have high expectations for your students
  6. Support homework—don’t do it!
We have a number of resources already on our site to get you started on your ‘do’ list. Starting with this very blog! Thanksgiving dinner math activities gives children real life opportunities to use math and these 7 cool jobs that require math learning may inspire your children to a future career. Share with us how you support your children or students! How do you make math engaging? Are your children interested in a career using math? Leave us a comment and let us know!]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/the-six-dos/feed 0 In Honor of Black History Month: 3 Great African American Mathematicians http://www.dreambox.com/blog/in-honor-of-black-history-month-3-great-african-american-mathematicians http://www.dreambox.com/blog/in-honor-of-black-history-month-3-great-african-american-mathematicians#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:22:10 +0000 Tracy http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=4739 Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase – Martin Luther King, Jr.

African American Mathematicians

Elbert Frank Cox

cox_elbert_african american mathematicans

Elbert Cox: First African American Ph.D. in Mathematics

Born in Evansville, Indiana, Elbert F. Cox demonstrated advanced ability in mathematics and physics at an early age. The close-knit Cox family fostered his interest in math – his father was a principal and from an early age, Cox was encouraged to develop his talents and get an education. Elbert Cox earned his A.B. at Indiana University in 1917 and, after serving in France during World War 1, he returned to pursue a career as a high school math teacher. In 1921, he applied for admission to Cornell University, which at the time was one of only seven American Universities with a mathematics Ph.D program. At Cornell, Cox's thesis adviser, William Lloyd Garrison Williams, realized Cox could be recognized not only as the first black person in the United States  to receive a mathematics Ph.D -- but the first in the world.  Williams persuaded Cox to send his thesis on to universities in other countries. Cox did. And after several universities in England and Germany turned him down, Japan's Imperial University of San Dei accepted the dissertation, making him the first black person in the world to earn a Ph.D. in Mathematics in 1925.

Dudley Weldon Woodard

DudleyWoodward-african american mathematicans

Dudley Woodward

Dudley Weldon Woodard was born on October 3, 1881 in Galveston, Texas. He was a curious young student and his family supported his thirst for knowledge. Woodard obtained his bachelor's degree in 1903 from Wilberforce College in Ohio and then went on to get an M.S. degree in mathematics at the University of Chicago in 1907. In 1928, he received his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania, making him the second African American to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. Woodard was very well-liked among his colleagues and students and highly respected in the mathematical sciences community. Leo Zippin, a recognized expert in Woodard's field, described him as "one of the noblest men I've ever known." Dr. Woodard lived his life they way he wanted to despite oppression – he ignored segregation signs, went into any men's restroom of his choice, and moved into an all-white community.

William Waldron Shieffelin Claytor

William Claytor

William Claytor

Claytor was born on January 4 in Norfolk, Virginia. He earned his A.B. and M.A. from Howard University and earned a Ph.D. from University of Pennsylvania in 1933. From the beginning of his academic career, Claytor was a brilliant student – while at Penn, he earned a Harrison Scholarship in Mathematics in his second year and later received a Harrison Fellowship in Mathematics, the most prestigious award offered at Penn in the 1930's. He was the third African American to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics and, after publishing his dissertation, the predominately African American West Virginia State College was the only school that offered him a faculty position. He went on to make presentations at the meetings of the American Mathematical Society, but was never allowed to stay in the same hotel where the presentations took place. Claytor continued to lead in his field of topology, the area of mathematics concerned with spatial properties, until he retired. Throughout his career, discrimination remained an obstacle. Looking back reminds us how far we've come and how far we have yet to go. Let's hear it for these mathematicians who pursued their passions despite segregation.  One last fact: the first African American woman to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics was Euphemia Lofton Haynes in 1943! Some information from: http://www.aaregistry.com]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/in-honor-of-black-history-month-3-great-african-american-mathematicians/feed 0 7 Dream Jobs That Require Math http://www.dreambox.com/blog/7-dream-jobs-that-require-math http://www.dreambox.com/blog/7-dream-jobs-that-require-math#comments Wed, 15 Jul 2009 22:00:41 +0000 Tracy http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=2480 These 7 cool jobs all require math learning

1. Animator

When watching balloons whisk a house away in Pixar's new summer movie Up, most of us weren't thinking about math. But in animation, math and art go together like peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. Trigonometry helps rotate and move characters, while algebra creates the special effects to make images shine. Even artists have to pay attention in math class!

2. Game Designer

Designing board or video games is a cool job. Who wouldn't want to playtest Candyland, Monopoly, or Clue? Every game designer needs to have a good grasp of game theory - a branch of applied mathematics. Aspiring video game programmers should also study trigonometry, physics, and calculus. Chances are, board game designers will need to know probability, even if they won't be designing math games.

3. Robotics Engineer

Robotics engineers design, test, and maintain robots! It's a growing industry and the employment outlook is sunny. Before you quit your day job and run off to design a house-cleaning robot, hit the math books. Most Robotics Engineers have a master's or doctorate. According to the article, "Learn About Robots" robotics may be the most inter-disciplinary of engineering endeavors.

4. Roller Coaster Designer

As you ride a roller coaster through loops, dives, and dips, you're busy wondering if you're going to lose your lunch, not calculating velocity. But there are many different curves in a coaster and roller coaster engineers need to understand the mathematical properties of these curves, as well as physics, kinematics, and material strength. Like all cool jobs, roller coaster design is competitive -- there are only 100 roller coaster design companies in the U.S.!

5. Jet Fighter Pilot

The thrilling life of a jet fighter pilot seems worlds away from the math classroom. Movies like "Top Gun," show pilots streaking through the sky in futuristic birds, not calculating how much fuel they have left or figuring out the direction and speed of the wind. But pilots have to complete major math problems on the fly, and when they're zipping through the air at 700 mph, math skills are life saving.

6. Sports Announcer

What is his batting average? How many bases has he stolen? When those sports personalities give the play-by-play, they have to pay attention to the numbers: percentages, player stats, the clock. And sports casting is done live, which means there's no room for errors.

7. Professional Photographer

We think of shutterbugs as artists, not mathematicians. But professional photographers need mad math skills. They have to calculate depth of field, determine the correct film speed, shutter speed, aperture, and exposure -- and more. And to capture the moment, they need to do it all in a matter of minutes. Who knew so much math went into one photograph?]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/7-dream-jobs-that-require-math/feed 1