HumaneMaths

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@ Ben I found this really nice piece on this link:  Click here ... And I was wondering what one can do with it! For middle school, this is great idea for the "thought project". Ask the students 'what if there no number?' and ask them to come up with answers after a brainstorm session in their groups. Share the pictures given on the page with them. Then ask each group to make a project that depicts life without numbers. For differentiation, let them decide how to present the project-as a play or charts or booklet or video or powerpoint...their choice. Creativity is their choice, content needs to be relevant to the question raised. I think it would be great for them to think how numbers sweep through our lives...

AIM Art has a universal appeal. Geometry has an inherent perfection and its own beauty. I thought that if a student works on geometry by creating a perfect form, it may bring perfection in the fingers that work upon the design! Also, one will learn to work with the tools of geometry – protractor, ruler and compass – and weave the beautiful creations… STRATEGY To be done in the Maths class on Thursdays.  The Thursday class was converted into project class. Pair work Each pair of students was given one geometric design They were asked first to figure out how it was done Using the geometry tools – ruler, compass, protractor, pencil – copy it to perfection ‘Colour it as you wish’. Convert it to an art piece! The  book used for taking the designs  was by Bruce Rawles (Sacred Geometry Design) CONCEPTS -  Geometrical constructions INSTRUCTIONS Figure out the geometry of a design given Copy it with perfection Colour it and turn it into a de...

Nature walk for symmetry Go for a walk outdoors with the class.  Everyone (including teacher) collects 3 items each of symmetric and non-symmetric objects. In the class, make a class mural; one of symmetric objects and the other of non symmetric.  Everyone sticks their own pieces, but in such a way that the placement is close to and in harmony with the 'whole'. What is the use? You get to walk Hands on work The group learns to work as a whole!

The students constructed a right triangle using their choice of Pythagorean triples. Then they cut it out. In pairs, they went around the school checking if the walls are aligned at right angles. They also checked if the floor and wall were aligned right all across.  Then they very politely presented their results to the principal, informing her where all the designing of the building is not 'mathematically accurate'!

Instructions Make the route that your school bus takes. Mark clearly the time at which it stops for each stop. Analyze it and see if you can spot problems that delay you (if it is true) Create a better route. Extended thinking Present both old and new routes to class clearly showing why your new route is better.  If you think the old route is fine, explain why! Life skills Connects students to real life. Analytic and graphical skills are called upon to make the new route.

Analyze and calculate how much your parents spend on you. On various items. No create a target budget for yourself that you can live on for a month. Report at the end of the month if you could. A student, realizing he spent too much, made his budget Rs 5000. Midway he realized he needed new black shoes and their was no money for them. But he was hellbent on sticking to his budget. He painted an old pair of coloured shoes black and wore them for the rest of the month. Tongue in cheek he told his mom "ma'am never noticed!" This project brings them in touch with money in real life. They also become aware of their own expenditure. And what else...who knows!

My maths biography Write your own biography of your life with maths.  When did you start?  What happened over the years?  How has your connection varied with change of classes? This is a very reflective exercise. Helps students to connect with their emotions for maths as a subject. Quite cathartic for those who are scared. The Language dominating students love it for they can show case their skills through this.

We required posters to advertise our annual MathFest. So we thought what better way than to make it a project! So we had a discussion with students on 'how to make a catchy poster'. They also surfed internet and spoke to adults at home wherever possible about it and off they went to make the best poster!  The school was filled with the posters. We got 1 project covered. The students learnt how to make catchy posters! Parents felt involved.  The artistic students got a chance to show off their skills. 

Maths and Designing project This was a class not interested in any ideas that I brought in the class. This project was a turning point. This is what I asked them: Design a logo with one line of symmetry. You can choose to design: On your life OR A fictional company. Explain why is that a good logo. Some of the samples I received: Logo for a shoe maker Logo on life

Presentation on Pythagoras Whenever research work is given in Maths, it must always have some boundaries and some area to freely explore.  I tried this in the research on Mathematicians. I wanted students to come closer to the 'who they were' of Maths without making it very pedantic.  I divided the class into groups and gave a name to each group without explaining anything. The names were: Pythagoras Ramanujam Euler Descartes Shakuntala Devi The task given to them was: Research them and find information as follows: WHO was he/she? WHAT did he/she do to be famous? WHERE was he/she born? WHY should we know about him/her? HOW was his/her childhood and later years? Any other information about him/her you find useful They had to get information that they could back up during the presentation. This ensured they did not go overboard and actually thought about what they were presenting. They had to work in groups to ensure collaboration. The choice of pre...

T his is a project that linked Maths, Drama and English.  I involved the Drama and English teachers also to work on this.  This is how I went about for this project! Students were given a Maths related story. 1 per group They converted it into a script with their group English teacher, Sabreena, helped teach writing a script Students worked in their group They prepared their drama They presented to the judges, Cathy, the drama teacher and her her students! The drama students gave feedback touched upon by Cathy The rubric consisted of solution for the Maths problem (assessed by me), quality of the script (assessed by Sabreena), drama (assessed by the drama teacher) and quality of cooperative work (self assessed by the group). For each criteria, we had discussed with students what we will cover.  For timeline, they worked on the Maths lesson every Thursday for the project (it was the last lesson). One of t...

Statistics lends itself very well to survey!  Choose a topic out of your passion Create a questionnaire based on it Conduct a survey Collate data as raw and frequency table Present it as graphs Analyze your findings. Give an original analyses The students used BBM, FB and of course Gmail for their survey. And of course - going to a mall and just asking people! I feel this brings them in touch with their passions and makes learning interesting. An original analyses helps to think analytically. The rest is maths skills!

My students are out in the field!  They are required to find someone from insurance company and learn how probability is used by them to calculate chance of dying.  They will ask the person to explain mortality table used by the company and how they calculate insurance premium using it.  Phew...I hope they learn something useful through this! I did a background work with them, grade 11.  Went over the meaning of probability and insurance.  We discussed why insurance is needed.  We also brain stormed a set of questions that they must ask the person they were going to meet.  Next they will show me the result of the interview - written/recorded/video taped.  Then we move forward with research and presentation of facts. 

As a part of HOUSEHOLD FINANCES, students were asked to find out how much they spend on '5 or more hot items' from their parents. Then they were asked to analyze their expenses and work out a new budget, with more or less expenses. They also had the option to keep the same budget. But they definitely had to justify their choice! We also played music with money songs. An interesting, fun-filled afternoon of chirpy 6th graders...

"Express the vocabulary of angles the way you wish" This was the instruction to grade 6.  Check out some stuff I got!   "I’m the smallest angle, acute, I’m from 0 to 90 degrees, Well, I know I’m too cute."   "I’m angle complete, I’m 360 degrees, I like to compete."   "I’m triangle acute, One of my angles in the triangle is from 0 to 90 degrees, I love wearing suits."

Algebra invites strange emotions! To make the topic enriching, I asked the children of grade 7 to make a CARTOON STRIP . It could be on teaching of algebra or feelings on algebra. It should: Be on paper – A4 size sheets. Any colour Cover few uses/feelings of Algebra (at least 3) Have at least 1 full A-4 page Show at least 2 people engaged in a chat RUBRIC: 15 marks Aesthetics – 5 Algebra expression – 5 Cartoon characterization – 5 It was interesting!

One of the most rewarding projects... after finishing quadrilaterals I asked the children to present the vocabulary of the 6 quadrilaterals in the form of a game/crossword/word search etc...their choice. Amazing response! ... Outflow of creativity. This student chose to create a beautiful display using Cross word as his tool. He had to think to present the clues for the vocabulary and thereby revised the entire Vocabulary of a topic where there are so many words to remember!

Project - line and rotational symmetry 1 a) You are a designer and have been hired to create eye appealing artwork for a company logo (you can decide what the company manufactures!). Your audience comprises of the company’s CEOs. Your situation is to design eye appealing artwork for the company logo. Your product performance and purpose is to identify and effectively use mathematics of symmetry to create an aesthetic company logo. b) Write in about 100 words justification for the logo. Explain the symbols used. How does it represent the product of the company? 2 a) Design a logo that represents of your life b) Write in about 100 words justification for the logo. Explain the symbols used. How does it represent your life? 3 a) Click pictures from life – flowers, cut fruits, people etc and show the symmetry existent in nature. b) Write in about 100 words “symmetry adds to the beauty of nature” RUBRIC – 20 marks Aesthetics of the design- 5 Use of symmetry – 10 Paragra...

“HOW MUCH OF A NEWSPAPER IS REALLY NEWS?”  Task: Select a newspaper – the main paper only (no supplements) ·  Make list of 6 types of content categories contained in the newspaper-News;Advertisements;Photographs;Entertainment;Sports;Weather ·  Choose at least 2 pages of the newspaper (you may take more) ·  Measure the area covered by each category TOTAL AREA OF ALL CATEGORIES  Now find what % is each category area of the total area? PRESENTATION ·  Present initial work on this sheet only. ·  Bring the newspaper that you have used also. ·  Attach the R.W sheet with this sheet ·  Final presentation artistic on a colour paper THOUGHTS TO REFLECT: § IS YOUR NEWSPAPER MOSTLY ADVERTISEMENT? §  Che...