Help for teachers and students!

My normal weekday night consists of planning for hours to prepare for the next day at school. My dearest hope is that my students are at home studying and practicing for as many hours as I am! I love when I come across tools that can be used inside and outside the classroom, than can aid both teachers AND students in accomplishing their goals.

Check out http://www.studyblue.com
It is a website where teachers are able to make digital flash cards. Some features...
*students can log in and practice with the pre-loaded cards the teacher creates
*students can take quizzes once they study and track their progress
*teachers can collaborate and share materials
*ready-to-print flash cards and review sheets are instantly created once the flashcards are made
*iPad and mobile app available
*students can be invited via email, social networks, or text messages
*class stats are recorded to help teachers assess progress
I just printed my first set of flashcards, ready for my kids to use tomorrow. Let's see how it goes!

today I saw a Tetracontakaihexigon....yeah okay....

My geometry student have been studying polygons. We are pretty familiar with triangles and octagons, but some multi-sided shapes can have wildly outrageous names. Talk about a tongue twister!




Polygon Names
Generally accepted names

Sides	Name
n	N-gon
3	Triangle
4	Quadrilateral
5	Pentagon
6	Hexagon
7	Heptagon
8	Octagon
10	Decagon
12	Dodecagon

Names for other polygons have been proposed.

Sides	Name
9	Nonagon, Enneagon
11	Undecagon, Hendecagon
13	Tridecagon, Triskaidecagon
14	Tetradecagon, Tetrakaidecagon
15	Pentadecagon, Pentakaidecagon
16	Hexadecagon, Hexakaidecagon
17	Heptadecagon, Heptakaidecagon
18	Octadecagon, Octakaidecagon
19	Enneadecagon, Enneakaidecagon
20	Icosagon
30	Triacontagon
40	Tetracontagon
50	Pentacontagon
60	Hexacontagon
70	Heptacontagon
80	Octacontagon
90	Enneacontagon
100	Hectogon, Hecatontagon
1,000	Chiliagon
10,000	Myriagon

To construct a name, combine the prefix+suffix

Sides Prefix 20 Icosikai... 30 Triacontakai... 40 Tetracontakai... 50 Pentacontakai... 60 Hexacontakai... 70 Heptacontakai... 80 Octacontakai... 90 Enneacontakai...

+

Sides Suffix +1 ...henagon +2 ...digon +3 ...trigon +4 ...tetragon +5 ...pentagon +6 ...hexagon +7 ...heptagon +8 ...octagon +9 ...enneagon

Examples:
46 sided polygon - Tetracontakaihexagon
28 sided polygon - Icosikaioctagon

(thanks math.com for the info!)

Internet Connections

My algebra classes have been practicing their skills using an awesome website called Khanacademy.org. They are able to watch videos, take quizzes, earn points and rewards, and even track their progress. If parents are stressed about being able to help their kids with math homework, Khanacademy is a great resource to watch videos and explore topics you haven't learned about in years. As a teacher, it has helped me find a new way to assess my students' learning. Check it out!khanacademy.org

Another website I have recently begun to explore is IXL.com  (cleverly named!) where there are hundreds of practice exercises to choose from. With the way information is being processed now-a-days, (with almost everything happening on-line!) it only makes sense that our kids' learning can be on-line and interactive as well. See for yourself here: IXL.com

Happy studying!

Interesting read... Check out this article!

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4312207

In the spirit of thanksgiving!

A large Thanksgiving banquet served between 500 and 600 people. The dinner rolls came in baker’s dozens (packages of 13). After everyone had been served a roll, there were a number of empty packages plus one open package with 10 rolls left. The pies for dessert had each been cut into ninths, and after everyone had been served a slice there were a number of empty pie
tins plus one pie tin with 4 slices left. The tables in the banquet hall each had
room for 15 guests. All of the tables, except one, were full.

How many people attended the banquet? How many people were seated at
the table that was not full? How many pies were there? How many packages
of rolls? 

Oh conspiracies...

While browsing the internet I came across this YouTube video from earlier this year.

Even if you can't sit through the 12 minutes, the claim is that the North Pole is moving at a rate of 160 miles every 6 moths. My algebra classes certainly have been working on conversions this year, so my question is, according to this claim, how many inches is the North Pole moving per second? Assume 30 days in a month.
Now whether or not you believe this is true, I'll leave up to you....

Some examples of geometry in everyday life!

Here are examples of geometry found around the classroom, presented by GC.

And here is an example of geometry found while watching hockey, made by RW.

These are just two examples of the amazing projects my geometry class presented last week. Great job class!

Who says geometry isn't everywhere??

In geometry, my students are currently working on a project where they get to pick a theme of their choice and find a series of 18 different geometric concepts encorporated into that theme. Well as I was strolling memory lane, I was looking at my wedding pics and came across this gem! How many geometric concepts can you find here?

I see.... Parallel lines cut by a transversal (in the lattice work in the frosting) and I also see 3 similar hexagons (congruent angles, different side lengths). Maybe later on in the semester we'll find its surface area and volume! Yum 

Constructions

In my geometry class, the students are learning about congruent figures. Any two triangles that have all three sides the same length, are considered congruent triangles! We are also learning how to use construction tools to prove these ideas. Watch this week's lesson here.....

Slope really does mean something....

I am constantly asked the question "What is this used for?" That same question came up yet again in our study of slopes. When we are so bogged down in crunching numbers and following procedures, we forget that numbers and variables represent real situations, and we need to be able to analyze the numbers and make sense of the problem in front of us. Can you answer the questions below? 

What does the slope of this line represent? What is the initial cost of a bike rental? How much would it cost to rent the bike all day? (Like...12 hours.... that's plenty of biking!)

Spirit week!

This week was Conant's SPIRIT WEEK and the students ( and faculty) have been getting really into the dress up days! Check out all of the tie-dye in my geometry class on decade day.

I think I blend in a little too well. This is our interpretation of the 70's!

Problem of the week!

My algebra classes have been working on positive and negative integers. This weekend I went mini-golfing and was inspired to do a little integer math with the score card. Answer these questions correct to earn some extra credit! 

1. What was my average score?

2. What was Mike's average score?

3. How many points above or below the adult par did I score?

4. How many points above or below the child's par did Mike score?

5. What was the difference of our scores mid-game?

6. For how many holes was I at exactly +5 above par?

7. How many holes did Mike score -2 below the child's par?

8. Who was the better golfer? :-)

Problem for this week!

My algebra classes have been studying their order of operations. Without careful calculations, you could end up with a wildly incorrect answer!! Try this tricky one.....

 

Submit an answer with calculations to receive extra credit!