Tag: lessons
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If the sun is an 8 foot diameter balloon, what is Pluto?
Artifacts The following clips are cribbed from Nova: The Pluto Files in which Neil deGrasse Tyson sets up a model of the heavenly bodies of our solar system, comparing their sizes relative to the sun and each other. Not all of the clips were able to be chopped to give the appropriate bleep sound. So we…
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Hot Rod Quadratics: Let’s jump this jump!
Artifact Hot Rod is one of those movies that’s incredibly dumb the first time watching it. The second time watching it, it’s still incredibly dumb, but it gets funnier with each passing viewing. It’s basically just an excuse for Andy Samberg to to Andy Samberg things for 90 minutes. I’m ok with that. Anyway, this…
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Let them get it wrong: Caloric Quandary
Artifact & Facilitation I must have cylinders on the brain. Maybe because they’re actually one of the few traditional geometric shapes that we actually interact with on a regular basis? Maybe it’s because they’re readily measured? Anyway, here have a Coke can and one of those mini-Coke cans. Though it’s dependent on you exactly what…
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What? How do YOU spend your two-hour school delays?, Water Content in a Snow Cylinder
As anyone in town for NCTM in Denver know, it’s been a bit snowy here this week. In fact, Fort Collins just had its biggest snowfall of the year. But how big? We had a two hour school delay this morning as my daughter and I were greeted by this on our back doorstep. “Wow…
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Evaluating energy efficiency claims
Artifact This (or other) energy efficient light bulb package(s). So many opportunities here, depending on how targeted you want to be. Or, if you prefer, what kind of problem you plan to facilitate. There’s a clear nod to systems of linear equations (when one compares the time of payoff). There’s also an opportunity for some…
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Sprinklers, Circles, Sectors and such (my first real foray into Geogebratubing)
First off, I basically stole this from @NatBanting. And when I say “basically”, I mean “entirely.” Here’s the original blog post where you can see his frustratingly boob-shaped backyard. I tried to video my backyard but I didn’t have a good ladder to get a good vantage point. And my roof is terrifyingly steep. And…
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Why doesn’t Nike+ use math to encourage me to run?
Artifact The Nike+ app, which at the end of my run the other day, looked like this: (editor’s note: yes, I’m slow. Thank you for noticing. Also, along with some encouragement in data format, I had Tim Tebow give me words of encouragement for bettering my pace.) Now, there are a lot of numbers here, but…
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Red Solo Cup / I Lift You Up / Let’s Find the Volume! / Let’s Find the Volume!
Hat tip to @mathhombre. Artifact The red Solo cup, apparently. Guiding Questions What are those little markings between 12 oz and “Top Me Off, Bro”? Can you use proportions to find it? Similar polygons? Volume? Help me out here. Can I have a ruler? Can I use Geogebra to diagram this? Wait, can’t I just…
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“Equation Ratscrew”
I used to love “Egyptian Ratscrew” (also called “Egyptian Rat Slap” for the more easily offended I suppose). We used to play it all the time in my Physics/Calculus class. It combined the speed of “Speed” with the ferocity of “Spoons” without all the injuries. True, I’m guessing “Equation Ratscrew” won’t engender quite the excitement…
emergent math 