DCBEAGLE Challenges
BEYOND THE TEXTBOOK – Maths Week IrelandDouglas Buchanan ~ [email protected] ~ www.dcbeagle.com ~ @dcbeagle1Here's How To Get Kids Excited About Math (Yes, It's Possible!)
Nigel Nisbet obtained a maths degree in London and is now teaching in the United States:
“I'll never forget my first day as a high school teacher in America. My dream was pretty simple: Mold eager minds into future science, technology, engineering and math leaders who will help define the 21st century.
My reality was a little different.
….. I discovered that most of my students were repeating basic algebra—some for the third time—and many struggled with even routine elementary math problems. They'd switched off to math long before I met them”
Do read his inspirational blog and also watch his TEX presentation to see how he changed his ways in approaching maths teaching. Puzzle of the week (another H E Dudeney infamous conundrum)
Moo! Moo! "Supposing," said my friend Farmer Hodge, "that cow of mine to have a she calf at the age of two years, and supposing she goes on having the like every year, and supposing everyone of her young to have a she calf at the age of two years, and afterwards every year likewise, and so on. Now, how many do you suppose would spring from that cow and all her descendants in the space of twenty-five years?" I understood from Hodge that we are to count from the birth of the original cow, and it is obvious that the family can produce no feminine beef or veal during the period stated. Spatial Awareness
Tantrix – a great game involving hexagons with lines running through them. Many activities and at the bottom are puzzles using the Shockwave app. Tangrams online – covering all age groups. Paper and Pencil games and puzzles
With the simplicity of using just a sheet of paper and a pencil there is an unlimited number of games and activities (for all ages). An ideal approach for “wet breaks”, isolation at home, involving the family. Six Strategic Pen-and-Paper Games (from a Strange and Bottomless Mind) – six activities for all ages Math Pickle – several activities all accompanied by a presentation and printable material. Puzzle of the month solution
A question of transport Note the following series of numbers, first considered by Leonardo Fibonacci (born at Pisa in 1175), who practically introduced into Christian Europe our Arabic numerals: 0, 1, 1,2,3,5, 8, 13,21,34, ... , 46,368. The twenty-fifth term is 46,368, and if we add all the twenty-five terms or years together we get the result, 121,392, as the correct answer. But we need not do that addition. When we have the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth terms we simply say (46,368 multiplied by 2) plus 28,657 equals 121,393, from which we deduct 1. Maths books in the library When I did some school inspecting the disappointment was in the library with the lack of books related to maths. In this site Intention Family Life, the author lists some books for you to discover. They are suitable for 8 – 12 year olds. The Rabbit Problem by Emily Gravett
What’s the Angle, Pythagoras? by Julie Ellis
The Librarian who measured the Earth by Kevin Hawks
Sir Cumference and the Fraction Faire by Cindy Neuschwander
The Multiplying Menace Divides by Pam Calvert
….. and several more Final Words
Do remember the date 22/2/22 is looming! | 
So, the area of quadrant computes as 3119.75 m2 . This is the maximum area that Brigid could enclose. This would leave Of course, she (and your pupils) might argue that
