Marvelous Math with Mrs. Rose

In honor of Digital Learning Day, I’m asking a group of my students who have been exploring different numeration systems to respond to these questions by posting a comment on my Math blog:

What are similarities and differences that you’ve found between our Base 10 Number System and the “Land of Treble’s” Base 3 Number System?

Please share an interesting fact that you’ve discovered about the Ancient Egyptian Number System.

I’m looking forward to chatting with parents on ways to nurture their children’s interest in Mathematics at Ryerson’s PTO Meeting on January 10th at 7 pm.

We’ll discuss ways to encourage and motivate all students with a special emphasis on encouraging our girls in the Mathematics and Science fields.

Please feel free to join us at 7 pm in the Math Lab at Ryerson tonight!

Ruth W. Rose, Math Specialist
Ryerson & Island Avenue Schools

It’s so GOOD to be back in school, especially after the very challenging delay caused by Hurricane Irene!

Thanks to all of you who have let me know how you had fun with Math over the summer by returning your Summer Math Forms!  Thanks, especially to Jon, Chloe, and Shane, who left me comments on this Math blog over the summer telling me what Math games and websites they were enjoying!

Here’s a reminder to all students at Ryerson and Island Avenue Schools~~~if you haven’t yet brought your form in to school telling  how you had fun with Math over the summer, please do it now!

Thanks so much!

Mrs. Rose,  Math Specialist

Don’t forget to have fun with MATH this summer!

For ideas on creative math games and wonderful websites to sharpen your mathematical skills, please click 2011 Summer Math Packet June .  Don’t forget to complete the sheet entitled,  ”Ten Ways I Practiced Math During the Summer of 2011″  to bring to your teacher next year!  This sheet is included in the online Summer Math Fun Packet.

Also, please leave me a comment below on ways you’ve had  fun with MATH this summer.   I’d love to hear from you! 

Warmly,

Mrs. Rose

Try these websites; some of my favorites for fraction practice.  Just click on the game you’d like to try:

EQUIVALENT FRACTIONS

FRACTION GAME

FRACTION MODELS

TUG TEAM FRACTIONS GAME

This last one (Tug Team Fractions) is especially fun because you can race your friends online–or join public games in Cyberspace–as you practice fluency with fractions!  I’ve introduced this one to lots of students in the Computer Lab, who just love it!

Let me know what you think!

Mrs. Rose

Have you tried any of the websites listed on the masthead?  Just click on “Wonderful Websites” to try a few of my favorites.

What are YOUR favorites?  Please leave a comment below to let me know which ones you visited and which Math games you enjoyed.

Have FUN with MATH!

Mrs. Rose

June 2010

Dear Parents and Families,

Summertime is a great time to help children investigate mathematical concepts, as well as to revisit basic math facts, in a variety of exciting ways.  Playing board games, telling math stories, and using technology are just a few fun ways to help our students retain their number sense and to further develop their fact fluency.

We’ve put together some activities for families to enjoy over the summer—whether it’s to support basic number sense or to provide mathematical enrichment.  This packet, entitled: “Summer Math Fun:  Put Some Math In Your Summer” is available at each of the elementary school websites, as well as our district website.  It can also be accessed electronically by clicking here on:  2010 Summer Math Packet June.  Please make a commitment to your child’s developing math sense this summer by trying some of these marvelous math activities—and have fun in the process! 

As you do this, please complete the form, “Ten Ways I Practiced Math During the Summer” (contained in the packet), with your child and return this to the Math Specialist at your elementary school at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.  If you would prefer a hard-copy of this Math packet, please stop by the office at any of our elementary schools.

          Happy Learning!  Best wishes for a safe, fun-filled, mathematical summer!

        Ruth W. Rose,  Math Specialist                          

       Island Avenue School and K. H. Ryerson School               

        E-Mail:  roser@madison.k12.ct.us  

        Blog:      http://blogs.madisonct.org/roser                                    

        District Website:   http://www.madison.k12.ct.us/

Please check the link to “Wonderful Websites,” found in the banner at the top of this page for exciting ways to practice Math facts online.  I update these links frequently, adding our students’  current favorites.

For those of you searching for more interesting and fun ways to develop fluency with multiplication facts, try visiting www.multiplication.com.  My students are currently really enjoying the “Grand Pix” racing game of multiplication facts at:  http://www.multiplication.com/flashgames/GrandPrix.htm  (You can click on these links directly here, or go to the “Wonderful Websites” page.)

Students: remember to always ask an adult for permission to go online to practice fact fluency at these sites. . . and adults: why not join in the fun?

Please leave a comment below to let me know your favorite  Math websites, after exploring the links that I’ve selected on the “Wonderful Websites” page.  Have fun!

Now that many of our students have been practicing multiplication online, are you ready for division?  Click HERE to try Division Drag Race!!!

(Students at Island Avenue School proudly show off their “Yeti.”)

Recently, second graders at both Island Avenue and Ryerson Schools applied what they had learned  about  mathematical measurements and proportions to create a model “Yeti,” or “rock monster.”

Using information that they had read about the mythical creature, the students determined that the measurement of the Yeti’s footprint was in a ratio of 2:1 to their own footprints.  They then generalized that all of the creature’s body parts would be twice as large as their own, so they measured their own body parts in centimeters and then doubled these measurements.  With a partner, each student created a body part, using what they know about measurements, along with their own creative vision of the Yeti, to collaboratively create the model.

This project was completed as part of a unit called, “What’s the ME in Measurement All About?,” part of the “Mentoring Mathematical Minds” (M3) Program.  Great fun—and great Math learning—was had by all.

If you’re at Ryerson, be sure to look for the Yeti, which is displayed in the main entryway of the school.  As you’ll see, he’s taller than the ceiling!  (The model at Island will soon be on display as well.)

What do you think about this creature, which folktales tell lives in the Himilayan Mountains?  Is the Yeti fact or fiction?  Please leave a comment below!

(Ryerson students display their Yeti.)