Ah, summer. For kids, it’s the greatest time of year. No school, no multiplication tables, no scheduled break times. Just long, happy days in the sun. But what happens to children’s brains during that time of relaxation and fun? It’s a fact of life – during the summer months, young students will lose a certain…
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I was recently asked to bring a cake to a reception on very short notice. Luckily, I found this recipe for Olive Oil Cake by Marcella Hazan, for which I had all the ingredients. I had two small lemons left in the fridge, and I conveniently assumed that the zest of both of them will be equivalent to the “zest…
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“Geometry will draw the soul toward truth and create the spirit of philosophy.”—Plato. There is a widening gap between the effective teaching of geometry in elementary schools and the geometry skills students need in high school. Often, geometry tasks at the younger grades are limited to identifying shapes or labeling properties; in high school, students…
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Last week the first ever Julia Robinson Mathematics Festiva l was held in San Diego. What a great event celebrating the joy of math in a non-competitive atmosphere. About 70 students, mostly from grades 6-8, were in attendance. My favorite part was watching kids be comfortable enough to admit what they don’t remember, and figure…
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