Shapes have fascinated humans since the beginning of time. The polyhedra, or solid shapes with flat polygonal faces, is one of such shapes. One of the most appealing types of polyhedra is the icosahedron, most likely due to its high degree of symmetry. In the image above, you can see that the view from the…
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Summer Math Loss – How to Fight It and Prepare for the Coming School Year
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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Lemon Zest and the Surface Area of a Sphere
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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Is Geometry the Unsung Hero of Mathematics Instruction?
“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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