Build Math Confidence   May 2015 Volume 72
Common Core Math for Parents
According to the Introduction, "this book is your guide to math class in the 21st century".  The Common Core standards, designed to promote college and career readiness, specify what students should learn in each grade (for example, volume of a prism is found in Grade 5 Geometry).  
Author Christopher Danielson is passionate about Math and Math education as a current community college prof and a former middle school teacher.  He explains the benefits of the Common Core and how parents can help their kids with Math including Understanding Homework Assigments and Ten (or so) Proven Ways to Support Math at Home.
The Ikea Box Method: Teaching Exponential Functions


This month, we covered exponential function in Math Modeling (College Algebra) class and I wanted to think of a way to connect with students.  I stumbled upon this amazing TED Video by Hans Rosling on Global Population Growth, Box by Box from which we used the stats 1960: 3 billion world population 2010: 7 billion. Mr. Rosling represented every billion people with:an Ikea Box (see below).  We used the method above to find annual growth rate of 1.7% over that 50 year period.  
According to the United Nations News Centre, the world population is expected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050 which means the growth rate will slow to 0.8% but as Mr. Rosling a founder of Gapminder says, if we want to help people out of poverty and improve quality of life and longevity, we must slow the population growth rate even more.
Hans Rosling on Global Population Box by Box

Click on the image or here to view the TED talk that inspired this month's lesson on exponential functions.
Brain Teaser

Here is the Math/logic brain teaser that took the Internet by storm in mid-April:

 

Albert and Bernard just became friends with Cheryl, and they want to know when her birthday is. Cheryl gives them a list of 10 possible dates: May 15 May 16 May 19 June 17 June 18 July 14 July 16 August 14 August 15 August 17


 

Cheryl then tells Albert and Bernard separately the month and the day of her birthday respectively. Albert: I don't know when Cheryl's birthday is, but I know that Bernard does not know too.

Bernard: At first I don't know when Cheryl's birthday is, but I know now.

Albert: Then I also know when Cheryl's birthday is.

So when is Cheryl's birthday?


Click here for the question and solution to April's Brain Teaser 
(answer: 11 seconds)

 

Thanks, Robin the Math Lady Schwartz

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