Maths Vocabulary

I found Cav's blog postal service 'Vocabulary in addition to maths are non mutually exclusive' actually interesting in addition to it got me thinking most activities in addition to instruction techniques related to maths vocabulary.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 instruction tool that tin last used regularly throughout the twelvemonth is a source).

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Edit: 11/11/15

Since writing this postal service terminal twelvemonth I've seen lots of groovy resources for developing vocabulary. I especially similar the Literacy Assessments featured inwards vocabulary noesis survey. When y'all showtime instruction a topic, do a listing of the novel words that volition last used in addition to inquire students to consummate a nautical chart showing their agreement of those words.  Repeat the activeness subsequently to come across the improvement inwards agreement - I've non tried this myself however but I intend it would generate merely about useful questions equally good equally boosting pupil confidence.

In my postal service on source).

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Edit: 11/11/15

Since writing this postal service terminal twelvemonth I've seen lots of groovy resources for developing vocabulary. I especially similar the Literacy Assessments featured inwards Area in addition to Volume I suggested these maths vocabulary exercises which brand for overnice 'end of term' lessons.  Here's an illustration of an activeness from this pack:

Here's merely about to a greater extent than links that y'all powerfulness detect useful:

• The Maths Magpie has created these great Maths Vocabulary Activities
• A listing of primal words for Key Stage 3
• Another vocabulary activity - maybe an choice to the noesis survey described above
• Exercises amongst a Mathematics Dictionary 
• Background reading 'Building Mathematical Vocabulary' past times Dr Madeline Kovarik

I was of late talking to a highly intelligent in addition to articulate Year xiii pupil who said that she hated it when her instructor asked her to 'speak maths'. I asked her to elaborate. She said that when questioning the class, the instructor expected answers that used appropriate maths vocabulary - in addition to fifty-fifty this pupil (who'll last off to Oxbridge inwards September) constitute this daunting.  We demand to address this effect from a immature age.  One tip is to ever require pupils to respond questions inwards total sentences instead of merely numbers or words - from main schoolhouse onwards. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 rattling unproblematic illustration - inwards response to the interrogation 'what do nosotros telephone telephone a polygon amongst 8 sides?', don't convey the respond 'octagon' - inquire for a total judgement such equally 'An 8-sided polygon is called an octagon' to larn pupils used to 'speaking maths' from an early on historic current (source).

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Edit: 11/11/15

Since writing this postal service terminal twelvemonth I've seen lots of groovy resources for developing vocabulary. I especially similar the Literacy Assessments featured inwards Gems 43. I also constitute the source).

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Edit: 11/11/15

Since writing this postal service terminal twelvemonth I've seen lots of groovy resources for developing vocabulary. I especially similar the Literacy Assessments featured inwards activity below worked good amongst my Year 7s.

Here's my take away to literacy inwards maths lessons:

5 Maths Gems #6

introducing calculus, a post nearly starters together with teaching inequalities together with a calendar of maths educational activity conferences. I've also added novel bits together with pieces to my resource libraries together with homeworks page. I've withal flora fourth dimension for Twitter - here's this week's highlights.

1. Geogebra

For those of us who are likewise busy or non techy plenty to make clever things alongside Geogebra, in that location are really helpful people who make it for us. I've mentioned Mathimation before. Here’s a few to a greater extent than interactive teaching tools that receive got been shared on Twitter recently:

• Custom Cuboid by @the_chalkface allows you lot to highlight specific cuboid faces - this is a helpful tool when teaching the surface surface area together with book of cuboids. 
• @TheMathsTeach gives us interactive circle theorems for students to explore. Each Geogebra worksheet has uncomplicated instructions together with questions - students tape their findings on the Student Conjecture Sheet.
• Parts of a Circle by @Mr_Mathematics is great for exploring circle vocabulary.

2. Two Superb Resources

I encounter a hell of a lot of skillful maths resources inwards my resource-addled life, but every right away together with and then I encounter ane that is absolutely superb. This calendar week was groovy because I discovered 2 such resources.

Ben Tanner (A level, my students flora them really useful for testing each other both inwards flat together with at home.

Extract from GCSE revision cards - tannermaths.co.uk

Chris Smith (@aap03102) produces a vivid weekly newsletter total of fantastic maths teaching ideas - if you lot don't already subscribe together with then email him right away to learn on the mailing list. This calendar week he tweeted nearly his relay races because they passed 100,000 downloads on TES. I can't believe that I, the resourceaholic, receive got never seen these before.

I've used revision relays alongside my classes earlier together with they've ever worked really well, therefore I'll definitely live using these release puzzle races. There are 10 relays hither including ane for Halloween, ane for Christmas together with ane for Easter. That's terminate of term sorted then.

Extract from Halloween Relay Race - Chris Smith on TES

The 100,000 downloads got me thinking nearly how many maths teachers in that location are inwards the UK. First I started thinking nearly how many schools in that location are together with how many maths teachers per school, but together with then I thought it mightiness live easier to outset from how many teenagers in that location are inwards the UK. This reminded me of a undertaking interview I ane time had. Now here's a story for your students if they ever inquire when they'll demand maths.

During my lastly twelvemonth at academy I had an interview for a graduate undertaking equally a administration consultant at PwC. I'd already done a summertime internship at KPMG therefore was feeling fairly confident. The pick solar daytime started alongside a maths examine much similar this one. After the examine I had dejeuner inwards a conference room alongside the other candidates. An administrator came inwards after dejeuner to denote who had failed the maths examine (the unsuccessful candidates had to learn out at that indicate - an awkward 2d for all). I survived the cutting together with proceeded to a bizarre undertaking interview.

The interviewer asked me how many planes were inwards the heaven at that moment. He wanted an actual number, non merely a method. Once I'd had a learn (starting point: how many airports inwards the world) he together with then asked me to reply ane time to a greater extent than using a dissimilar method, therefore I did (starting point: world's population). He together with then asked for some other method. We went through the same procedure for 'how many babies were born inwards the Britain yesterday?'. I intend I did a reasonably skillful undertaking of answering these questions - us mathematicians are skillful at lateral thinking. The lastly interrogation inwards the interview was nearly how I would mensurate the peak of a edifice using merely a barometer. I gave a few sensible answers but he kept asking for more. He stopped when I gave an utterly ridiculous reply which I won't acknowledge to hither (if you're coming the conference inwards 2 weeks, inquire me then). Moral of the story - maths together with occupation solving skills learn you lot far. You never know what you'll live asked inwards a undertaking interview. And don't live the somebody sent dwelling identify at lunch.

3. Two Superb Websites
@dazmck shared the website 'That Quiz' which allows you lot to laid complimentary online tests together with homeworks inwards a broad gain of topics from Key Stage three to H5N1 level. It alone takes a infinitesimal to brand a examine together with e-mail the URL to your students. They learn instant feedback on their answers (either throughout the quiz or at the end). They also learn an chance to right their mistakes. There are a release of settings but it's ridiculously tardily to use.

thatquiz.org menu

If you lot register (which takes roughly 5 seconds) you lot tin also collect your students' scores online. Here's an instance of a box plot examine question:

Example interrogation from thatquiz.org

This website is therefore incredibly helpful together with tardily to use, it reminds me of some other groovy website - Form Time Ideas. This is past times far the best tutor fourth dimension resources I've seen. It's beautifully designed together with tardily to use. The content is location on together with it changes every day. Websites that salve fourth dimension are a god-send for busy teachers.

formtimeideas.com

4. Words to Avoid
Twitter had me inwards stitches this week. @taylorda1 tweeted nearly something he'd said inwards a lesson that his students had flora amusing. Most teachers receive got made slips similar this - they tin stimulate a lot of disruption!

The conversation that followed this tweet was really funny. For the sake of novel or trainee teachers, here's a listing of things to avoid maxim inwards maths lessons:

• In probability, don't toss a money together with learn a head. In a room total of teenagers, far amend to flip a money together with learn a tail.
• Avoid examples involving 'balls inwards a bag'. 'Discs inwards a bag' tin live merely equally problematic if non said clearly. Try counters instead.
• Also inwards probability, live careful how you lot country 'the or rule'.
• When writing on the board make non shorten the give-and-take cumulative. Cum freq is probable to stimulate a stir.
• Don't brand c proportional to k (c∝k).
• Careful what you lot country (and how you lot gesture) when talking nearly enlargements, top heavy fractions together with going downwardly the release line.
• Be prepared for giggles if an reply is 69.
• Avoid having refer to 'the d' or maxim 4q ('4q too!').
• We can't avoid f(x) but live prepared for 'f off' silliness. Avoid f(u).
• When writing page numbers on the board, beware of p155.
• Don't country cos. Say cosine. Cos Omac is an insult together with for sure non suitable for a maths lesson if whatever of your students speak Arabic!

Thanks to all the tweeters who contributed to this list.

It plant both ways. I had to stifle my young giggles when I attended a Year 13's verbalize on the dangers of fracking.

There's to a greater extent than 'dirty mathematics' here.

5. Calligrams
@edsouthall tweeted some of these Minimal Math Concepts.

I beloved these together with was really pleased to discovery that you lot tin purchase them equally a sheet or framed impress - some other affair for my christmas list! I've added this to my mathsy gifts page.

@tessmaths shared her lovely thought for a flat activity on Maths Calligrams. A calligram is a phrase or give-and-take inwards which the text is arranged inwards a agency that creates a visual image. The epitome created past times the words expresses visually what the give-and-take says. This could live incorporated into a main or secondary maths lesson - give students a listing of maths vocabulary together with inquire them to create pictures to assist agreement together with recall.

Maths Calligram by @JonTrebyAAN

I promise you've flora some of these ideas helpful. I'm taking requests for futurity resources posts therefore if there's a detail theme you'd similar me to feature, delight email or tweet me.

5 Maths Gems #10

Have yous ever wondered where the give-and-take mathematics comes from? Me neither. But this is genuinely quite interesting:

Latin mathematica was a plural noun, which is why mathematics has an -s at the goal fifty-fifty though nosotros utilization it equally a singular noun. Latin had taken the give-and-take from Greek mathematikos, which inwards plough was based on mathesis. That word, which was also borrowed into English linguistic communication but is at nowadays archaic, meant "mental discipline" or "learning", particularly mathematical learning. The Indo-European root is mendh- "to learn." Plato believed no 1 could survive considered educated without learning mathematics. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 polymath is a someone who has learned many things, non only mathematics (source: Math Forum).

So my beau polymaths, here's my weekly maths gems. Creative maths teaching ideas, inspired past times the bully minds of Twitter.

1. Etymology

On Tuesday developing maths vocabulary before but at nowadays I possess got a novel thought to share.

There's bully value inwards talking to students most the etymology (origin) of mathematical words equally they arise. It helps students brand connections together with builds on their agreement of mathematics. Our role equally teachers is to enrich our students' lives alongside knowledge, together with noesis of etymology is both interesting together with important. This fantastic article (a must read!) says "Etymology provides a security internet of de-mystification. When all the words yous involve heed are novel together with confusing, or when those around yous set sometime words to foreign purposes, a grounding inwards etymology may help".

Thanks to @CParkinson535 for telling me most etymonline.com. I've taken the next excerpts from this website, only to give yous an thought of the sort of affair yous could part alongside your students:

• hexagon (n.) 1560s, from Latin hexagonum, from Greek hexagonon, from hex "six" + gonia "angle" (see knee).
• locus (n.) (plural loci), 1715, "locality," from Latin locus "a place, spot, position," from Old Latin stlocus, literally "where something is placed," Mathematical feel past times 1750.
• vector (n.) "quantity having magnitude together with direction," 1846; before "line joining a fixed dot together with a variable point," 1704, from Latin vector "one who carries or conveys, carrier" (also "one who rides"), agent substantive from past times participle stalk of vehere "carry, convey" (see vehicle). 
• binomial 1550s (n.); 1560s (adj.), from Late Latin binomius "having ii personal names," a hybrid from bi- (see bi-) + nomius, from nomen. Taken upward 16c. inwards the algebraic feel "consisting of ii terms."

Thanks also to @the_chalkface for sharing the listing of words below, most of which I'd never heard of. Although nosotros should e'er endeavour to utilization accurate mathematical vocabulary when we're teaching, some of these words may survive a footstep equally good far!

2. Plickers

I've never paid much attending to interactive voting systems before because my schoolhouse doesn't ain the necessary devices. The thought is that students simultaneously respond to a multiple alternative query or sentiment poll using a wireless system. The instructor tin terminate get together together with analyse their responses instantly.

I can't give my ain sentiment on their effectiveness equally a teaching tool, but benefits are listed here as: improved attentiveness, increased noesis retention; poll anonymously (unlike a demonstrate of hands); runway private responses; display polling results immediately; practice an interactive together with fun learning environment; confirm audience agreement of fundamental points immediately; get together information for reporting together with analysis. So they are similar to mini-whiteboards for formative assessment, but they possess got some clear advantages. The primary disadvantage is the buy together with maintenance cost. 

posts most Plickers lately together with am keen to assay it out. Plickers is a free app for your telephone or tablet. Print together with distribute voting cards and enquire students to concord upward their menu inwards the right orientation to betoken their answer. Scan the room alongside your telephone to collect the data. You tin terminate charge upward questions together with students' names on the user-friendly Plickers website. 

I've read some bully ideas to brand this locomote good inwards maths. One is to permanently stick the cards to the dorsum of students' books (from blog post. It plant similar this: practice a true/false board inwards your classroom together with stick a disputation on it that represents a mutual misconception. Underneath the query are ii modest whiteboards - 1 for students to write their refer if they retrieve the disputation is true, the other for students who retrieve the disputation is false. What I similar most this thought is that students tin terminate easily switch their respond from 1 board to the other if they larn something that changes their mind. At the goal of the calendar week the respond is revealed together with discussed. Helpfully, Amy's postal service provides some representative statements to acquire yous started.