A matter of location
Monica Kochar
What is GPS or the Global Positioning System? How does it work? How and why is it useful? Find out how a little bit of math helps the GPS work.
Monica Kochar
What is GPS or the Global Positioning System? How does it work? How and why is it useful? Find out how a little bit of math helps the GPS work.
Monica Kochar
Pythagoras is most popular for the Pythagorean theorem. But this great mathematician has contributed a lot more to the field of mathematics than just prove and popularize a theorem that is not even his!
Monica Kochar
How many students have you come across that fear math? This fear is the result of, knowingly or unknowingly, reinforcing the belief that math is a difficult subject and that math teachers are strict. As teachers it is up to us to make the subject accessible to all students and this we will be able to do when we understand that math need not interest all students and therefore we need to find ways to bringing the subject to them through their interests–be it sports, art, language or music.
Monica Kochar
Is there only one single rule to multiplying numbers? Does one always have to start with the number on the right and keep going left? Well here’s news. If you know your place values well, no rules need apply. Try multiplying from the top to the bottom, from left to right and see if you get the correct answer.
Monica Kochar
Why is it that while doing division, we hide the digit to check the first digit? Is it because our teacher taught us this way? However, it is time to ask ‘ why’.The author goes to tell us that algorithm without logic is murder. Read on to find out why.
Monica Kochar
Fun experiments explained in this article can help children understand ‘probability’. Taken from television game shows, these experiments test your skills and intelligence with the probability of winning or losing. Try them out in your class.
Monica Kochar
How can you teach sets and venn diagrams without defining these terms until the children have understood the concepts? Here’s how.
Monica Kochar The market is flooded with learning material for primary and middle school maths lessons. However, for senior classes the question remains – what is the best design for the lessons? This article is an attempt to answer that question. I have taken the topic of mathematical induction, for this is what students find difficult to grasp. ‘What exactly is happening here?’ is a question one hears often! The principle is taught followed by problem solving. Hardly anyone knows the reasoning! Designing the lesson for senior classes Step 1 – Modelling problem Always begin a topic with a modelling problem. A modelling problem is based on real life and requires the use of maths in solving it. No formulas or formal terminology comes in at this point. Let the students use any method. Our first objective is to get them thinking. Strategy a. Divide students into groups of 4-5 (this ensures that no one is left behind). b. Instruct each group to look out for its members and help where needed. c. Hand out the following problem: A post office sells stamps of 3p and 5p only. The minimum postage required in the city is 8p. The official proudly says “any postage above 8p can be paid using a combination of 3p and 5p stamps” or 3a+5b where a and b are whole numbers, 0 to ∞. Check if he is right. Use any method to solve this. d. Spend about 5 minutes discussing the problem. If needed, give a small hint. Check for a few numbers: 8=3+5 (one of 3 and one of 5) or 3a+5b 9=3+3+3 (three of 3 and none of 5) or 3a+5b 10=5+5 (none of 3 and two of 5) or 3a+5b e. Set your timer to 20 minutes so that students stay focussed. If possible, display the timer where everyone can see it or ask a student in each group to be the time keeper. f. After 20 minutes, ask each group how far they went. If a group solved the problem, then let them share it with the whole class. g. If no one could solve it, teacher could give more time or move on with hints and solution. (Hints for the teacher) After checking for 8, 9, and 10, check if the next cluster also shows the same combination 11=3+3+5=3a+5b 12=3×4=3a+5b 13=3+5+5=3a+5b It does! Check for the next cluster of 3 numbers 14, 15, 16…it will work! Step 2 – Reasoning Strategy a. Teacher to explain
Monica Kochar
Tangrams–a simple 7 piece puzzle but a wonderful teaching aid. Learn how you can use tangrams to as a teaching aid.
Monica Kochar
Normally a teacher gives lectures in class and then asks children to do some work at home to reinforce the learning. How will it be if a teacher decided to flip this process?
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