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The Ultimate Middle School Math Movie

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October Sky Middle School Math MovieThe only movie that I ever show in my math classroom is October Sky.  It is a fantastic movie not only because of the inspiring story of Homer Hickam, but also because of the messages it presents to students to work hard and to never give up.  Oh yes, the importance of MATH is also highlighted in the movie in several scenes.

In this post I will give an overview of the movie, highlight some of the teachable moments, and explain how I have used October Sky as a source of inspiration and enjoyment in my classroom.  I also include a link to a printable October Sky worksheet that you can use with your students.

The Inspiring Life of Homer Hickam

Based on a true story, October Sky is the story of Homer Hickam’s determined journey to escape his fate as a coal miner in Coalwood, West Virginia.   [Read more…]

Filed Under: Math in Real Life, Math Movie, Math Stories

Math in the Movies

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Oliver Knill, from the Department of Mathematics at Harvard University, has compiled a very interesting web page that includes video clips from 155 movies in which mathematics appears.  I enjoyed browsing this list and watching some of the clips of movies that I have seen in the past.  Many, but not all, of the movies can be watched using the full-screen options. 

Note: I believe that the video clips I have chosen to highlight below are classroom safe.  Some of the other clips on the website do include language inappropriate for the classroom.

Here are my favorite clips from movies that I am familiar with in this list: 

(Click the links below to watch each clip.)

Father of the Bride

In this hilarious clip George Banks (Steve Martin) is infuriated that hot dogs and hot dog buns are not sold in complementary packages at his local supermarket.  Dogs come in packages of 8 and buns in packages of 12.  I know that those of you with math minds out there have already calculated that George would have found contentment if he had just purchased 3 packs of hot dogs and 2 packages of buns.  Come to think of it, I think my textbook has an LCM problem like this in it! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Math Fun, Math in Real Life, Teaching Math Tagged With: , , ,

7 Ways to Energize Your Math Class

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Student in Energized Math ClassroomHave you ever had a day when it felt like all of the energy and enthusiasm had been sucked out of your classroom?  I know that there are times when I feel like I am slogging through a math lesson and I am somehow vaguely disconnected from the students.  I am covering the math content standards but the energy in the classroom is low.  I know that I need to escape from the doldrums, if only for a minute or two, and then get back to the lesson after energy has been restored.

With that in mind, here are 7 ways to energize your math class and put your students in a positive frame of mind that will lead to more effective learning:

1)  Do Something Different   (Big Purple Spider)

I have a big purple spider that hangs just under the lights right when you enter my classroom.  It is attached to fishing line that runs around different light poles and attaches to a nail on the other side of my class.  On the second day of school, and at random times throughout the year, I lower the spider in front of unsuspecting students as they enter my class.  Some get scared, some smile, some act as if they never saw it, and a few have even screamed. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Classroom Management, Math Games, Math in Real Life, Teaching Math Tagged With: , , ,