Contents
The Mathitudes
1 Blessed are the mathematical in spirit, for they shall see patterns and relationships.
2. Blessed are those who mourn over their peer results in math, for they shall be tutored.
3. Blessed are the mathematically meek, for they shall gain confidence with practice.
4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after mathematical knowledge, for they shall be filled.
5. Blessed are the slow and unsteady in computation, for their calculators shall comfort them.
6. Blessed are the rational, for they shall understand fractions.
7. Blessed are the logical, for they shall see the beauty of proof.
8. Blessed are those who prepare their math assignments with industry and diligence, for their efforts shall be rewarded.
9. Blessed are those who prepare for their math tests, for success shall be theirs.
Rejoice in the study of mathematics, for great will be your reward in life.
The Ten Commandments of Math
1. Thou shalt not divide by zero.
2. Thou shalt not put other textbooks before thee in math class.
3. Thou shalt show thy work; check thy work and confirm that thy results are reasonable.
4. Remember thy test days and prepare fer them wholly.
5. Thou shalt honor the correct order of operations.
6. Thou shalt not do thy math papers in ink!
7. Thou shalt commit the facts of arithmetic to memory.
8. Thou shalt do unto one side of an equation that thou doest to the other.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy original problems; thou shalt copy thy problems accurately and legibly.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s paper, nor any thing that is thy neighbors.
What Good Mathematicians Do
| They look for patterns. |
Arithmetic Sequence
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| They create pictures, diagrams, and charts. |
Venn Diagram
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| They estimate. |
Use Estimation Exact answer: 2.8 + 5.1 = 7.9 Estimated answer: 3 + 5 = 8 |
| They ask questions. |
Great Math Questions Am I sure I understand this? Am I making progress? Do I have a plan? What are my options? Why do I think this is true? |
| They create a plan to solve a problem. |
C U B E S Circle the numbers. Underline the question. Box the keywords. Elimnate information not needed. Solve by showing your work. |
| They can explain their work. |
Clear Explanations Introduction: Description of the problem to be solved. Includes a model and plan. Explanatory Sequence: Procedural steps taken to solve the problem. Conclusion: Defend the reasonableness behind the solution. |
| They check their work. |
How to Check Your Work Redo each problem, on separate paper. • Don’t look at the work on the test paper until after you redo the problem. • Compare the answers. Use the opposite operation to check, if possible. Subtract if you added, multiply if you divided, etc. Ask yourself whether the answer is logical. 2.56 x 7.91 • 2.02496 not logical since 2 x 7 = 14 and 14 > 2 (the answer is 20.2496). Substitute the solution into the equation, if possible. If the solution is correct, the equation will be true. Reread word problems to be sure you understand the information. • Look for numbers that are written words. • Be sure the answer actually answers the question the problem is asking. |
| They take their time to do a good job. |
Time Management
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| They use math to solve everyday problems. |
Problem Solving A shirt costs $80 and is on sale for 25% off. The sales tax is 6.25%. How much will you pay? |
| They seek new ways to find a solution. |
Possible Solutions Try a different representation – If algebra is hard, try a geometric model; if numbers are messy, try a table. Use analogies – Relate the problem to a similar one you’ve solved before. Experiment – Test small cases or extreme values to spot trends. Collaborate – Discuss with peers to discover strategies you hadn’t considered. |
| They may use technology as an aid. |
Appropriate Use of Technology
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