Algebra

As I sat here choosing resources about real world math, I thought about "the" question students ask every year: "When will I ever use this math in my life?" As a student, I’m sure I wondered the same thing, but when I think about it now, I have a hard time thinking of a part of life that is not touched by one form of math or another. Math has a funny way of sneaking into every corner and crevice of life, and good math teachers make sure their students can recognize the math in the world around them.

Scientist. Inventor. Painter. Sculptor. Architect. Cartographer. Mathematician. Maverick.

The list of attributes goes on and on. If I wasn’t referring to Leonardo da Vinci, this type of person surely seems too good to be true. Mythical, in fact. Really, who can excel in all of these subjects, and more?

Two summers ago, our local school department offered a one-week forensic science summer camp for older elementary students. Most of the kids were not there by choice, having been enrolled by their parents who thought that the course sounded “fun.” The teacher, having taught this course a few times before, was used to the student foot-dragging and wistful stares out the window at their unencumbered brethren playing outside, blissfully free from the tyranny of overly ambitious parents. The course focused on the investigation of an environmental crisis where local fish were killed by toxins in the water.

We recently heard from teacher MCN who asked for math lessons using iPods or cell phones. This turned out to be a tall order: while there are companies popping up all over offering fee-based math games for cells and iPods, there aren’t currently a lot of good freely available resources. So, hear ye, hear ye, I’m issuing an official call – I’d like to know about free math lessons/apps you’ve created for iPods or cells; links appreciated. In the meantime, some offerings:

The Tangent Function
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2010-01-24.4953102213
Subjects: Math, Trigonometry
Grade: 10-12