Mathematics

=__**Math Kangaroo 2011 in Dub nad Moravou school.**__=

** The competition took place on Friday 18th March. In total, 97 students from grades 2nd to 9th participated in this international event. ** ** The four best participants of the lowest category ( grades 2 and 3 ) gained from 51 to 55 points. ** **Winners of the higher primary category ( grades 4 and 5 ) gained both 77 points.** **Best participants in the lower secondary category ( grades 6 and 7 ) gained from 68 to 78 points. Here the teachers were surprised by the fact that students from grade 6 had better results than students from 7th grade!** **The highest category ( grades 8 and 9 ) had only female winners. The best participants - girls got from 60 to 66 points.** **Generally we can say that girls in our school are better in Math than boys, the Math Kangaroo fully supports this statement.** **Mrs. Marcela Metelková, Math teacher.** _ **Math Kangaroo in Kiskunhalas** **In Hungary, altogether 24 students participated in this competititon. Participants:**
 * [[image:virtualeden/P1070431.JPG width="330" height="252"]] || [[image:virtualeden/P1070446.jpg width="343" height="255"]] ||

= Wiki ideas for math =
 * A calculus wiki for those wicked-long problems so the class can collaborate on how to solve them (a “wicked wiki”?)
 * A geometry wiki for students to share and rewrite proofs (a geometwiki?). What a great way to see the different approaches to the same problem!
 * Applied math wiki: students write about and illustrate places where they actually used math to solve a problem.
 * Procedures wiki: groups explain the steps to a mathematical procedure, such as factoring a polynomial or converting a decimal to a fraction.
 * Pure numbers wiki: student illustrate numbers in as many ways possible: as graphics to count, as mathematical expressions, etc. Elementary students can show graphic illustrations of multiplication facts, for example.





= Maths problems and exercises created by our Maths teacher, Hirsali Sibel- suggestions for the workshops. =
 * // I. Solve this puzzle by finding the math keywords from the right list //**

//**II.**// **C //ircle// ** **Across** **1.** An instrument used to draw circles. **2.** The shape of a circle. **4.** The ratio of the circumference and diameter of any circle. **6.** The number of square units occupied by the space inside the circle. **8.** A part of a circle named by its endpoints. **10.** A location in space that has no thickness. **11.** The distance from the center of a circle to any point on the circle. **12.** The distance around a circle. ** Down ** **1.** A line joining two points on the circle. **3.** The distance across a circle through its center. **4.** A circle divides a __into three parts.__ __ **5.** Plural for half a diameter.__ __ **7.** A circle has 360 of these units.__ __ **9.** A shape with all points the same distance from its center.__ __**13.** All points in a circle are the same distance from this po__


 * // III. Finding the date of easter in any year at all //**


 * // IV. Math problems //**

1 . At McDonalds you can order Chicken McNuggets in boxes of 6, 9, and 20. What is the largest number such that you can not order any combination of the above to achieve exactly the number you want? 2. A new iPhone costs $300. If there is a tax rate of 8%, how much do you have to spend in order to walk out the door with a new phone (including tax)? 3. The price of a certain model of TV goes up by 10%. It used to cost £150. What will it cost in future? 4. The sum of the ages of four members of a family is 97. The father is 5 years older than the mother. The mother was 28 years old when the twins were born. How old is each member of the family? 5. Find the area of a trapezoid where: The sum of the two bases is 11, the bigger base is 10 and the altitude is twice the smaller base. 6. A 15-foot ladder rests against a wall. The foot of the ladder is 5 feet away from the wall. How high up the wall does it reach?



When we speak about the //Virtual Eden// project, we understand a way to find and develop interesting extracurricular activities. But this doesn't mean that the school activity can't be influenced by this project. The English classes are always influenced because we, the ones who are in the project, come from different countries so we communicate in English because it's a language used everywhere and it's also simple to learn; but the existence of the //Virtual Eden// project can also be seen during other classes, like the maths ones. The normal maths problems often become boring because, although they're different, they have the same solving way. And staying and writing, writing and writing again becomes annoying after a longer period of time. But this year, things have changed... An extra maths class has appeared in the timetable, in which we've done many interesting things, not only normal exercises. We think this appeared at the same time with the //Virtual Eden// project. First, we had to pretend that we are the teachers, for us to see how being a teacher is. Each of us had to choose a subject from a long list, then to prepare it. The mark received was better when the other students understood better the lesson taught by t heir classmate. Then, during some other classes, we've been in a laboratory with a Smart Board, to solve some problems using the advanced technology. The problems were very interesting and so was the solving way so everyone liked those classes. For those maths problems, we didn't use only numbers and theorems, but also the objects that are everywhere around us... The most interesting were those where some objects caused //us trouble.// You can see some examples of trouble caused by two identical squares : ... The most important thing is the Kangaroo Contest. It has many sections, but the one which has the largest number of competitors is the Maths Kangaroo Contest. It is also part of our //Virtual Eden// project, so children in all the countries come to this contest and receive nice prizes. The best scores can be even rewarded with a free trip in another country, and you must know that this is very interesting. The ones who don’t receive this reward can get a free camp at //Poiana Pinului,// in Romania or only some books to learn more and maybe win the next time. I'm sure that nobody should miss this intelligent contest, because now you can even prove how good you are at other science subjects like physics and chemistry. That happens because we have thirty maths questions and ten science questions. From all the forty items, you have to choose thirty to answer. You're coming to this competition, aren't You???...

Written by Teo Nistor, 7th grade, School No. 186, Bucarest

Mathematical Kangaroo International Competition 18 March 2010
In many many countries children (from 2nd to 12th grade) came together to write their maths tests on this day at 10 o'clock. In Szent József school this was the first time children could participate. They were well prepared and very excited. They had not forgetten chocolate, drink or the pens at home. The tasks were a bit difficult and there were many. Tearchers introduced how to fill the forms, what children could or could not do. The youngest children could work for 45 minutes, grade 3 and 4 for 60 minutes, and grades 5-8 for 75 minutes. The local organiser had sent a big envelope, and when we opened it, some certificates, small presents were found among the tests. The photos were taken in the Science Laboratory. ** The Hungarian version for the second class.**

Children were listening to Miss Birkás very carefully. || The form to be filled. || There were 23 children in the Lab. || It is not easy, I have to count it again. || ||  ||
 * [[image:virtualeden/DSC01660.JPG width="293" height="208"]]
 * [[image:virtualeden/DSC01674.JPG width="294" height="175"]]

[|Mathematical Kangaroo on Wikipedia]

[|Czech official website of the competition]

This year´s competition will take place on 18th March 2010. The school in Dub has participated regularly every year. [|Hungarian national website of the competition]

The opinion of a Czech Maths teacher, Ms. Marcela Metelková from Dub nad Moravou school, on Mathematical Kangaroo:
Majority of mathematical problems in Kangaroo competition are not typical for our lessons, students here just exceptionally meet such activities in Czech Maths textbooks. That is why such problems seem to be non - standard for our students, they usually need lots of logical thinking, or the geometrical ones need stereoscopic vision. When solving Kangaroo problems, the students have to use their intuition, mathematical estimation, work with results offered at each Kangaroo item. Our students, unfortunately, are not used to such way of learning Maths. Good results are real exception in our school. If they occur, they are alway gained by students with outstanding mathematical talent which is very rare here. In 2007 our highest scores were 89 points ( once ) and the rest was bellow 70 points. In 2008 one of our students gained 98 points which was the best result in a whole Kangaroo history in Dub nad Moravou school. Average students get the score between 30 and 50 points, many of weak students just tip and guess the offered results.That is why the competition results and order do not seem to be very objective. Every student can enter the competition in the Czech republic for free, the teachers have no extra money for checking the competition sheets. Maybe this is the reason why the competition is only voluntary ( optional ) and not each school organizes it.

=Cross-curricular English Activities= //"Timesaver// // Cross-curricular English Activities // " is an extensive collection of activities in English for maths, geography, life skills, history and science.” For maths there are activities: Multiplication, Averages, Fractions, Coordinates, Division Directions, Factors and Multiples, Ordering numbers, Equivalent fractions, Maths Millionaire, Percentages, Cubes, Negative Numbers, Shapes, Equations, Decimals, Theme park Arithmetic, Word Calculations

Maths Millionaire
//CLIL: Maths & English:// Are you a maths millionaire? Answer as many questions as you can...

Multiplication
//CLIL: Maths & English//: Do the multiplication problems and write the answers in the puzzle grid....
 * || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 ||
 * 1 || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 ||
 * 2 || 2 || 4 || 6 || 8 ||
 * 3 || 3 || 6 || 9 || 12 ||
 * 4 || 4 || 8 || 12 || 16 ||



Averages
//CLIL: Maths & PE & English:// On average, which is the most popular sport in your school? A very useful link - Create a graph [|Kids' Zone_Graph]



Fractions
//CLIL: Maths & History & English :// King Władysław Jagiełło wants each person in his family to receive a fraction of the money.Can you help him to write his will?



Coordinates
//CLIL: Maths & Geography & English:// Write the names of the place next to the coordinates: **(1,3) windmill**.



Division Directions
//CLIL: Maths & Geography & English:// Excuse me, could you tell me the way to the castle? Yes, go along Czecha street. Turn into Jana Pawła II Alley and then into....



Factors and Multiples
//CLIL: Maths & English:// It's smaller than 10. It's bigger than 3. It's a multiple of 2. It's a factor of 8. The number of partners in the Eden project.



Ordering numbers
//CLIL: Maths & English:// We live in the same blok of flats. Can you find out where we all live?



Equivalent Fractions
//CLIL: Maths & English:// Somebody stole the king's crown. What were you doing yesterday at five p.m.?

In this year our school (Szent József Katolikus Általános Iskola) is taking part in the Kangaroo competition for the first time. The deadline for it is 6 November, so we have decided to organise a competition for everyone who likes maths. Here is the invitation for the local round:

It seems that children like maths. Surprisingly there were more than 200 children who filled the forms for the competition! The best ones can take part in the international turn in March 2010. Here are the best competitors from class 2 to 8. On the right this is our Maths teacher, Miss Éva Birkás, the coordinator of the day. We were given some presents to remember that long and exciting day.



This year, the Romanian team participated to a dissemination of a course named //Creating eLearning courses, hands, on tools and practical tips// which took place in Malta. At the end of the dissemination we found out how to create on-line courses. Here are two games created by one of our maths teacher, Sibel Hirsali. [] [] [] []

The Romanian version for the sixth class.