\doc\web\99\13\muchmath.txt <a href="../99/13/muchmath.txt">"HELPING
YOUR CHILD LEARN MATH" US DOEd</a> We now believe that by the end of
the eighth grade, students should have mastered the fundamentals of
algebra and geometry to be ready for high school and on track for
college and the workforce.


This is the basis for the new "kitchen sink" lets see how much
college level math we can jam down our kids throats math
now favored by reformers. 


Traditional college prep math was and 
still is algebra 1 and geometry in grades 9 and 10, not compressed
into grade 8 though accelerating some kids is becoming 
popular in some places. 


> Today, math includes much more than arithmetic.  Even in elementary
> school, children should be learning beginning concepts in algebra,
> geometry, measurement, and statistics.  In addition, they should be
> learning how to solve problems by applying a knowledge of math to
> new situations, to understand math concepts, to reason
> mathematically, and to communicate mathematical ideas by talking
> and writing about math.
> 
> Demand for skills in mathematics, science, and technology are
> continually increasing.  To be successful in college and the
> workplace, students should take at least three years of rigorous
> high school math, aiming for calculus and even Advanced Placement
> mathematics.  We now believe that by the end of the eighth grade,
> students should have mastered the fundamentals of algebra and
> geometry to be ready for high school and on track for college and
> the workforce.
> 






Date sent:      	Wed, 01 Sep 1999 08:54:13 -0400
To:             	71524.2205@compuserve.com
From:           	Lauren Scheffers <lscheffers@sprintmail.com> (by way of Fred Battey <fredb001@dreamscape.com>)

Subject:        	"Helping Your Child Learn Math" (fun learning activities)


  From: "Winters, Kirk" <Kirk_Winters@ed.gov
  To: "Information from & about the U.S. Department of Education
  publications & more ." <edinfo@inet.ed.gov
  Subject: "Helping Your Child Learn Math" (fun learning activities)
  Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 09:53:40 -0400
  
        "HELPING YOUR CHILD LEARN MATH" features dozens of activities
        parents can use to help children (K-5th grade) have *fun*
        learning geometry, algebra, measurement, statistics,
        probability & other important mathematical concepts.
  
        The activities in this booklet relate math to everyday life &
        complement math lessons that children are learning in school.
        The activities use materials that are easy to find, & they can
        be done in the home, at the grocery store, or while traveling.
  
        You'll also find tips & resources for helping your child
        achieve in math, including...
  
          *  math websites (great links for parents & children)
          *  math computer software websites
          *  math books for parents & math books for children
          *  & magazines.
  
        The 44-page booklet is available at:
             http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Math/
  
             (Single paper copies may be requested at
             http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or by calling
             1-877-4-ED-PUBS.)
  
        Below are an excerpt & several activities.
  
        This booklet is among many efforts aimed at one of the
        Department's 7 priorities:  To help all students master
        challenging mathematics, including the foundations of algebra
        & geomentry, by the end of 8th grade.  For more information on
        this priority, please see the America Counts website:
             http://www.ed.gov/inits/Math/index.html
  
  ************************************************************
  An Excerpt from Secretary Riley's Foreword.
  "Helping Your Child Learn Math."  Second Edition, June 1999.
  ************************************************************
  
  Today, math includes much more than arithmetic.  Even in elementary
  school, children should be learning beginning concepts in algebra,
  geometry, measurement, and statistics.  In addition, they should be
  learning how to solve problems by applying a knowledge of math to
  new situations, to understand math concepts, to reason
  mathematically, and to communicate mathematical ideas by talking
  and writing about math.
  
  Demand for skills in mathematics, science, and technology are
  continually increasing.  To be successful in college and the
  workplace, students should take at least three years of rigorous
  high school math, aiming for calculus and even Advanced Placement
  mathematics.  We now believe that by the end of the eighth grade,
  students should have mastered the fundamentals of algebra and
  geometry to be ready for high school and on track for college and
  the workforce.
  
  ******************************************************
  A Few Activities from "Helping Your Child Learn Math."
  By Patsy F. Kanter with Linda B. Darby.
  Supported by the Office of Educational Research &
  Improvement (OERI).  Second Edition, June 1999.
  ******************************************************
  
  ============================
  Newspaper Search (Grades 3-5)
  ============================
  
     What you'll need:
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Newspaper, calculator, pencil, paper, and graph
                       paper (can be hand-drawn)
     What to do
     ~~~~~~~~~~
  
     1. List it.  Give your child the grocery section of the newspaper
        in order to make up a list of foods that will feed the family
        for a week and also meet a budget of a certain amount of
        money.  Have your child make a chart and use mental math or a
        calculator to figure the cost of a few items.  If the total
        for the groceries is more than you have budgeted for, talk
        about which items can be eliminated.  Could the list be cut
        down by a few items or by buying less of another item?  What
        will best serve the needs of the family?
  
     2. Shop around.  Have your child search for advertisements in the
        newspaper for an item they have been wanting, such as a piece
        of clothing or tennis shoes, in order to find the lowest price
        for the item.  After your child finds the best buy, have him
        or her compare the best buy to the rest of the advertised
        prices.  Are this store's prices lower for everything or just
        items in demand?
  
     3. Highs and lows.  Have your child search the newspaper for
        daily temperatures and create a graph showing weekly trends.
        Ask your child for the differences in temperature from day to
        day.
  
  =========================
  Treasure Hunt (Grades K-2)
  =========================
  
     What you'll need:
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Large container, buttons, screws, bottle caps,
                       old keys, anything else you can count, and
                       graph paper (can be hand-drawn)
     What to do
     ~~~~~~~~~~
  
     1. Find a container to hold the treasures.
  
     2. Sort and classify the treasures.  For example, do you have all
        the same-sized screws or keys?
        How are they alike?  How are they different?
  
     3. Use these treasures to tell addition, subtraction,
        multiplication, and division stories.  For example, if we
        share 17 buttons among 3 friends, how many will we each get?
        Will there be some left over?  Or if we have 3 shirts that
        need 6 buttons each, do we have enough buttons?

  
     4. For older children, you can organize the treasures by one
        characteristic and lay them end to end.  Compare and contrast
        the different amounts of that type of treasure.  For example,
        there are 3 short screws, 7 long screws, and 11 medium screws.
        There are 4 more medium screws than long ones.  Make a simple
        graph showing how many of each type of screw there are.  This
        activity may also provide an opportunity to talk about
        fractions: 7/21 or 1/3 of the screws are long.
  
  =================================
  Ease on Down the Road (Grades 2-5)
  =================================
  
     What to do
     ~~~~~~~~~~
  
     1. A gallon of gas costs $1.24 a gallon.  What does it cost for 5
        gallons?  10 gallons?  15 gallons?  20 gallons?  What is an
        easy way to figure this out?  How can you estimate the cost by
        rounding the cost per gallon?
  
     2. The speed limit is 55 miles per hour.  How far will you go in
        1 hour?  Two hours?  Three hours?  How long will it take to go
        500 miles?
  
     3. Use a calculator to check your answers.
  
  ===============================
  What Are the Coins? (Grades 2-5)
  ===============================
  
     What you'll need:  Some coins
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  
     What to do
     ~~~~~~~~~~
  
     Ask your child the following questions:
  
     1. I have three coins in my pocket.  They are worth 7 cents.
        What do I have?  (a nickel and 2 pennies)
  
     2. I have three coins in my pocket.  They are worth 16 cents.
        What do I have?  (a dime, a nickel, a penny)
  
     3. I have three coins in my pocket.  They are worth 11 cents.
        What do I have?  (2 nickels and 1 penny)
  
     4. I have three coins in my pockets.  They are worth 30 cents.
        What do I have?  (3 dimes)
  
     5. I have six coins in my pocket.  They are worth 30 cents.  What
        could I have?  (1 quarter and 5 pennies or 6 nickels).  This
        problem has more than one answer.  It is challenging for
        children to experience problems like this.
  
     6. I have coins in my pocket, which have a value of 11 cents.
        How many coins could I have?
  
        You get the idea! Give your child a few coins to figure out
        the answers.
  
  =======================
  Card Smarts (Grades 3-5)
  =======================
  
     What you'll need:  Number cards, pencil, and paper
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  

     What to do
     ~~~~~~~~~~
  
     1. How many numbers can we make?  Give each player a piece of
        paper and a pencil.  Using the cards from 1 to 9, deal four
        cards out with the numbers showing.  Using all four cards and
        a choice of any combination of addition, subtraction,
        multiplication, and division, have each player see how many
        different numbers a person can get in 5 minutes.  Players get
        one point for each answer.  For example, suppose the cards
        drawn are 4, 8, 9, and 2.  What numbers can be made?
  
     2. Make the most of it.  This game is played with cards from 1 to
        9.  Each player alternates drawing one card at a time, trying
        to create the largest 5-digit number possible.  As the cards
        are drawn, each player puts the cards down in their "place"
        (ten thousands, thousands, hundreds, tens, ones) with the
        numbers showing.  Once placed, a card cannot be moved.  The
        first player with the largest 5-digit number wins.  For
        example, if a 2 was drawn first, the player might place it in
        the ones' place, but if the number had been an 8, it might
        have been put in the ten thousands' place.
  
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