It is good to be SQUARE (Oct. 4-7, 2010)

This week's goal is to become one with squares.  Mathletes should challenge themselves to learn the first10 squares; maybe the first 15 squares; if really ambitious, the first 20 squares. Knowledge of the first 24 squares makes every math students stronger in all disciplines, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, quadratics, and cubics. See the attached pdf.

It is sad that conventional education starts squares in 5th grade when the children could be having fun with squares for years before.  They built pyramids and other structures with squares of tennis balls I glued together. A few classes even tried to imagine what a 45 x 45 square of tennis balls would look like; so we taped off that area and they found fun ways to multiply these numbers to get 2,025 balls.

Please work with them in the house, car or plane pointing out that AREA is measured in square units.  if they are at the beach like we will be this weekend, have them trace out multiple squares in the sand or dirt.

Finally, if they have a stop watch on their phone or computers, you can have them practice the series of squares.  They will watch their time drop to under one minute.  If I articulate each number, I can probably do all 24 squares in under 20 seconds.  I am sure the older ones can do better.

Kindergarteners should practice drawing squares on graph paper like we did in class. Color them to see the contrast.

Bring any work you did to class next week for pride and Mathlete dollars.