MATH TOOLS NEWSLETTER - March 18, 2011 - No. 96 ***National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM) http://mathforum.org/workshops/nctm2011/index.ncsm.html Visit us in Indianapolis, IN, at the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics 43rd Annual Conference, April 11-13, 2011. The Math Forum will have a Sponsor Table in the Display Area, and we'll also be presenting sessions. ***National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) http://mathforum.org/workshops/nctm2011/ Visit us in Indianapolis, IN, at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Annual Meeting, April 14-16, 2011. Stop by Booth 1243 in the Exhibit Hall, and attend our sessions. ***Summer C.A.M.P. http://www.santafe.edu/education/schools/summer-camp/ This summer, Groton School (Groton, Massachusetts) will be hosting a program in complexity theory for high school students. Offered in partnership with the Santa Fe Institute, Complexity and Modeling Program (C.A.M.P.) is a novel immersion program that introduces teens to complexity science scholarship. Apply by March 31: http://sficssc.myreviewroom.com/ \|/ As you browse the catalog, please take a moment to rate a resource, comment on it, review it -- join an existing conversation, or start a new discussion! ***FEATURED TOOL Tool: Finding Common Denominators http://mathforum.org/mathtools/tool/95712/ Conceptua Math Teachers can use this tool to help students build conceptual understanding of common denominators. By adjusting the models of two fractions with uncommon denominators to show two fractions with a common denominator, students experience the understanding that to find a common denominator of two fractions means to find equivalents that share the same denominator. Teachers can also create examples in which students apply the "one fraction" procedure with and without the support of the models. The concept is developed through the use of a variety of models that include pies, vertical bars, horizontal bars, areas, sets and number lines. ***FEATURED TOOL Tool: Factor Tree http://mathforum.org/mathtools/tool/415/ National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (Utah State University) This manipulative allows you to construct factor trees (to the prime factors) for two numbers, and then from the prime factorization, you are asked to identify the Least Common Multiple (LCM) and the Greatest Common Factor (GCF) of the two given numbers. ***FEATURED TOOL Tool: Kali http://mathforum.org/mathtools/tool/18059/ Jeff Weeks Kali lets you draw symmetrical patterns based on any of the 17 tiling groups. Kali does not assume the user knows how to read, so even the youngest children can enjoy it. Older students can systematically explore the wallpaper, frieze and rosette groups. The command "Show Singularities" and the Conway and IUC notation provide support for a theoretical analysis. Freely available for both Windows and Macintosh computers. ***FEATURED TOOL Tool: Wash Line http://mathforum.org/mathtools/tool/87629/ Crickweb.co.uk Hang the numbered shirts on the line in order. Choose from numbers 1-5, odds or evens to 10, or a selection to 20. ***FEATURED TOOL Tool: FooPlot - Online graphing calculator and plotter http://mathforum.org/mathtools/tool/29621/ Dheera Venkatraman This tool lets you plot functions, polar plots, and 3D with just a suitable web browser (within the IE, FireFox, or Opera web browsers), and find the roots and intersections of graphs. In addition, you can easily plot any function simply by putting it after the URL; for example, http://fooplot.com/2x-1 ***FEATURED TOOL Tool: Primitives http://mathforum.org/mathtools/tool/49600/ Alec McEachran Primitives is a small Flash application for visualizing numbers in terms of their prime factors. ***FEATURED TOOL Tool: Counting Using Money http://mathforum.org/mathtools/tool/99610/ BCC/Netmedia Designed to assess or reinforce children's understanding of number sequence and counting to 10, this activity can also introduce addition by using coins to support the counting activity. ***FEATURED TECHNOLOGY POW Technology PoW: Train Trouble http://mathforum.org/mathtools/tpow/24045/ Claire Mead How fast is the train moving to allow Herman and Sheila to each escape the tunnel? NOTE: A free login is required. Sign up using the link on the login page, or use your existing KenKen or Problems of the Week login--see this page for details. CHECK OUT THE MATH TOOLS SITE: Math Tools http://mathforum.org/mathtools/ Register http://mathforum.org/mathtools/register.html Discussions http://mathforum.org/mathtools/discuss.html Research Area http://mathforum.org/mathtools/research/ Developers Area http://mathforum.org/mathtools/developers/ Newsletter Archive http://mathforum.org/mathtools/newsletter/ Twitter Feed http://mathforum.org/pd/twitter.html \`. .--------------.___________) \ |//////////////|___________[ ] `--------------' ) ( '-' The Math Forum @ Drexel -- 18 March 2011