MATH TOOLS NEWSLETTER - May 21, 2012 - No. 108 ***Math Forum Handouts from NCSM and NCTM http://mathforum.org/nctm/2012/handouts.html Did you miss us in the booth area or during our sessions at the recent conferences in Philadelphia? Want copies of our handouts? ***What Ignites the Math Forum? http://mathforum.org/workshops/ncsm2012/ignite.html Max Ray: Fun with Trig Identities Steve Weimar: What Do We 'No'? Annie Fetter: The Teacher I Would Have Been ***Math Forum PoW Video Scenarios http://mathforum.org/nctm/2012/handouts.html#video Charlie's Gumballs Val's Values Visiting Friends \|/ 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 DISCUSSION Imagine Cup winners! http://mathforum.org/mathtools/discuss.html?&do=r&msg=167512 Suzanne adds to an ongoing discussion, "The MathDash team reported that they won the United States Imagine Cup! Read more about Team Drexel Dragons: Matt Lesnak, Keith Ayers, and N. Taylor Mullen.... Next they'll be competing in the World Championship in Sydney, Australia in July!" ***FEATURED TOOL Tool: Sushi Monster http://mathforum.org/mathtools/tool/167516/ Scholastic Practice, reinforce, and extend math fact fluency with this game, which strengthens reasoning strategies for whole number addition and multiplication by helping monsters make a target sum or product. To succeed, students need to plan ahead and strategically select numbers from the sushi counter. ***FEATURED TOOL Tool: Differentiating Powers of x (polynomials) http://mathforum.org/mathtools/tool/167513/ Ron Barrow This applet investigates differential calculus of powers of x (polynomials). You can plot the primary function ( ?(x) ), its first derivative (differential, the gradient function) ( ?'(x) ) and its second derivative ( ?''(x), the gradient of the gradient ) side by side for comparison. Use the applet to investigate increasing and decreasing functions, maximum, minimum and other turning points. See how the first and second differentials vary with the primary function. ***FEATURED TOOL Tool: Online Calculator http://mathforum.org/mathtools/tool/167058/ Amir Rashedi Use this online calculator to calculate mathematical expressions and complex numbers. You can also calculate zeroes of functions, generate a table of values for a given function, and do polar graphing. ***FEATURED LESSON PLAN Lesson Plan: Math Forum Teacher Packet: TI Activity: Ferris Wheel http://mathforum.org/mathtools/lesson/161769/ Max Ray This packet contains a copy of the original problem used to create the activity, rationale and explanation behind the "Make a Mathematical Model" focal activity, and some thoughts on why this activity works well with TI-NspireTM technology. ***FEATURED LESSON PLAN Lesson Plan: Math Forum Teacher Packet: TI Activity: Midpoint Quadrilateral http://mathforum.org/mathtools/lesson/161771/ Max Ray This packet contains a copy of the original problem used to create the activity, rationale and explanation behind the "I Notice, I Wonder" focal activity, and some thoughts on why this activity works well with TI-NspireTM technology. ***FEATURED LESSON PLAN Lesson Plan: Math Forum Teacher Packet: TI-PoW: Mauna Loa http://mathforum.org/mathtools/lesson/161770/ Max Ray This packet contains a copy of the original problem used to create the activity, rationale and explanation behind the "Change the Representation" focal activity, and some thoughts on why this activity works well with TI-NspireTM technology. 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 Newsletter Archive http://mathforum.org/mathtools/newsletter/ Twitter Feed http://mathforum.org/pd/twitter.html Blogs http://mathforum.org/blogs/ Facebook http://www.facebook.com/themathforumatdrexel \`. .--------------.___________) \ |//////////////|___________[ ] `--------------' ) ( '-' The Math Forum @ Drexel -- 21 May 2012