Friday, February 13, 2009

Teaching algebra with pizza, water balloons, and ice cream

How many of us grew up taking math classes thinking there was nothing useful about them? How many of us have finally discovered that math has a purpose and is useful in nearly everything in every day life?

Wouldn't math had meant so much more if we had been taught Algebra served with a side of ice cream?

Steve Norton uses his creativity to teach algebra in a very practical...and fun...way. His students learn, love to learn, and are figuring out how to apply math to everyday situations.

I love that they learn algebra to the tune of Jingle Bells:

Graph a line, graph a line, here is what we know: Draw a table, pick an X, plug it in, and go.

Get a list of five or six, and graph your ordered pairs. Connect the dots, a line you've got, if you've graphed with care.

Graph a line, graph a line, from slope-intercept form Y equals MX plus B. Here is what it's for:

At B you cross the Y-axis, and M, it stands for slope. Begin with B and move with M. It makes a line, we hope!


Anyone out there who can teach algebra and math creatively?...or know someone else who could? I'd love to talk them into volunteering their skills at our After-School Academy one day a week.

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