Greetings!
It has been a crazy month since I last posted!
This past fall, our community was the recipient of some amazing math additions to our community. We have had two monuments for some time now- the golden ratio and the four elements. However, the University of Utah recently came and added a few new goodies.
My wife and I (with my parents) took our kids around the area to see these great mathematical additions.
This bench is one of the new attractions. The kids were excited to try it out. My kids were amazed at the patterns that were created by the builders. And, when you are sitting on the bench, you are looking at the golden ratio monument.
This monument is one of my favorites. They are designed to represent the four elements. The group that added to our collection in town, added the boxes you can see pictured below on the left. The boxes get smaller as you get closer to the four elements. My kids were baffled about them and the way they were designed. We talked about how the boxes were reduced by a set amount each time they moved closer to the elements, so that the last box was pretty small. It was a great discussion.
The last stop we went on was a lookout called Goose Point. These chairs are amazing! Can YOU find the pattern in their design? I took my kids and stood them in front of the chairs and had them study them. We looked at the number of boards and noticed a pattern. The kids were so excited to figure it out.
I guess what I am trying to share in this post, if it isn't evident, is that there are opportunities all around us to teach our kids (and students) about math. The discussions you get to have are sometimes awe-inspiring.
I challenge you to take your class outside or pull up pictures of a nearby landmark, and discuss the math that can be found within.
By the way, here is what those amazing chairs above provide a seat to see...
I wish you a great weekend and happy math hunting-
Mr. Hughes
To find out more about me and my teaching ideas click below.
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