Category Archives: Math Mini Sparks

#13: Mad About a Million

Math Mini Sparks

One of my favorite pictures books is A Million Dots by Andrew Clements. This book provide readers with several different ways to visualize a million.  This math mini spark asks you to explore this fascinating number!

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #13: Mad About a Million

2. A Million Dots by Andrew Clements is a book that actually has 1,000,000 dots in it (along with many other fascinating facts!).  One million dots my seem kind of hard to imagine, but check out the book and see for yourself.

3. Watch The Making of Hero, a drawing composed entirely out of 3.2 million ink dots. Write your reaction to the final project on your recording page.

4. Do a little experimenting with stippling.  Try the activity shown in this video. Add a picture of your work to your recording page.

5. Figure out a problem involving a million.  Show your work and reasoning for your answer on your recording page.

      • How tall would a stack of one million pennies be?
      • If your leaky faucet dripped one million drops, how much wasted water would that be?
      • How long would it take you to count from 1 to 1,000,000 assuming that you counted one number every second for 8 hours a day?
      • How old would you be if you lived for 1,000,000 minutes?
      • How long will it take for your blink one million times?
      • Come up with your own “million problem”

6. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

 

#12: Factors & 276

Math Mini Sparks

This math mini spark will do a little bit of review on how to find factors and will take you on a journey to find out why the number 276 is amazing!

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #12: Factors & 276

2. Watch this short reminder video on the factor pairs. Take notes on your recording page showing the factor pair rainbow for 100.

3. Watch this Numberphile Video that takes proper factors and does some pretty amazing math. A proper factor of a number is any factor of the number except the number itself. Make a mini math dictionary on your recording page with at least 10 of the math terms from this video

4. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#11: Video Game Math Problems

Math Mini Sparks, Uncategorized
I have 120 minions (btw…minions can fly).  Each minion has 50 health.   The archer tower does a big damage on the minion.  The minion loses 38 health.  How much health does the minion have left?

My boys love their video games!  Minecraft, Clash of Clans, Where’s My Water…I can’t keep up with all of them.  One way I don’t go crazy with all the gaming is that I have them write math story problems that go along with the game.  Check out these problems my son Trevor wrote about Clash of Clans:                                                                                                                Image taken from https://www.flickr.com/photos/85217387@N04/8638068371ClashofClans

  1. An army camp can hold 50 spaces.  If a giant takes up 5 spaces, how many giants can fit in that army camp?
  2. I am attacking with 75 barbarians.  I place down 40 barbarians.  How many barbarians do I have left?
  3. I have 20 dark elixir.  If I attack and gain 90 dark elixir, how much dark elixir do I have now?
  4. One of my valkyries hit 2 dark elixir drills.  One drill had 100 dark elixir and the other had 59.  If I already had 1,350 dark elixir, how much do I have now?
  5. I have 10,000 gold and I spend 2,000 gold on walls.  If one wall costs 100 gold, how many walls can I get?
  6. I have 120 minions (btw…minions can fly).  Each minion has 50 health.   The archer tower does a big damage on the minion.  The minion loses 38 health.  How much health does the minion have left?
  7. I have 30,292 gold.  Overnight, somebody attacks me and gains 9,929 gold (that means I lose 9,929 gold).  How much gold do I have now?
  8. I have 1,347 trophies.  In the battle, I gain 25 more.  How many trophies do I have now?
  9. When a clan has 1,962 trophies.  Round this number to the nearest hundred.
  10. In my army camp, I can hold 200 spaces.  A giant level 4 takes up 6 spaces.  I have 2 wallbreakers that each take 2 spaces.  How much space do I have left in my army camp?
  11. A wallbreaker breaks 4 walls at a time.  If there are 6 wallbreakers, how many walls will be blown up?
  12. My clan castle can hold 30 spaces.  TiTi, a clan member, donates 5 lv 5 barbarians.  They take up 5 spaces in all in my clan castle.  How many spaces do I have now?

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #11: Video Game Math Problems
  2. On your recording page, write 12 creative math story problems to go along with a video game that you like to play.  Make an answer key for your problems as well.
  3.  On our recording page, write the step by step directions for three of your hardest problems.
  4. Answer 5 of the Clash of Clans story problems from above.  Write the number of the problem, show your math and include your answer.
  5. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#10: Celebrate Math!

Math Mini Sparks

Did you know various math topics have special days solely dedicated to it? Learn about some of these holidays in this math mini spark.

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #10: Celebrate Math! 

2.  What is Pythagorean Theorem Day? To qualify as a Pythagorean Theorem Day, the digits that make up the date must qualify as a pythagorean triple. The next pythagorean triple date will be on July 24, 2025 since 72 + 242 = 252.  Do some research and find some other dates that were or will be Pythagorean Theorem Days. 

3. Mole Day is celebrated on October 23. Read about mole day and take notes about this day on your recording page.  Make sure to define a mole in your notes.

4. The Fibonacci sequence begins like this: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144….      November 23 is celebrated as Fibonacci Day because when the date is written in the mm/dd format (11/23), the digits in the date form a Fibonacci sequence: 1,1,2, 3.         Watch this video about this special number pattern. Add notes to your recording page.

5. Pi Day is on March 14. Watch this short video about this day. Add some interesting details from the video to your recording page. Then, go to this site to find out how long until we celebrate pi day again (to the nearest second). Record this on your recording page.

6. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

 

 

#9: Tangram Puzzles

Math Mini Sparks

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #9: Tangram Puzzles
  2. Watch this intro video. Write the tangram rules and puzzle shapes on your recording page.

3. Try out this a tangram puzzle site with challenges to stretch your thinking.

4. Choose 5 or 6 puzzles to solve. Choose the right level for you. Older kids should do the advanced puzzles. Add a picture of each completed puzzle to your recording sheet.

 

5. Share your math mini spark recording page and your art piece with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Check out the Tangram Badge at the EY website. 

#8: Zombie Math

Math Mini Sparks

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #8: Zombie Math 

2. You need to get away from these mutant zombies-FAST! Can you solve the bridge riddle? Watch the riddle. IMPORTANT! Pause the video to record your possible solutions on your recording sheet. After you have written down your solution, you can watch the rest of the video. Record the solution from the video on your recording video and if you found the solution write “I SOLVED THE BRIDGE RIDDLE!!”.

2. Can you escape the web of zombies in 13 steps and exit safely? Challenge yourself with a web made up of algebraic expressions that include exponents and square roots, all tangled up with angles, area, and other ghostly geometry concepts. Print the Zombie Web page.  Reminder for your teacher-the answer key is in the math mini spark folder.

3. Practice using the exponential growth formula-with Zombies! Take notes on your recording sheet showing the math from the video.

4. **Advanced Option: The Mathematics of Escaping Zombies. Check out this video from Numberphile.  Watch this and take record some important details on your recording sheet showing the math you learned.

5. Share your math mini spark recording page and zombie web with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#7: Mayan Math

Math Mini Sparks, Uncategorized

The Mayans were a classical civilization of Mesoamerica.  Originating in the Yucatan around 2600 B.C.E., they rose to prominence around A.D.E. 250 in present-day southern Mexico, Guatemala, western Honduras, El Salvador, and northern Belize.

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #7: Mayan Math

2. Mayan Math was the most sophisticated number system ever developed in the Americas.  Astronomers and architects used Mayan Math, but it was also simple enough to be used by uneducated traders and farmers.  Where we use ten different symbols to represent numbers (1, 2, 3, 4 , 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0), the Mayans used only three: a dot for a one, a bar for five, and a symbol (usually a shell) for zero. (The Maya were the first civilization to discover and understand the concept of zero.)  The chart below shows the Mayan numbers 1 – 19. Draw this chart on your recording page or use this online tool to practice making the numbers 1-19.

Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 11.32.27 AM
3.  We use a decimal system, based on the number ten, but the Mayans used a vigesimal system, based on the number twenty. So, where we learn to count on our fingers, Mayan children counted on their fingers and toes. In fact, the number twenty was very important to the Mayans, so much so that the words for “human being” and “twenty” share the same root in most Mayan languages. Record a summary of this information on your recording sheet.
Watch a video about base 20 and how it is used. Record important details on your recording sheet.

4. The Mayans wrote their numbers from top to bottom rather than from left to right, but apart from that, their system was not so different from ours. For example, to write the number 34, we place a three in the tens column and a four in the ones column. The Maya put a one in the twenties column and a fourteen in the ones column. Draw this image on your recording sheet.

Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 12.25.02 PM

5. Practice making larger numbers at Round 2 at Mayan Math Games. Then you will move to Round 3 at Mayan Math Games where you make numbers in the base 20 system.   If you think you can move to round 3 without starting in round 2 that is ok. Add a note to your recording page about what you learned.

6. Adding in the Mayan system is simply a matter of juggling the dots and bars. To calculate 36 + 13, for example, you start by adding the units (i.e., 16 + 13). This gives you 29, so you leave 9 in the ones column and carry the 20 up, giving you a grand total of 2 twenties and 9 ones = 49.

Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 12.26.44 PM

Pretty smart, right? Especially, when you consider that the Ancient Egyptians never cracked the concept of zero and that complex calculations with Roman numerals were way too complicated for ordinary Romans. Practice adding in Round 4 at Mayan Math Games.

7.  Optional: If you would like to try subtraction go to Round 5 at Mayan Math Games.

8. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Check out the ancient number systems badge at the EY website

#6: The Mathematical Secrets of Pascal’s Triangle

Math Mini Sparks

Pascal’s Triangle, named after Blaise Pascal, a famous French Mathematician and Philosopher, is more than a triangular shape of numbers.  The patterns found within the triangle are FASCINATING! Investigate some of the treasures found within the triangle in this math mini spark.

1

1     1

1     2     1

1     3     3     1

1     4     6     4     1

1     5     10     10     5     1

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #6: The Mathematical Secrets of Pascal’s Triangle

2. Watch this video about Pascal’s Triangle. On your recording page answer these questions: Describe a pattern you notice within the triangle. What numbers would be in the next row?

 

3. At 1:20 in the video, the Triangular Numbers are highlighted.  The picture below shows the first 5 triangular numbers.  Draw the next 2 triangular numbers on your recording page.

Screen Shot 2015-10-07 at 7.19.52 PM4. At 1:58 in the video, the Pentagonal Numbers are highlighted.  The picture below shows the first 5 pentagonal numbers.  Draw the next 2 pentagonal numbers on your recording page.

Screen Shot 2015-10-07 at 7.24.02 PM

5. Do some more research on Pascal’s Triangle at Math is Fun. Don’t feel like you have to explain everything about the triangle, just pick a couple patterns to highlight on your recording page.

6. This TED Ed Video takes the explanation of Pascal’s Triangle to a higher level, but it’s worth a watch to discover even more patterns within the triangle. Record 5 details from the video on your recording sheet.

7. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#5: Sieve of Eratosthenes

Math Mini Sparks

A sieve is a kitchen utensil that is used to strain solids from liquids or for separating coarser from finer particles.  The Sieve of Eratosthenes is similar because it’s used to separate out all the prime numbers from a given set of numbers.

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #5: Sieve of Eratosthenes

2. Listen to the pronunciation  of Eratosthenes several times. Practice saying “Eratosthenes”

3. Learn about Prime Numbers at Math is Fun and then answer these question on your recording page.  What is a prime number anyway?  What is the smallest prime number?  Is 1 prime?  Why or Why not?  Are all odd numbers prime?  How many prime numbers are there between 1 and 100?

4. Watch this video about the Sieve of Eratosthenes.

5. Do this online prime number activity and Add a picture of the finished chart to your recording page. If you would rather use paper, print out this 100 chart and find the prime numbers.

6. Read this article and find out about Eratosthenes.  Consider the following questions as you read and record your responses on your recording sheet.

What were 2 of Eratosthenes’ nicknames and what did they mean?

What is Eratosthenes known for besides the Sieve named after him?

What kind of man was Eratosthenes?

7. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#4: Weird But True! Size

Math Mini Sparks

This math mini spark explores Weird But True! Size Edition.

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page:#4: Weird But True! Size
  2. Explore math facts at National Geographic Kids Weird but True! Size Edition.
  3. To move from fact to fact click the arrows.
  4. There are 8 facts in total. Record your favorite four facts on your recording sheet.
  5. Do research about each of the four topics so that you can add 3-5 more details for each one.
  6. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.