Category Archives: Math Mini Sparks

#95: The Chaos Game

Math Mini Sparks

In mathematics, the term chaos game originally referred to a method of creating a fractal, using a polygon and an initial point selected at random inside it.

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #95: The Chaos Game
  2. Watch this video. Record details on your recording page.

3. Watch this video to learn how to play The Chaos Game. *****This video is long–> looking for other video

Follow the instructions in the video.  Take a screenshot of your final picture and add it to your recording page.

4. Link to the GeoGebra Website to find the chaos game.

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

# 94: Pixel Power

Math Mini Sparks, Uncategorized

Pixels are the smallest unit in a digital display. Up to millions of pixels make up an image or video on a device’s screen. Each pixel comprises a subpixel that emits a red, green and blue (RGB) color, which displays at different intensities. In this mini spark, you will learn about the basics of pixels and pixel colors.  

Spark your math thinking!

1. Start by taking out your math notebook or opening your math mini spark doc.  Put the date at the top and put the title of this mini spark. Record all of your work on this page.

2. Use this slideshow of images, which zooms a picture of raft. The final slide shows that the entire photo is actually made from individual squares of color. How does looking at these pictures help explain creation of the digital images that you see? What other images might you see today that are made from pixels?

 

3. Watch these two videos. The first video is a reminder binary numbers. It will help to see this before watching the second video. Take notes as you watch both videos.

4. After watching the second video answer these questions in your notebook. What is the RGB name for turquoise? How does a computer name turquoise? Draw the math steps that were used in the video to explain how a function is used to filter an image.

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

Check out the Playing with Pixels badge at the EY website.

#93 Cake Pop Math

Math Mini Sparks

Did you hear that Scooter’s Coffee broke the Guinness World Record for the largest cake pop?!  This mini spark will give you the opportunity to learn more, explore spheres, and maybe even make your own cake pops!

 

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #93 Cake Pop Math
  2. Read the article and leave a comment about something new you learned:  https://www.3newsnow.com/news/local-news/scooters-coffee-breaks-guinness-world-record-for-the-largest-cake-ball
  3. Learn about SPHERES at https://www.splashlearn.com/math-vocabulary/geometry/sphere and think of a creative way to show what you learned.
  4. Look at the website linked below to find the diameter of some of your favorite sports balls.  Calculate the SA and Volume and display your learning in a creative way.  https://www.topendsports.com/resources/equipment/ball-size.htm
  5. Have you ever bought a cake pop?  How much was it and was the cost worth the taste?  Explore the price of cake pops from different stores and make a table comparing the data.  You can find out the cost by visiting a place in-person, or find a website that tells you the information.  Display your data in a creative way.
  6.  Look up a few recipes for cake pops. Which one would you like to try?
  7.  Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#92: π Day

Math Mini Sparks, Uncategorized

Pi is one the most studied numbers in mathematics and on March 14 (or 3/14), we celebrate Pi Day because 3.14 are the first digits of pi.

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #92: π Day
  2. Learn about 18 ways that NASA uses Pi!  https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/list/oh-the-places-we-go-18-ways-nasa-uses-pi/. Record a few ideas on your recording page.
  3. Learn about other interesting Pi Facts at https://www.piday.org/pi-facts/. Create a info page about what you learned
  4. Find your “Pi Day” using this site. Type in your birthday and record where in pi your date appears.  Do this for a friend or your teacher and record their pi day. I put in my birthdate and the sequence of numbers does not show up until digit 169, 266! 
  5. Choose an interesting way to represent Pi! Check out the ideas at the end of this post.
  6. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Check out the Pi Masters badge at the EY website.

PiSong1

Screen Shot 2016-03-01 at 10.28.23 PM

Pi Grid Art

#91: Mythical Mathematical Mind Reader

Math Mini Sparks

This is an interesting game to solve. When you are done, challenge yourself to explain your math thinking.

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #91: Mythical Mathematical Mind Reader

2. Go to The Mind Reader website created by Transum and follow the instructions

         

The Mind Reader

4. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Record all of your math step-by-step on your paper.

5. Look for patterns

6. Brainstorm possible reasons why The Mind Reader is able to predict your symbol every time.

7. At the end of the 5 minutes, write a several sentences about how you think this game works.

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

lesson adapted from https://www.transum.org/Maths/Investigation/Mind_Reader/ and Yummy math

#90: A Ridiculous, Long Way to Find Out the Day of the Week You Were Born

Math Mini Sparks

Do you know what day of the week you were born on?  If not, you could…

  1. Ask your parent(s)/guardian(s) if they remember the day of the week.

  2. You could “Google”: What day of the week was May 16, 1975 (that’s my birthday)

OR

You can do this ridiculously long way…which is more fun IMO!

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #90: A Ridiculous, Long Way to Find Out the Day of the Week You Were Born

2.  Follow the steps. If you would like to see an example of the steps, scroll down to the bottom of this post.

Step 1: Take the last 2 digits of the year in which you were born.

Step 2: Divide that number by 4 and ignore any remainder.

Step 3: Add the day of the month to the answer from step 2

Step 4: Add the month’s key value to the answer from step 3.

January and October:Key Value = 1

February, March, and November: Key Value = 4

April and July: Key Value = 0

May: Key Value = 2

June: Key Value = 5

August: Key Value = 3

September and December: Key Value = 6

Step 5: Subtract 1 for January or February of a leap year.

Step 6:

Add 0 if the date is in the 1900s

Add 6 if the date is in the 2000s

Add 4 for the 1700s

Add 2 for the 1800s

Step 7:  Add the last 2 digits of the year.

Step 8: Divide by 7 and take the remainder.

Remainder 1 is Sunday

Remainder 2 is Monday

Remainder 3 is Tuesday

Remainder 4 is Wednesday

Remainder 5 is Thursday

Remainder 6 is Friday

3. Now double-check your work by searching on Google!

4.Create a product that shows your work!  Example:

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

#89 Matrices

Math Mini Sparks

Matrices are rectangular arrangements of rows and columns. In this mini spark, you will learn about the basics of matrices.

Here are three examples.

    

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #89 Matrices

2. Watch the 2 videos below and take notes with the new information you learned.

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

You can extend your learning by completing the Marvelous Matrices badge!

#88: EWeek

Math Mini Sparks, MS Learning Opportunities

Calling all FUTURE ENGINEERS…Every year in February we celebrate EWeek. No matter what month it is, you can dive into this engineering career study and learn more about what types of work each engineer does to help our world.

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #88: EWeek
  2. Learn about 5 different types of engineers. Record the type of engineer and a description of the work they do https://www.mathcounts.org/resources/engineers-week

 3. Look over the descriptions for Hydraulic engineering and Geomatics Engineering.

Hydraulic engineering is a subfield of civil engineering that centers around the transport and management of water resources.Hydraulic engineers design things like channels, canals, dams and levees. They must consider many factors before beginning a project, including the collection, storage, flow, measurement and use of the water, in order to ensure its control, safety and cleanliness

Geomatics engineers collect data and then analyze and interpret it to find solutions  Geomatics engineering plays an important role in construction, transport, communication, mapping and research.

4. Choose one engineering type and work on two (or more if you want) of the problems from the problem set.

Hydraulic engineering problems: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gTPnXgw68FQ03PoWzCNx07jd4m-4gPUWPMRrjutzTYo/copy

–Geomatics Engineering problems:

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p3tkRCP3-rBDfzT8hB11_lsWcKmyjFwD/view?usp=sharing

5. Ask your EY teacher to check your work. Solutions are in the mini spark folder.

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

#87: Palindrome Party

Math Mini Sparks

From time to time we are lucky and have a Palindrome “Week”. In 2024 we had a 10 day stretch where the dates could be written as a palindrome!

The date reads the same forward as it does backwards.  This doesn’t happen often!

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #87: Palindrome Party

2. Check out these palindromes for kids: https://www.cbc.ca/kids/articles/palindromes-theyre-the-same-backwards-and-forwards. Pay special attention to any words that are new to you and phrases that are palindromes. These items should all be included on a taking page.

3. Watch the video about palindromes and pause the video as needed to record any new words/phrases that are palindromes.

 

4. Check out this AMAZING trick write about the patterns you observe and the steps you see: http://somethingorotherwhatever.com/sum-of-3-palindromes/. 

6. Check out some palindrome phrases at: https://kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/brainteasers/palindromes/index.htm

What is your favorite phrase from this post?

7. On a piece of paper, make a list of the answers to the following math problems.  You may use a calculator.  11 x 11       111 x 111          1,111 x 1,111.                   11,111 x 11,111           111,111 x 111,111     Based on these answers, can you predict what the answer will be to 111,111,111 x 111,111,111?

8. Where can you find 🅿🅰🅻🅸🅽🅳🆁🅾🅼🅴🆂? Look for these around your school, home, and when you are out and about. Write about what you have noticed.

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

Check out the palindrome badge at the EY website.