Do Your Kids Know That You Hate Math? October 20, 2004 David Rock University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Math Curse Scieszka, John Smith, Lane 1995

There is a circular pond with a diameter of 200 feet. Dead in the center of the pond is a frog on a lily pad. The average leap of a frog is two feet, and there are plenty of other appropriately spaced lily pads in the pond on which to jump. What is the minimum number of leaps it will take the frog to jump completely out of the pond? Frog in the Pond 200 feet

Strategies students use Repeated addition Repeated subtraction Groundwork for multiplication

Why is it important to make problem solving fun? Interest towards Mathematics Mathematical Enthusiasm Inspiration Problem solving is one of our most important standards – key to success in other subjects We tend to succeed at things we enjoy We tend to enjoy things at which we succeed

Cute Little Bookworm There is a three-volume set of books sitting on a shelf. The front and back covers of the books are each one-eighth inch thick. The page section inside each book spans exactly two inches. A cute little bookworm starts eating at page one of volume one and eats, in a straight line, through to the last page of volume three. How far will the little worm travel?

Card Tricks are Fun Pick a card and concentrate on that card!

It’s Magic! I threw out your card!

Handy Man A man walks into a hardware store and buys: 1 for $1 20 for $2 300 for $3 What is the man buying?

Not Tic-Tac-Toe Toe-Tac-Tic The object of the game is to get three in a row! What skills are used to play this game? Not-Toe-Tac-Tic The object of the game is to NOT get three in a row! What skills are used to play this game?

19 – 1 = 20 How can you take one away from nineteen and get twenty?

Roman Numerals? XIX is 19 Take away the I and you get XX which is 20

White House Math Challenge Four Distinct Levels Elementary School Middle School High School Open Challenge

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