Friday. Second period accelerated math, seventh grade.
Accelerated math means the students are learning seventh and eighth grade math at the same time. (They'll take freshman math as eighth graders.)
The topic on Friday was what I spent two separate days covering with the eighth grade classes: the volume of a cylinder and the volume of a cone.
There is a way to derive the formula (something we did in calculus), but for middle schoolers, we do an explanation as to why it is correct, and then we have them use it.
For the eighth graders, my explanation of "it takes three cones to fill a cylinder" was good enough. Alas, the seventh graders did not believe me.
However, I knew that I could find a video that showed that very thing. (There is so much good math material on YouTube.) So, if they needed proof, I'd show them proof.
They weren't entirely convinced. ("There's still water in the cone.") I explained that getting a perfect pour wasn't necessarily going to happen, human error and all. They grumbled, but they accepted that explanation.
Of course, Friday was one of those days where keeping their focus wasn't really happening. But I have had worse, so it wasn't too terrible.
And now I'm done with that class and on to a new long term that started Monday. I'll begin talking about that next week.
Great video. I wish we had that wen I was taking math.
ReplyDeleteI know, right? It would have helped me so much.
DeleteKids contesting the explanation was silly, I thought. The video is so very clear.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, Youtube has plenty of educational stuff. Only we have to make sure we are watching videos from credible or well-known sources.
I don't recall learning this, but it is very clear in the video. Perhaps I was absent that day? Ha, more likely I just wasn't paying attention.
ReplyDeleteSeventh graders arguing over pedantic things? Shocking.
ReplyDeletelol
DeleteI would have loved videos like that in math. Math has been a dreaded subject for me since around 6th grade. This concept is so obvious to me when I see the video. Two dimensional diagrams don't work for me. And I escaped high school math the second I could; believe it or not I've never taken calculus.
ReplyDeleteMost don't take calculus. I did because it was a requirement for my physics courses (in college--I did not take calculus in high school).
Deletei hate much so much and i really can't understand it no matter how focused i am with my professor 😀 but i think i will easily learn with a video like that.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.itsjulieann.com
If it helps, you can always go looking for those videos yourself.
DeleteBest of luck on your long term event coming up
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteToo bad they couldn't try it hands-on themselves.
ReplyDeleteThat would be lovely, but we just didn't have the time.
DeleteNot a big math person. But my eldest has been in accelerated math since the 4th grade and my husband is a math whiz as well.
ReplyDelete