Math DVDs for Gifts

In addition to the Math Toys, Gifts, and Games and Math Books for Kids, here are some fun Math DVDs to consider for Christmas.

Math DVDs

* The Story of One
* Donald in Mathmagic Land
* Multiplication Rock
* Flatland, the Movie

* Mathtacular by Justin Holzmann of Sonlight (I've not seen but has great reviews.)
* The Story of Math (I've not seen but has great reviews.)

[Note: If you're interested in purchasing any of these movies through Amazon, all commissions go toward foster care through Grace and Hope at no additional cost to you. THANK YOU! Also, I have no affiliation with any of the products above.]

Math Snack (games and videos) FUN!!!

In researching iTouch/iPhone math game apps (blog post soon to come!), I ran across a gem. This site is SO COOL! Check it out...

Math Snacks are short animations and mini–games designed to help learners "get it". Each snack presents a mathematical concept, particularly those addressed in grades 6, 7 and 8. Ideal for use in a classroom or on your own, they can even be placed on mobile devices for "homework". The accompanying print materials can assist learners in applying their conceptual understanding to math problems.

If you visit the website, you'll find both learner and teacher guides to go with the apps.


Pearl Diver
I'm listing this one first because it's so nifty. In this game, available on the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch (FREE!) the "pearl diver" must swim to the bottom of the sea, while avoiding electronic eels. The "sea" is a number line with increasing levels of difficulty. I played with numberlines that included: 1-10, negative to positive numbers, fractions, etc. Very fun, interesting game for numberline skills practice and development of number sense. [play online or download for iPod]

Other Math Snacks that you can view online or download for iPod include:

Bad Date
This humorous animation visualizes the ratio of words spoken on a series of dates. [movie, view online or download for iPod, pdf learner/teacher guides]

Scale Ella
A crusading superhero clarifies and uses scale factor. [movie, view online or download for iPod]

Atlantean Dodgeball
Ratio errors confuse one of the coaches in an epic dodgeball tournament. [movie, view online or download for iPod, pdf learner/teacher guides]

Number Rights
A passionate activist clarifies equality on a number line. [movie, view online or download for iPod, pdf learner/teacher guides]

Overruled!
Rulers value proper units and proportional details. [movie, view online or download for iPod, pdf learner/teacher guides]

Visit again soon for a lengthy list of free math game apps for iTouch/iPhone.


Edited to add a note from Barbara at Math Snacks:

I'm so pleased you like Math Snacks! Over the next four years, we'll be adding more of them, so it is great knowing we've hit the right content and the right approach.

I love your blog. Thanks so much! I'm not sure how much you know about Math Snacks... currently available are 5 animations and one game. All are available to play and watch online on the website (mathsnacks.com), and on iTunes for download (for full screen video that could be downloaded, then would not require internet connection to play.) In addition, there are iPod/iPad versions of the game, Pearl Diver, as well as a video player which includes the available animations.

Math Snacks Video Player for iPad/iPod
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-snacks-video/id341673343?mt=8

Pearl Diver Game for iPhone
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pearl-diver/id337567843?mt=8

Pearl Diver Game for iPad
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pearl-diver-hd/id364617763?mt=8

All animations (to download to iTunes)
http://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Browse/nmsu-public.1559973710.01559973717

We'll keep working, and hope to please you in the future, as well. Keep up the good work in identifying new learning approaches, and sharing them on your blog.

Barbara

Math in the Movies!

A couple years ago I began using video clips in my continuing education classes for teachers. Why?  Short movie excerpts have the powerful ability to:

• illustrate a point
• incite discussion
• provide a humorous "jumping off point" for a particular concept
• pose "real life" problem solving
• capture students' attention
• address a variety of student learning styles
• present a wide variety of mathematical strands
• help students to consider what they know and what they have yet to learn

Many, many movies contain mathematical clips. Some are best used with advanced math students while others are perfect for younger children.

Consider this clip from the movie, Father of the Bride. Mr. Banks is frustrated by the fact that hotdog buns come in packs of 12 while hotdogs come in packs of 8. Pose the question to students:

How many packs of each would he need to buy to make the hotdogs and buns come out even?

Here's a clip from Ma and Pa Kettle. I love this clip because it illustrates how important it is for students to explain not only WHAT the answer is but also HOW they got an answer. Can your student explain where Ma/Pa went wrong in each proof?





I also enjoy math problems from game shows. Students of all ages like to feel smarter than television competition. (Why else are game shows so successful?)  Here's an excerpt from Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in which actress Patricia Heaton struggles to answer the following question:

If a Euro is $1.50, five Euros is worth what?

A. Thirty quarters
B. Fifty dimes
C. Seventy nickels
D. Ninety pennies 

Many more online resources are available on math in the movies:

Math and the Movies: Two teachers list many movie excerpts and provide free pdf lessons to go with each.

Mathematics in Movies: A Harvard professor has collected an extensive collection of movie titles. He includes the movie clips in a library on his site.

Simpsons Math: Math lessons using episodes from The Simpsons.

The Math in the Movies page: guide to major motion pictures with math scenes.

PBS Teachers Mathline: math movie activities.

Math at the Movies: examples, photos, exercises.

Countdown: using technology of Quicktime to develop math skills.

LivingMathForum: Julie compiled a list of recommended math video learning materials from the Living Math Forum Yahoo group.

Mathematics Goes to the Movies: titles and short descriptions of over 500 movies and TV episodes that contain mathematics. (Thanks, Sue, for alerting me to this site!) 

A few movie titles that are totally oriented around math and may be worth purchasing to add to your own math library:





















And, of course, any of the Cyberchase episodes. (My kids have learned an incredible amount of math from watching this PBS series. You can also play on-line games and see some excerpts at the PBS kids website.)

Lastly, on YouTube you can see Norton Juster's The Dot and the Line... Enjoy! :)