ATOM (A Taste of Mathematics) is a series of booklets published by The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS). The series is designed for secondary school students and their teachers. The CMS is in the process of making all the volumes in this series available for free from their website at: https://cms.math.ca/publications/atom-booklets/
The latest volume, by Susan Milner, is on mathematical puzzles. Milner, along with two of the ATOM editors, wrote an article in the free CMS problem-solving journal Crux Mathematicorum about the topic of the first chapter of the upcoming volume of ATOM — the puzzle Rectangles. You can check out that article (and find the puzzles) here (Teaching Problems number16): https://cms.math.ca/publications/crux/issue/?volume=48&issue=4
A draft of chapter 2 from the upcoming ATOM, on the puzzle Three in a Row is available at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GKxuzgTQk_zbek1uZi_xipQME9mlxyHx/view?usp=sharing
Please visit the ATOM website listed above to learn more about the series and to download the full version of the booklet when it is available shortly.
Any questions about the ATOM series can be directed to the ATOM Editor-in-Chief, Shawn Godin, at godinmathstuff@gmail.com.
The Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (COMC) is Canada’s premier national mathematics competition open to any student with an interest in and grasp of high school math. The purpose of the COMC is to encourage students to explore, discover, and learn more about mathematics and problem solving. The competition serves to provide teachers with a unique student enrichment activity during the fall term. It is the most prestigious math competition in Canada, and one of the most prestigious in the Americas. The COMC is the only way to be invited to the CMS’ free, exclusive training camps and compete internationally as part of Math Team Canada!
Depending on their grade level and performance, students participating in the COMC will also have the opportunity to be considered for university scholarships, get invited to math camps, garner awards, and win prizes. This year’s challenge will be held on Thursday, October 27th.
Head to https://comc.math.ca/2022/ for more information or to register for COMC 2022!
the subscript
Bite-sized ideas for your math classroom.
- Janice Novakowski and the British Columbia Reggio-Inspired Mathematics Project have created a monthly digital newsletter. Subscribe for new routines, games, and other resources for early math learners.
- The February issue of M Magazine by Marian Small features Kirsten Dyck (SMTS vice-president) as Educator of the Month. The first three issues of this digital magazine are free, and each issue has plenty of videos and articles for Canadian math educators.
- Scott Westwell shares great ideas for establishing classroom culture during the first days of a secondary math course in this Twitter thread.
- Games offer children a great way to develop mathematical reasoning through logic and strategy. The curators of Show Me Your Math have compiled a great list of logic games here.
- Jennifer Barker describes an all-ages routine called “Tell Me Everything” in this short and sweet blog post. Watch the routine in action in a Kindergarten classroom in this video.
- In their new podcast, Regina math teachers Kyle Webb and Dean Vendramin share stories from Saskatchewan teachers using Peter Liljedahl’s Building Thinking Classroom framework.
- Shawn Godin’s Alternate Angles column on problem solving, previously published in The Variable, has a new home on the SMTS website. Check out his latest post, Slicing Squares.
the subscript is compiled by the executive of the Saskatchewan Mathematics Teachers’ Society. Suggestions are always welcome! Email president@smts.ca.
the subscript – Nov. 2021
Bite-sized ideas for your math classroom.
– British Columbia teacher Janice Novakowski shares her work with primary learners and Numicon blocks in this short blog post (that includes some task cards she created).
– Graham Fletcher shares how he encourages productive struggle with the popular Open Middle math prompts.
– Ontario high school teacher Andrea Biro shares her prompt to introduce the distributive property to her Grade 9s in this Twitter thread.
– Listen to this podcast episode where SMTS director Lana Steiner talks about capturing evidence from conversations and observations in the math class.
– The Making Math Moments Virtual Summit is being held on November 13th-14th, and the SMTS PD Series continues with SMTS director Anita Hamm leading a virtual workshop on November 18th: Making Connections in Math Class. Both events are free!
– Looking to get involved with the SMTS? All members are invited to attend the virtual SMTS Annual General Meeting on November 17th at 7:00PM. (Check your email for meeting link and AGM package)
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the subscript is compiled by the executive of the Saskatchewan Mathematics Teachers’ Society. Suggestions for inclusions are always welcomed! Email: president@smts.ca
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Volume 6, Issue 2 of The Variable, periodical of the Saskatchewan Mathematics Teachers’ Society, has just been released! From Kindergarten to Grade 12, there is something for everyone.
In this issue, Jeff Irvine shares a favourite lesson on domain and range (“Teaching Domain and Range of a Function Through a Constructivist Lens”, p. 4); Candace Joswick, Douglas H. Clements, Julie Sarama, Holland W. Banse, and Crystal A. Day-Hess explain how executive function demands may be increased or decreased in high-quality mathematical activities to meet their individual needs (“Double Impact: Mathematics and Executive Function,” p. 20); and Glen Aikenhead differentiates between in- and out-of-school mathematics, and encourages us to consider the positive implications of inviting Indigenous mathematizing into the classroom (“Out-of-School, Applied, In-School, and Indigenous Mathematics,” p. 29). You will also find our regular features, including Shawn Godin‘s “Alternate Angles,” which takes an in-depth look at intriguing problems and their solutions (p. 15); “Intersections,” which will bring you up to date on upcoming professional development opportunities (p. 40); and “Tangents,” which highlights extracurricular opportunities for K-12 students interested in mathematics (p. 42).
Last but not least, this issue features the latest installment of “Math Ed Matters by MatthewMaddux,” a column by Egan Chernoff telling “slightly bent, untold, true stories of mathematics teaching and learning.” In this issue, Chernoff reflects on the ways in which different generations think about the teaching and learning of mathematics, and posits implications for the mathematics classroom of the future (p. 47).
To access this month’s issue, head to http://smts.ca/the-variable/, where you will find this and all issues of The Variable free to read and download.
Pre-service and in-service elementary mathematics teachers, consider the following opportunity to participate in a math anxiety study. Those selected for a follow-up interview will be entered in a draw to win a $150 Amazon gift card.
Know some students up for a challenge? Consider the following extracurricular opportunity:
Yang Math League
Levels: Grade 8 and under; Grades 9 to 12
Frequency: Weekly
Time: 30 minutes at any convenient time on Saturday or Sunday
Questions: 6
Format: Google Forms
Topics: Full range of school mathematics
Goal: To help students become more interested in math by problem solving and assist them in growing conceptually
The Yang Math League (YML) is entirely organized and run by Saskatchewan’s own Stephen Yang, a talented and passionate Grade 10 math student in Saskatoon. Students receive the six weekly questions through email each Saturday morning at 9 am and can choose when they do them that weekend. They submit their answers on a Google form that is scored automatically, and receive their scores back on Monday evening along with their cumulative score and the names of the perfect scorers. When over 20% of the students ask for a solution to a question, Stephen posts a YouTube video within a week.
Students can participate for as many or few weeks as they want and take a break for one or several weeks. Students who have participated consistently see a growth in their ability to solve tough mathematical problems.
To register, use the following link: https://bit.ly/2KpRAmX
Also check out Stephen’s YouTube channel, which includes solutions to a variety of tough math questions from contests: https://bit.ly/39E2C0t
