This is a truncated version of a presentation created by Dan Meyer. The (much better) original is available at http://algebra.mrmeyer.com/ as part of "Week 1." The edits were intended to highlight the language components of Math.
1. 1. What Language Is This? a) Die fette Katze geht schnell. b) El gato gordo camina rápidamente. c) Il gatto grasso cammina velocement. d) Le gros chat marche rapidement. e) O gato gordo anda rapidamente. German Spanish Italian French Portuguese f) The fat cat walks fast. English
2. 1. What Language Is This? a) Die fette Katze geht schnell. b) El gato gordo camina rápidamente. c) Il gatto grasso cammina velocement. d) Le gros chat marche rapidement. e) O gato gordo anda rapidamente. German Spanish Italian French Portuguese f) The fat cat walks fast. English
6. #3 #2 p - 4 the product of 15 and c. 4 less than p.
7. #4 #3 15c the sum of 12 and five times m. the product of 15 and c.
8. #5 #4 5m + 12 What language is this: математика - мой друг. the sum of 12 and five times m.
9. #6 #5 Russian. What language is this: математика - мой друг. What does this mean in German? Mathematik ist mein Freund.
10. #7 #6 Mathematics is my friend. What does this mean in German? Mathematik ist mein Freund. the quotient of a number and six.
11. #8 #7 n/6 the quotient of a number and six. the product of 5 and m minus the quotient of t and 7.
12. #9 #8 5m - t/7 the product of 5 and m minus the quotient of t and 7. four times the sum of a number and 10.
13. #10 #9 4(n + 10) four times the sum of a number and 10. write this in English: 5n - 7
14. #11 #10 seven less than five times a number write this in English: 5n - 7 write this in English: q/6 + 7
15. #12 #11 seven more than the quotient of q and six. write this in English: q/6 + 7 ten less than five times a number
16. 2. Chocolate Math 1. Pick the number of times per week you’d like to have chocolate. (At least once but less than ten times.) 2. Multiply this number by 2. 3. Add 5. 4. Multiply it by 50. 5. If you have already had your birthday, add 1758. If you haven’t, add 1757. 6. Now subtract the four-digit year you were born in. 7. You should have a three-digit number. THE FIRST DIGIT OF THIS IS YOUR ORIGINAL NUMBER THE NEXT TWO NUMBERS ARE YOUR AGE
Editor's Notes
They’ll raise their hands and try to tell you but have them write it on the boards.
Talk about how different language move subjects and adjectives around differently, how in German the subjects are capitalized, and how you’ve got to learn to interpret these things.
Talk about how math is a language also. Cue the groans. Ask for a word that tells you to add, subtract, multiply, divide.
whiteboards here
Kinda fun, first-week timewaster. “That little popping sound you just heard ... that was your mind totally getting blown.”