Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 3d

Our whole place value system is built on the distributive law. All of the “column” algorithms exploit it. Other examples are adding and subtracting fractions via common denominators, collecting like algebraic terms and those Nat5-style surd simplifications. Also working with fractions of pi in trig.

2

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 3d

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q8t...

Darkness (Remaster 2002)

YouTube video by The Human League - Topic

www.youtube.com

2

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 3d

www.youtube.com/watch?v=quil...

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark

YouTube video by Kevin Bocoy

www.youtube.com

1

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 3d

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG70...

R Dean Taylor There's A Ghost In My House

YouTube video by NSoulClassics

www.youtube.com

1 2

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 3d

I’m increasingly struck by how fundamental the distributive law is to much of what is taught (and intuitively “known”) and yet is often only explicitly introduced when multiplying algebraic expressions.

2 3

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 7d

Potentially no limit to their creativity….

1

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 7d

Nice. How about something like this as
extension or a next step?
“Create as many different expressions as you can using the variables a, b and c.
Decide on a value for each variable and use these to evaluate each expression.”
Or, in pairs, create expressions for your partner to evaluate.

Miss Morris @morrismaths359.bsky.social · 7d

#Mathstoday
Both of my year 9 classes did loads of substitution work today. Got the exercise from the foundation sumbooks 2002. They are available online as a pdf. Loads of questions if the students just need loads of practice.

1

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 7d

If your Amazon Prime delivery takes twice as long as expected does that make it an Amazon Composite?

1 1

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 8d

Number of sides is odd/even/prime/…
Sum of internal angles is 0/180/360/540/…
Has 0/1/2/… pairs of parallel sides
Has 0/1/2/... internal reflex angles

2

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 13d

Some skillfully-presented and adorned work in #MathsToday.

Pity the content is not yet to the same standard.
Back to the drawing board, I suppose.

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 16d

Hip, Hip, Array.

1

Reposted by gerard mcn

Dr Lucy Rycroft-Smith @honeypisquared.bsky.social · 18d

A gorgeous video for our last daily challenge of #MathsWeekScot courtesy of science.ebird.org/en/status-an...

What can you see happening to the global population of barn swallows over time?
What stories can you tell about this data?
#StatsInTheWild @mathsweek.scot @royalstatsoc.bsky.social

2 5

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 18d

Great activity. Maths and birds are two of my main interests.
Here are the answers in their binomial scientific form.

1. Carduelis carduelis
2. Carduelis chloris
3. Pyrrhula pyrrhula

I didn’t look them up, honest!

1 1

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 18d

I’m struggling a bit with 2 - my colour perception isn’t great (a bit “colour-blind”).
I’ll go for
1. Goldfinch
2. Greenfinch
3. Bullfinch

1 1

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 19d

Got a real buzz in #MathsToday checking these homework submissions. I love it when pupils have the ability to navigate a question and express their solution strategy in their own unique way. They seem to be developing the relational understanding I would want them to have.

1 3

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 22d

Mathematician had a Power Nap
…. Slept like a log.

2

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 22d

TL: not square; 3 colours; odd number of reds; odd number of colours
TR: 4 colours; purple (?) rod
BL: half-turn symmetry; 2 lines of symmetry; no vertical red; no green
BR: no white; no internal squares; red area not one-half; one line of symmetry

1

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 25d

Which One Doesn’t Belong?
Mathsbot Rods courtesy of @studymaths.bsky.social
#WODB

2 2 4

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 27d

T observed that the biggest number was the smallest in reverse.

We then wondered if the same relationship would hold between the second smallest and second largest.

Before checking, what do you think?

1

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 27d

Ordering decimal fractions with S1 in #MathsToday.

The task: “Using the four digits 1, 8, 0 and 9 (from today’s date), in conjunction with a decimal point what’s the smallest number you can make.
The biggest?
Create an ordered list.”

2 2

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · Sep 14

Greenhead Moss, Wishaw, North Lanarkshire is home to a raised peat bog. These stairs aid access to the surface of the bog. The numbers on the risers, not quite an arithmetic sequence, indicate the age of the peat at the corresponding depth.

1 8

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · Sep 12

I only discovered it a couple of months ago: a colleague lent it to me for summer reading. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Regarding amicable numbers, here’s an extract from Wikipedia. Perhaps your students would be interested to hear about Niccolo Paganini - see highlighted passage.

1 1

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · Sep 12

A lovely book - in every way.

1 1

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · Sep 10

Times tables.

Sacred Heart and St. Gerard’s Church,
Bellshill,
North Lanarkshire

gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · Sep 6

Hamilton Mausoleum, South Lanarkshire.
A hidden geometric treasure.

3