Options for a several week "light" math unit?

[Dmmetler]

I realized why DD and I may be struggling with AOPS more right now. I'm basically allergic to October, November and December, because I'm allergic to pine and cinnamon, and the two are really common in the air. Usually I end up needing an epipen and the ER at least once in this season, and I'm on allergy meds preventatively all the time.

 

DD also has trouble with seasonal allergies. Hers tend to really ramp up when leaves start falling, and tend to stop once we start getting regular hard freeze days, so she's also on daily meds right now.

 

And, DH is having medical issues, so DD and I are losing a lot of school time when he has appointments/tests that I need to drive him for or where he just wants me there to provide another set of ears and someone to take notes.

 

So, I'm thinking we really need something that doesn't require quite as much heavy thinking for the next few weeks.We're done with chapter 5 as far as content goes, and I'm thinking that saving the review/challengers as a way of getting back into the swing of things in January would be good.

 

What would be a good topic to do for a few weeks that would be a little less strenuous mentally, but keep DD's brain moving through this holiday/allergy season? Looking at the calendar, we probably will have the equivalent of 6 weeks of school from next week to Jan 1 because there is SO much going on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[slackermom]

The first thing that pops in to my head is geometry. I can't find the name of the geometry book that Rose has mentioned in the past.  It looked like it might be a good book for us to use while we are on the road for a bit of the semester.

 

There might be something you could use on quark's amazing math resource thread:

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/320275-designing-a-non-traditional-math-course-for-a-math-loving-structure-hating-child/?do=findComment&comment=3272174

 

I hope you all feel better soon.

[Julie of KY]

you could do some alcumus, just to keep the brain working.

 

I'm not sure what level you are at in AoPS, but doing some geometry or counting/probability might be fun.

 

You might look at he MEP website and pick a chapter that looks fun and age-appropriate. The chapters for older kids usually can stand-alone - you can pick geometry, logic, patterns, probability, etc.

[Dmmetler]

She's at the end of Chapter 5 in Intro to Algebra.

 

 

[azucena]

What about working with some of the Martin Gardner books on puzzles and recreational mathematics?

[Crimson Wife]

MEP has a few oddball topics that aren't covered in the typical sequence.

 

9A has binary and other base systems: http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/book9/bk9_1.pdf

9B has constructions and loci: http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/book9/bk9_1.pdf

 

Somewhere there's a section on surds but for the life of me I'm not seeing it at the moment.

[Ethel Mertz]

Patty Paper Geometry? If you go this route, don't forget to order the patty paper.

[Mike in SA]

Taking a couple of breaks during Intro to Algebra is not a bad idea.  Even AoPS themselves break it in two.

 

Number theory is very good if you can handle "more of the same" but at a lighter clip.  Honestly, I'd take a left turn for a while, just to mix things up and maximize the impact.  If she likes the proofs, try an introduction to symbolic logic.  If she likes application, then some pre-algebra repetition via alcumus would be more than sufficient, and very valuable.

[Dmmetler]

We have quite a few of the Dover books that we haven't dived into yet (although DD may have on her own), so that may be a place to start.  For whatever reason, she doesn't like Alumcus, making her probably the only kid in existence who doesn't (I think it's because she doesn't like math on a computer in general. Science on a computer is fine, and she'll happily spend hours on virtual labs (every time her mentor gets a code to try out a new textbook with a virtual lab component, she passes it off to DD :) ), but not math. The only two exceptions are Vi Hart videos and the World Ed games.

 

I'm thinking that we can play with the Dover/problem solving, and some of the pre-algebra resources/extensions and hopefully find a balance for a few weeks, until this season passes.

 

 

[school17777]

What about Hands on Equations? 

[Kerileanne99]

I know that she has been learning statistics informally, in the context of papers she is reading...what about doing a more concentrated stats study? Maybe even combined with some applications using statistical software, with basic linear regression. You could take it a in-depth as she requires, or more of an overview.

I am sure her mentor will have access to software, and may even be able to get her a copy to use or allow her to do it at the Uni. Some of my bio and chem classes required a certain amount of time spent on them for working with data. And much of it was not all that complicated, but more of a special area.

 

That, combined with some fun math puzzle books could keep her going for quite some time, be useful and applicable to her interests, and could be ended pretty much wherever you got to...

[Pegs]

I know you said not AoPS, but "The Art of Problem Solving, Volume One: the Basics" has a few chapters which would be largely review (and others which are just fun!), and might be worth checking in on casually every now and then, so as not to get such a shock going back to AoPS algebra. Just a thought!

 

There are some great threads about with resources for people doing less structured mathematics. Have you looked over the thread that Quark has linked in her sig?

 

Sorry you're both struggling with allergies, and that your DH is also unwell.

[Mike in SA]

Here's another thought - how about a 90 degree turn, into basic geometry?  It is quite different, and develops logical foundations that will be valuable in algebra.  You can go quite a ways, if you would like, before needing to head back into algebra.