Reasoning With Mathematics

Lesson 12 - Doing Mathematics: Reasoning about Problems

Now that we've spent some time exploring chaos and using patterns to think about prediction, let's explore some other current mathematical concerns. For the final exercise for this course we're asking you to visit the MegaMath student web page <http://www.c3.lanl.gov/mega-math/student.html>. We'd like you to critique the site and help us decide how much students will learn using their approaches to mathematics. First read through the initial statements about mathematics and when you get to the How to Get Started section, click on the pictures button.

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How to Get Started

Look at the pictures and see what looks interesting to you.

Read the stories.

What is your favorite letter? Find out what mathematical ideas begin with that letter.

Are you bored on the playground? Try out some math games for the playground. (You won't do any counting, but you might get out of breath!)

Check out the mathematical words in the glossary or the topics in the Reference Section. Which ones look interesting to you?

Read the mail from other students.

Write a letter to MegaMath. Tell us about yourself. Ask questions. Tell us what you think is inteteresting about mathematics.

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Starting with the pictures and the notions of pattern we've been discussing, work through one of the topics and write a four screen (two page) critique of the approach indicating what, if anything, you learned and what you think others might learn. Make sure you explain what worked and what didn't.

Send your letter, with a copy to your instructor, to MegaMath and send any responses you receive to your instructor.