TedTest

From the Ted Talk by Dan Finkel: 5 ways to share math with kids

Unscramble the Blue Letters

Just from thinking about it, if we were on a number line, and if I'm at 0, 8 is eight steps that way, and there's no way I could take eight steps and wind up back where I started. Unless ... (Laughter) well, what if it wasn't a number line? What if it was a number circle? Then I could take eight steps and wind back where I started. 8 would be 0. In fact, all of the infinite numbers on the real line would be stacked up in those eight spots. And we're in a new world. And we're just playing here, right? But this is how new math gets iveenntd. Mathematicians have actually been studying number crielcs for a long time. They've got a fancy name and everything: modular arithmetic. And not only does the math work out, it truns out to be ridiculously useful in fields like cryptography and computer science. It's actually no eotaagrexign to say that your credit card number is safe onlnie because someone was willing to ask, "What if it was a number clcrie instead of a nmeubr line?" So, yes, we need to teach students that 2 plus 2 equals 4. But also we need to say "yes" to their ideas and their questions and model the courage we want them to have. It takes courgae to say, "What if 2 plus 2 eqauls 12?" and actually explore the consequences. It taeks courage to say, "What if the angles in a tanrglie didn't add up to 180 degrees?" or "What if there were a square root of negative 1?" or "What if there were different sizes of infinity?" But that courage and those questions led to some of the greatest breakthroughs in history. All it takes is willingness to play. And that is principle five. mtamacteihs is not about following rules. It's about playing and exploring and fighting and looking for clues and sometimes breaking things. Einstein called play the highest form of reesrach. And a math teacher who lets their steudtns play with math gives them the gift of ownership. Playing with math can feel like running through the woods when you were a kid. And even if you were on a path, it felt like it all belonged to you. Parents, if you want to know how to nurture the mathematical instincts of your children, play is the answer. What bkoos are to reading, play is to mathematics. And a home fielld with blocks and puzzles and games and play is a home where matahtacimel thinking can flourish. I believe we have the power to help mathematical thinking flourish everywhere. We can't affrod to misuse math to create passive rule-followers. Math has the potential to be our greatest asset in teaching the next generation to meet the future with courage, curiosity, and creativity. And if all students get a ccnhae to experience the beauty and power of ahnuittec mathematical thinking, maybe it won't sound so stgarne when they say, "Math? I actually love math." Thank you. (Applause)

Open Cloze

Just from thinking about it, if we were on a number line, and if I'm at 0, 8 is eight steps that way, and there's no way I could take eight steps and wind up back where I started. Unless ... (Laughter) well, what if it wasn't a number line? What if it was a number circle? Then I could take eight steps and wind back where I started. 8 would be 0. In fact, all of the infinite numbers on the real line would be stacked up in those eight spots. And we're in a new world. And we're just playing here, right? But this is how new math gets ________. Mathematicians have actually been studying number _______ for a long time. They've got a fancy name and everything: modular arithmetic. And not only does the math work out, it _____ out to be ridiculously useful in fields like cryptography and computer science. It's actually no ____________ to say that your credit card number is safe ______ because someone was willing to ask, "What if it was a number ______ instead of a ______ line?" So, yes, we need to teach students that 2 plus 2 equals 4. But also we need to say "yes" to their ideas and their questions and model the courage we want them to have. It takes _______ to say, "What if 2 plus 2 ______ 12?" and actually explore the consequences. It _____ courage to say, "What if the angles in a ________ didn't add up to 180 degrees?" or "What if there were a square root of negative 1?" or "What if there were different sizes of infinity?" But that courage and those questions led to some of the greatest breakthroughs in history. All it takes is willingness to play. And that is principle five. ___________ is not about following rules. It's about playing and exploring and fighting and looking for clues and sometimes breaking things. Einstein called play the highest form of ________. And a math teacher who lets their ________ play with math gives them the gift of ownership. Playing with math can feel like running through the woods when you were a kid. And even if you were on a path, it felt like it all belonged to you. Parents, if you want to know how to nurture the mathematical instincts of your children, play is the answer. What _____ are to reading, play is to mathematics. And a home ______ with blocks and puzzles and games and play is a home where ____________ thinking can flourish. I believe we have the power to help mathematical thinking flourish everywhere. We can't ______ to misuse math to create passive rule-followers. Math has the potential to be our greatest asset in teaching the next generation to meet the future with courage, curiosity, and creativity. And if all students get a ______ to experience the beauty and power of _________ mathematical thinking, maybe it won't sound so _______ when they say, "Math? I actually love math." Thank you. (Applause)

Solution

students
research
mathematical
mathematics
triangle
afford
online
circles
authentic
books
invented
circle
strange
filled
number
exaggeration
chance
equals
takes
turns
courage

Original Text

Just from thinking about it, if we were on a number line, and if I'm at 0, 8 is eight steps that way, and there's no way I could take eight steps and wind up back where I started. Unless ... (Laughter) well, what if it wasn't a number line? What if it was a number circle? Then I could take eight steps and wind back where I started. 8 would be 0. In fact, all of the infinite numbers on the real line would be stacked up in those eight spots. And we're in a new world. And we're just playing here, right? But this is how new math gets invented. Mathematicians have actually been studying number circles for a long time. They've got a fancy name and everything: modular arithmetic. And not only does the math work out, it turns out to be ridiculously useful in fields like cryptography and computer science. It's actually no exaggeration to say that your credit card number is safe online because someone was willing to ask, "What if it was a number circle instead of a number line?" So, yes, we need to teach students that 2 plus 2 equals 4. But also we need to say "yes" to their ideas and their questions and model the courage we want them to have. It takes courage to say, "What if 2 plus 2 equals 12?" and actually explore the consequences. It takes courage to say, "What if the angles in a triangle didn't add up to 180 degrees?" or "What if there were a square root of negative 1?" or "What if there were different sizes of infinity?" But that courage and those questions led to some of the greatest breakthroughs in history. All it takes is willingness to play. And that is principle five. Mathematics is not about following rules. It's about playing and exploring and fighting and looking for clues and sometimes breaking things. Einstein called play the highest form of research. And a math teacher who lets their students play with math gives them the gift of ownership. Playing with math can feel like running through the woods when you were a kid. And even if you were on a path, it felt like it all belonged to you. Parents, if you want to know how to nurture the mathematical instincts of your children, play is the answer. What books are to reading, play is to mathematics. And a home filled with blocks and puzzles and games and play is a home where mathematical thinking can flourish. I believe we have the power to help mathematical thinking flourish everywhere. We can't afford to misuse math to create passive rule-followers. Math has the potential to be our greatest asset in teaching the next generation to meet the future with courage, curiosity, and creativity. And if all students get a chance to experience the beauty and power of authentic mathematical thinking, maybe it won't sound so strange when they say, "Math? I actually love math." Thank you. (Applause)

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation	frequency
mathematical thinking	5
math class	3
answer key	3
credit card	2
real thinking	2
authentic mathematical	2
takes courage	2

Important Words

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afford
angles
answer
applause
arithmetic
asset
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beauty
belonged
blocks
books
breaking
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called
card
chance
children
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computer
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credit
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curiosity
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einstein
equals
exaggeration
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fact
fancy
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filled
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invented
kid
laughter
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long
love
math
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meet
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model
modular
negative
number
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nurture
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reading
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ridiculously
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steps
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time
triangle
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wind
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work
world