Complement Maths With Other Subjects

Studying maths can be rather dry when only one see numbers, symbols and expression besides all the mathematical formulae. There may not be any picture to illustrate at times. How then can learning and teaching maths be make exciting?

One way is to include links to other subjects to bring in excitment.

A good link or relation bonding is ART. Maths is used in some areas to generate diagrams and abstract pictures. The "golden ratio" is a famous application.

Another link is to architecture. The "golden ratio" is again used. Trigonometry is used to make visual impression in building look good, especially the pillars.

There are many other areas that maths can relate to. Engineering, electronics, medical, movies-making, and computer application, etc, are some examples.

These links not only make maths learning real, it enables learners to understand the unlimited role maths has on other areas of life.

Number Activities To Offset Maths Anxiety

To make learning mathematics interesting, we can expose students to numbers first. The exposure can be in the form of telling the usage of a particular number. A targeted number for the day can be set and students are to find stories / usage to fit this number.

Examples:
The number "12"
==> Used in the Calendar as number of months
==> The size of a soccer team
==> The number of inches per ruler

This type of activites make the lesson less boring and challenges them to think towards mathematics application. It reduces the fear or anxiety since fun is replaced.

This short "game" can be used during the times when mathematics lesson got uninteresting or complex, and students need a break.

Different groups can be formed to challenge each other to which group can provide the most number of usage.

Mathematics is after all a useful topic to learn. It is the fun element that is sometime extracted out in place of tedious worksheets. Inject some eviation at times to refresh the interesting part of mathematics.

Mathematics learning and teaching can be exciting with the continuous effort to pump in fun. Enjoy maths.

Reverse Learning

We learn things provided we know the outcome. Through the outcome, we know what we are aiming for. Message can be easily conveyed if we know the final result. Maths learning is always hard when we do not know why we are learning it and what is the topic for.

For maths teachers, showing students examples of the final product helps. If the topics is on trigonometry, show them the ripples in the water in a pond. Ask them to analysis the movement of the ups and downs without trigonometry. They will struggle! Explain to them trigonometry after that. They will appreciate better.

Breaking up things and studying them is another way to make maths learning interesting. Break up a chair and ask the learners to assemble them back. Ask them to look at the joints and why they are made that way. What is the dimension and why is it that lenght? Question them and steer their thinking. They will then mentally attached themselves to the maths topics.