While they were away at the M&E camp over the weekend, five Grade 11 girls made up a song about trigonometry. When you think of how easy it is to remember lyrics from a song -- and how much our girls love singing! -- it seems almost obvious that we should be using song lyrics as a way to remember facts. The facts in this song are very simple, but I can tell you that the girls singing it will NEVER forget trig ratios now! (I know I can't get the song out of my head!)
The girls who were left behind while their classmates went off to camp played Maths 24 during their lessons. Did you ever play this game when you were younger? Each card has four numbers and the aim is to get 24 from those numbers by using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. It's quite a simple game but it gets the students to practise basic arithmetic (a skill they are OFTEN lacking in!). And by making it a competition they are eager to try and get the answers faster than their classmates -- and they have FUN!
Do you have any games related to your subject that help the girls to learn while they're having fun?
The song is brilliant!
ReplyDeleteMy Std. 4 teacher taught us a song to remember parts of speech and it's stuck (like a yellow sticky note) ever since. Music is funny that way :o)
Can we pass the song on to other schools / maths teachers?
The power of association...just relate the boring work to something you love and...hey presto!...it works like a charm. Sue
ReplyDeleteLadies and Gentleman I and Thandeka have got each a copy of the Innovative teacher's workshop DVD we attended on the 12th of March. You are more than welcome to borrow and have a look. Let the innovation continue.
ReplyDeleteWow Rachel Maths looks such fun! I heard the song in our M&E session on Monday and I could not get it out of my head.
ReplyDeleteI think the little yellow sticky note comment may have some deeper significance but I choose to ignore it..... I sent the link on to others who may find it fun/helpful.
ReplyDeleteI think we all have poems or sayings we could dig out which helped us and will go on helping others:
Who could ever spell Geography incorrectly after remembering - George eats old grey rats and paints houses yellow....
or
My very energetic mother just served us new peas
MVEMJSUNP to remember the order of.......??
wow, I wish we had this.
ReplyDeleteIn my American high school we often have a trivia game based on the TV show Jeopardy to help us learn
DeleteAs a retired teacher, I'm very impressed.
ReplyDeleteI've hear my daughter saying lines like this and I'm like, 'What?!' Then she explained that's how she memorises chemistry formulas.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rachel!
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