2007 ACT AGQTP Resources for Teachers

Space	Algebra	Measurement
Number	Chance&Data	General
IWB resources	Worksheets	Podcasts
e-books	Assessment Software

Space’ish

• http://www.pbs.org/teachers/math/
  This site has interesting lesson plans that might be an interesting way to start a geometry unit.  You need to search on age then topic.
  EG Pythagoras - War Machines of Tomorrow http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/activities/2305_warmachi.html
  Source: NOVA.  Examine the geometric process known as triangulation and simulate the Global Positioning System by using triangulation to locate a target.  Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12 Subjects: Math Topics: Geometry and Spatial Sense. Measurement.
  Resource Type: Lesson Plan

• Online Trigonometry applets from Japan http://www.ies.co.jp/math/java/conics/index.html

• Practice exercise for Trig Functions (Multiple Choice) http://www.syvum.com/cgi/online/serve.cgi/math/trigo/trig1.tdf?0

• Reusable NASA images that include wire globes that would work on the IWB
  http://serc.carleton.edu/usingdata/nasaimages/index4.html

• GeoGebra this is FREE geometry and algebra software similar to Geometer’s Sktechpad
  Download: http://www.geogebra.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=71&Itemid=55
  Lessons online: http://math247.jot.com/WikiHome/Library/How%20to%20Mathcasts/Learn%20and%20Use%20GeoGebra
  Related sites: http://teachers.henrico.k12.va.us/math/GeoGebra_Site/
  http://math247.jot.com/WikiHome/Teaching%20Tools/GeoGebra

• A nice trigonometry problem http://www.ugrad.math.ubc.ca/coursedoc/math100/notes/zoo/trig.html

Algebra

• UK Math Centre – Algebra Refresher a general revision of pre-uni algebra
  http://www.mathcentre.ac.uk/search_results.php?=2&c=1&t=1

• Purplemath A site from the US that aims to tutor students in Algebra
  http://www.purplemath.com/

• Japanese site of Online java applets:
  Calculus http://www.ies.co.jp/math/java/calc/index.html
  Vectors http://www.ies.co.jp/math/java/vector/index.html
  Complex Numbers http://www.ies.co.jp/math/java/comp/index.html
  Conics http://www.ies.co.jp/math/java/conics/index.html
  Miscellaneous (Including Linear Transformations, Sum of Geometric Series, Slide Ruler…) http://www.ies.co.jp/math/java/conics/index.html

• Famous Curves Index http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Curves/Curves.html

• Graphics for the Calculus Classroom.  A collection of graphical demonstrations  (java applets) developed for first year calculus students by Douglas Arnold.
  http://www.ima.umn.edu/~arnold/graphics.html

• A collection of graphical demonstrations of concepts in complex analysis also by D Arnold.  Specialist level. http://www.ima.umn.edu/~arnold/complex-g.html (old page version)
  http://www.ima.umn.edu/~arnold/complex-j.html (java enabled page version)

Measurement

• How much does it cost to run a house? AGL has an interactive tool that takes you through a standard house and you select how often you use an appliance or the lights etc and it will calculate the yearly cost.  Pretty scary really! Select Interactive Energy Advice.
  http://www.agl.com.au/AGLNew/Your+home/Energy+efficiency/default.htm

• Design your house plan blueprints online with smallblueprinter, then take a 3D walkthrough your design, check out an isometric view and print out your plan. Its free and easy to use. http://www.smallblueprinter.com/

Number

• BBC Radio 4 5 Numbers program presented by Simon Singh. "Quirky " 15 minute programs on "5 of the most important numbers in mathematics."
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/5numbers.shtml

• Financial Literacy from the Learning Alberta site http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/meamr/html/index.html?launch=true

• Budget planner
  http://www.echoice.com.au/servlet/HomeLoanInfo?pn=/homeloancalculators/budgetplanner.html

• The Consumer Jungle. This is a site from the US that uses powerpoints to take students through buying a car, getting a mobile phone, moving out of home, etc.
  http://www.consumerjungle.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=72

• The Australian Securities and Investments Commission: Calculators .xls  There is a great credit card calculator http://www.fido.asic.gov.au/fido/fido.nsf/byheadline/Calculators?openDocument

• The FSANZ page on Nutritional Claims is also interesting reading.
  http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/newsroom/factsheets/factsheets2007/nutritionandhealthre3633.cfm

• Shopping on-line at Woolworths: http://www.homeshop.com.au/category.asp . 

• The Coles page is not as easy to access.  You need to set up an account first to even preview it. http://colaph.colesmyer.com.au/fcgi-bin/sam.fcg?aab=8t6V6bE1&aaa=079

• Get Out There. Various resources for students in Financial Literacy from the Queensland Govt. Office of Fair Trading. http://www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au/OFT/OFTWeb.nsf/web+pages/B0552F247136F5B74A256D2F000FFBBA?OpenDocument&L1=Youth+Section

• Choosing a Mobile Phone: http://www.phonechoice.com.au/index.cfm?Section=Home

• The NRMA 2007 operating costs of your (dream) car http://www.mynrma.com.au/cps/rde/xchg/mynrma/hs.xsl/about_operating_costs.htm?cpssessionid=SID-3F5768EC-1F02308F

• All round useful links from the Aust Govt Understanding Money Pays Off
  http://www.understandingmoney.gov.au/Content/Consumer/Resources/default.aspx#Mobile

Chance & Data

• Annimated Population Pyramids from the ABS
  http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/d3310114.nsf/home/population%20pyramid%20preview  

• Gambling: Calculating the risk. A flash game from the Powerhouse Museum
  http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/gambling/

• Search statistics through Google and watch it move with Gapminder http://www.gapminder.org/

General

• http://www.nzmaths.co.nz/PS/index.aspx  better for 7-10 but still has some good stuff for college. Problems that are great for extension or assignments, arranged by topic.

• Dictionary of maths terms www.pballew.net/etyindex.html

• Another website for you! http://www.cut-the-knot.org/index.shtml Interactive Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles

• A website used for a logic course: http://www.philosophypages.com/lg/e08a.htm

• The American Mathematical Society has a lot of useful links, including:
  Mathematical Imagery  -  Maths in the Media  -  Monthly Essays on Mathematical Topics http://www.ams.org/

• We All Use Math Every Day  http://www.weallusematheveryday.com/tools/waumed/what_is_waumed.htm
  Is a series of worksheets based on a CBS television series NUMB3ERS http://www.cbs.com/primetime/numb3rs/index.shtml . 
  I have the first three series worksheets if you are unable to download them.

• Junior High School Interactives from Learning Alberta has some use nice low level video and object interactive topics http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/mejhm/index.html?launch=true

• Journal of Online Mathematics and its Applications - Search the Journal by topic (see left navigation frame) http://mathdl.maa.org/mathDL/4/

• An archive of General Evaluation Tests (Yrs9-11) 25 MC questions with Answer Key http://sebatmath.tripod.com/main/gds_archive/gds_archive.html

• Science News Online: Maths Trek page has various articles related to the maths that Scientist’s use. Eg:  Miles from Nowhere http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070519/mathtrek.aspn   and 
  Disorder in the Deck http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20001014/mathtrek.asp

• Counton Pi Interactive http://www.counton.org/pi/plan.html . A page set up as a Gallery that shows artwork involving mathematics, eg Albrecht Durer, "The Anatomy of Melancholy" http://www.counton.org/pi/gallery1/picture2.html  1514 that shows a grid of numbers incorporated into the picture.

• Plus Magazine http://plus.maths.org/  is an online magazine, from the UK, promoting mathematics.  I particularly like the careers section for students.  The current example http://plus.maths.org/issue43/interview/index.html  gives someone who "stuffed around in class" and wasn't allowed to do A levels mathematics.  He ended up becoming an engineer the "long way round".

• These web pages are under development by Henrico County Public School (HCPS) mathematics teachers. The pages are created, reviewed and revised by teachers. Our goals are to make the pages easy to use, instructionally sound, and to help students learn and remember their mathematics.
  http://teachers.henrico.k12.va.us/math/index.html

• Reading labels for healthier eating. An interactive yogurt tub is used to show what the labels mean. Created by the Food Standards Authority for Australian & NZ. There are a lot of fact sheets in the menu bar.
  http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/foodmatters/foodlabelling/interactivelabelpost3614.cfm

• Local Weather in your suburb http://www.eldersweather.com.au/local.jsp?lt=aploc&lc=3959 and the historical means http://www.eldersweather.com.au/climate.jsp?lt=site&lc=70014

• Average yearly weather conditions WorldWide http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/

• Weather measurement converters http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/ukweather/calculators/

• How stuff works http://www.howstuffworks.com/  Try searching for Lawnmowers and see what happens.

IWB RESOURCES

• Birmingham City School District IWB resources
  http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/15.cfm?s=15&p=245,index

• XPMathsGames Definitely aimed at Middle School but the Wheel of Fortune was good for the General Maths students.
  http://www.xpmath.com/

• SubTangent A site set up by a UK maths Teahcer that contains a lot of Flash resources.
  http://www.subtangent.com/maths/

• Shodor Education Foundation A US site that offers interactive explorations through the use of computational science, modelling and technology
  http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/

• “Science” puzzles that would be accessible to all students and would be good on the IWB. Answer for the first one is Finbonacci’s Series. J
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/puzzle.shtml

WORKSHEETS/HANDOUTS

• Mathcentre A collection of classroom worksheets that might help some students
  http://www.mathcentre.ac.uk/staff.php

• MathNet Interactive A UK site that takes students through background information required for Year 11
  http://www.mathsnet.net/asa2/index.html

• (American Mathematical Society) The Mathematical Moments program promotes appreciation and understanding of the role mathematics plays in science, nature, technology, and human culture. They would be fantastic to run off and laminate to display in your Maths area.
  http://www.ams.org/mathmoments

PODCASTS

• “Everyday maths for everyday people” by Chris Frederick, a PhD student from Colorado State University. His site is called Mathgrad.
  http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podcasts/7095

• Show notes that go with the Mathgrad podcasts.
  http://www.mathgrad.com/shownotes.html

• BBC4 Radio 5Numbers Series by Simon Singh.  Excellent broadcast with clear explanations and also links to related sites that are extensive. You need Real Player to listen.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/5numbers.shtml (2002)
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/another5.shtml  (2003)
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/further5.shtml  (2005)

• BBC4 Radio:  In a new series about Five Shapes, mathematician Marcus du Sautoy finds his favourite forms in some highly unlikely places.
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/fiveshapes.shtml (2005)

E-Books

• The XP Maths site has about 40 titles that are downloaded as .pdf “books”. http://www.xpmath.com/ebooks/math_ebooks.php#mathebook41

Assessment

• From 1993 to 2003, the Balanced Assessment in Mathematics Program existed at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The project group developed a large collection of innovative mathematics assessment tasks for grades K to 12, and trained teachers to use these assessments in their classrooms.  
  The library of over 300 mathematics assessment tasks developed during the project remains freely available through this web site. Teachers may use these materials in their own classrooms at no cost.
  http://balancedassessment.concord.org/tasksalpha.html
  

Software

• A mathematical Jigsaw Puzzle maker http://www.mmlsoft.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=15&Itemid=58

• SeifertView: With this tool a variety of knots and links in many different styles, and with many display options can be produced.  AND you can take a roller coaster ride along the surfaces! http://www.win.tue.nl/~vanwijk/seifertview/

• Geogebra http://www.geogebra.org/cms/  is a free dynamic geometry tool that combines similar features to Cabri and GSP with an Algebra view of the geometry - you can enter the algebra and the picture appears! The tutorials  http://math247.jot.com/WikiHome/Library/How%20to%20Mathcasts/Learn%20and%20Use%20GeoGebra are very good, but time consuming.