These photos are from our latest Crazy 8s Math Club – Spring 2016.
Now we know why it’s called Crazy! We hope you enjoy our pictures.
Crazy 8’s Math Club: Bouncy Dice Explosions!
Today we are thinking about probability.
Probability is what will probably happen...what is likely to happen.
If I throw this die in the air, what is the probably that it will stay on the ceiling?
That has zero probability. It's not going to happen. Let's try it.
If I throw a die up in the air, what is the probability it's going to land on Sarah's head?
That could happen.
Dice have six numbers. What is the probability that we are going to roll any one of the numbers?
Let's find out. I'll throw all of the dice up & then everyone go and stand next to one of them.
Raise your hand if you have a one.
Who has a two?
What about a three?
After we checked and recorded all of the numbers, we tried it again.
We check all of the numbers...
and record how many of each we rolled.
Then we do it one more time.
Everyone is very patient while we check the numbers.
When we are all finished, we add the numbers up.
That's interesting!
We rolled each number just about the same number of times!
The probability of rolling any one number is the same for each number.
Now we pair up to play dice wars!
Everyone's chances of winning are the same...
...but some of us are luckier than others.
Don't get mad...everyone still has a chance to win!
Chance games are fun to play.
After dice wars we make a giant gameboard on the floor.
What is the probability that everyone will get on the board on their first roll?
100%!
What's the probability that Carla will get ahead of Drew?
What's the probability that Adrian will get ahead of Samantha?
We keep asking lots of probability questions.
We're getting the hang of this probability thing!
Except this poor guy...he keeps getting little numbers!
Finally he finishes!
HOORAY!
Last of all we form two teams.
Boys against girls, but there are fewer boys. What's the probability that the boys will finish first?
We roll and move along the board.
The boys are in the lead!
WOW...the girls roll lucky numbers and win!
Today is our last Crazy 8's session so everyone gets to take dice home.
No peeking...you get what you get...
...and you don't get upset!
Crazy 8s is cool! You think about math the whole time...
...and you don't even know it!
Crazy 8’s Math Club: Zip Line Zoo
Safety first! All of our riders need safety harnesses.
Some of our friends share a special rider with a friend.
We talk about the slope of inclined planes.
We know a lot about slopes and speed.
The higher the slope, the faster the ride down.
We start out zipping from a two foot high slope.
Our riders wait patiently for their turns.
We had some fast zip riders.
Everyone writes their zip time down on the sheet.
Next we move the zip line up to four feet.
This is going to be a faster ride!
All of this zipping is exhausting!
Ms. Karen's group compares their times. Which were fastest? Which took the longest?
In the meantime, the other group is zipping, too!
And writing their numbers down.
Our last zip ride is from the top of a six foot slope!
Prepare the riders!
Oh my goodness! What a ride!
We write down all of the data and compare the times.
We do the subtraction to see how much faster riders were.
This is hard work, but we can do it!
WOW! That's a lot of math!
Crazy 8’s Math Club: Spy Training
Our spies will be arriving any minute!
Are you here for spy training?
First we talk about patterns. Patterns can be used in codes.
We look at a code called pigpen.
This is tough, but our spies are getting it.
We work hard to figure out a coded message.
We're getting it!
Then we write our name in pigpen code.
Everyone wants our Master Spy to see their hard work!
Next...a surprise!
A secret package has been hidden for us, but we'll have to track it down using a new code.
Unfortunately part of the code was destroyed.
Our first clue leads us to a door.
More clues to decode!
We figured out the new words. It's about a clock!
Our second clue was hidden behind a clock. Very tricky!
These words were part of the next clue. It must mean "look near some water."
The next clue was "look where it is cold"...the refrigerator!
The final clue - look on a tall pile of books.
The book sorting room!
AWESOME! We found magnifiers in a bag in the back room.
These are cool!
One last code...a secret code to leave a number for someone.
We learn to use a letter keypad on a phone to create a code!
Using patterns to create codes is really fun math!
Crazy 8’s Math Club: Flying Marshmallows
Woo-hoo! We're catapulting marshmallows today!
First we shoot our marshmallows.
then we record how far they went.
We use the numbers to figure out which marshmallows went the farthest.
Then we increase the size of the fulcrum and try again.
WOW! Some of the marshmallows went really far!
We record the distances again.
We determine the maximum and minimum distances.
We subtract to find out how much farther the maximum number is than the minimum number.
This takes some thinking!
Marshmallow math is cool...especially when we get to eat the marshmallows!
Crazy 8’s Math Club: Toilet Paper Olympics
Welcome to the Toilet Paper Olympics!
We measure how big one square of toilet paper is.
Everybody measures carefully!
It looks like it's 4 inches.
How many squares do we need to make one foot?
It looks like three squares make 1 foot.
Let the games begin!
The first event: The Long Jump!
We jump...
...our friends help us record our jump...
...then we have to count how many squares we jumped...
...and then tell Ms. Karen!
We work on the math. What was the longest jump?
Our second event: The Toilet Paper Toss!
Some of these rolls went really far!
Everybody counts how far they threw the roll...
...then they tell Ms. Karen so she can record it.
All these fun events make Olympians thirsty!
The final event: The Toilet Paper Relay!
Ready...set...ROLL!
It takes a lot of work to unroll a roll of toilet paper!
We had to go back and forth 8 times!
HOORAY! We did it!
Just for fun we make two mummies!
Which team will finish first?
It takes great teamwork!
We're getting there!
This team finished in 4 minutes and 37 seconds!
Let's celebrate!
We try to do the hard math. There are 1000 squares & each is 4 inches. That's 4,000 inches.
That's about 334 feet. No wonder toilet paper math gets so messy!
Fortunately for Ms. Karen, her mathletes are good helpers!
Crazy 8’s Math Club: The Time of Your Life
This week we're thinking about time, starting with big units...a year!
We divide into two teams and give everyone a birthday card.
We had to line up in order of our birthdays!
This took a lot of comparing.
We had to double check our months and days.
When we thought we had it right, Ms. Karen checked our work.
Did we do it?
Both teams did a great job!
Now let's try it with everyone all together!
We're ready!
So far so good!
You did it! HOORAY!
Now let's think about hours and minutes.
Ms. Karen made a giant clock on the floor.
Then she made another one and we divided up in to two teams.
Let's see who can set the time on their clock first.
You did it.
This time the other team was first! We tried 10 times.
Our last activity was estimating 20 seconds.
We tried hard, 1 one-thousand, 2 one-thousand, 3 one-thousand...
We think that's 20 seconds.
One team will move for 20 seconds & the other team will keep track of the time.
Hopping on one foot for 20 seconds is hard work!
Uh-oh! What's our job?
Hold the yoga stork pose for 20 seconds!
We're counting!
Run in place for 20 seconds.
Hold a muscle monster pose for 20 seconds.
Do the turtle tornado for 20 seconds.
Last one...speed jumping jacks for 20 seconds.
Our estimating got better each time.
Let's guess how long it will take to pass a hula-hoop around the circle. 37 seconds? 2 minutes?
Ready...set...GO!
Wow, this is hard!
Ms. Karen almost got stuck.
It took 1 minutes and 35 seconds. Let's do the math and see which guess was closest.
2 minutes was the closest guess!
That was hard, but math is a lot of fun at Crazy 8s!
Crazy 8’s Math Club: Let’s Get Loud! – Spring 2016
Let's see what length has to do with sound.
Find your longest straw.
Blow across the top of the straw.
Now put the straw in water & blow across the top...
...while you move the straw up & down in the water.
The longer the straw, the lower the sound!
Now, let's tape the end of each straw.
Then line them up in size order.
Line them up carefully on the tape.
Fold the tape over the top to hold them together.
You made a pan flute.
Blow across the top of each straw.
Each straw makes a different sound!
How loud do you think our pan flutes are? Let's find out!
Sound is measured in decibels. 72 decibels is pretty loud.
Do you think clapping will be louder?
What if we use our voices?
That's even louder!
Maybe the grown ups can help us be even louder!
The loudest sound we can create is 87 decibels. That's loud!
Crazy 8’s Math Club: Glow in the Dark Geometry – Spring 2016
Let's spread out & get to work.
Let's think about a shape with 3 sides.
Cool triangles!
How about shapes with 4 sides?
Wow! Lots of different shapes!
Who can make the most squares using 10 sticks?
Like this....
...or like this....
...or like this! Awesome!
Let's make some polygons using our sticks.
Be creative!
These are going to be cool!
These are very cool!
Amazing polygons!
Let's work in teams.
Put your sticks together to make repeating triangles.
These are great!
Great teamwork!
Whoa!
Stay in your groups and make repeating squares.
Your group can choose how to do it.
There's a different idea.
This one is different, too!
That's a LOT of squares!
One last challenge.
Use all of your sticks to make one four sided shape.
WOW!
Wave those sticks if math was fun today!
Instructor: Maria Polhemus
