Inflation Aggravation.

In the most recent discussion of our chosen book for the year,  I began to be very interested in prices, and the way prices have changed over the last hundred years. This process is known as inflation. Today things cost more than they have ever before, something I hear my parents and grandparents remarking on constantly. 

A gallon of gas cost .10 in 1930 and today in 2012, with the constantly rising oil prices and conflicts in the Middle East, on gallon costs 3.75. Imagine how much in takes to fill up a large van or truck today! Its amazing how much money my family, only 3 people, spend on food for a week. We try to eat locally and as organic as we can, meaning the price is sometimes higher to pay to eat well than to eat poorly. Studies have shown that the obesity rates in poor communities are higher because they have less access most of the time to healthy food options and less healthy ones are cheaper and significantly easier to procure. 

This inflation phenomenon is of special importance to be aware of as the global economy continues to suffer, prices continue to rise, and the economic situation for the average working american is strained. Not to mention I have entered the working world and will soon be out on my own, paying my bills and paying my own way!! 

SAT Fear

I am taking the SAT next month. ARG.
This prospect is incredibly scary and daunting.
What if I mess up and do all the questions wrong?
What if I circle the wrong box by mistake?
What if I cant find the answer or even know where to begin?

Which is why I am spending the next few weeks preparing by taking prep tests and then exploring how I got right what I got right and how I got wrong what I got wrong and how to do it right. You still following me? Good. Because this process is really helping.
I am going to get a good nights sleep the night before, eat a good breakfast and dress comfortably and just take it. If I mess up too badly I can always take it twice!!

Keep
Calm
and
Take
The
SAT !

Book

This month in the morning math class (Population 2) we are reading a rather excellent book called A Mathematician Reads The Newspaper. Exploring the ways in which math appears in our everyday news and helping to break it down to help the reader get more out of a news story. 

For example one thing I learned that interested me was if a company board had three members, and they had to reach at least 51 percent to pass anything. And the first member gets 47 percent, the second 13, the third 40, it would take at least two members to pass the bill. 

Keep a look out for more insights and tidbits from our book as we read further! 

when am I ever going to use this?

Sometimes, when I am most frustrated with a problem or concept I ask myself when will I ever use this in real life?? Sometimes this question is not obvious and at other times it is. Here are 5 examples of when I have used mathematics in everyday life.
1. Tipping at a restaurant.
2. Baking.
3. Giving Change.
4. Measuring....anything.
5. The sunday sudoku....:)

3 is a Magic Number

So lately I have been working on prime numbers. If you don't know what a prime number is: Here you go: 

A Prime Number can be divided evenly only by 1 or itself.
And it must be greater than 1.

Example: 7 can be divided evenly only by 1 or 7, so it is a prime number.

If it is not a Prime Number it is called a Composite Number

Example: 6 can be divided evenly by 1, 2, 3 and 6 so it is a composite number.

And for my homework over the weekend I had to find the multiples of 2,3,5,7, and 11 and color them on separate prime number sheets. And I found some pretty interesting patterns. Take a look at the example of the multiples of 3 below: 

You will notice if you turn your head slightly that this collection of multiples makes a pattern, like stripes.
3 is a really interesting number to play with, it can be found in many different types of letters and has a great mathmatical importance in one of the most elementary shapes: A triangle. A triangle has 3 sides, 3 corners, 3 angles and when you have a 3-demensional triangle which has 6 sides. And 3+3=6! So many different patterns of 3.
In conclusion enjoy this school house rock video about the magical properties of 3!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LZ4j4598ws


YAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY 3333333333

1(3)^4-2=79

First off. Here is something that you have to understand, I do NOT Hate Math. I have dycalculia, a math learning disability. I once described my Dyscalculia to my mom like this: 

Picture yourself in class. You are learning how to speak a foreign language, but with the same alphabet as your natural tongue. You try and try and try but never seem to be able to remember what you learn. Basic vocabulary and concepts often seem to disappear from your brain. And all the while you are surrounded by classmates who are doing quite well at learning this language. Image dreading to be called on by your teacher and having to ask for the 3rd time that day what a word means again. You feel stupid, adequate. You want to learn this language but something in your mind is blocking you, a wall made of numbers and equations you have to break down brick by brick. 

That's one of the best ways I can think of to describe my experience with dyscalculia. Math, is everywhere in this world. You use it everyday in any number of situations. You can't escape it if you struggle with it. 

I used to say "Oh. I am just REALLY BAD at Math." Now I try to do my best to explain dyscalculia. 

If you have ever heard of Fermat's Enigma you will understand this analogy. (If not, look it up, its fascinating) 

How I learn math is quite an enigma, but someone solved Fermat's Enigma, and I am determined to solve mine. (With a lot of practice and help of course!)