Marvelous Mathematics for the Year 2025
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Every year introduces us to a special number worth celebrating, and with it comes the chance to dive into its fascinating mathematical properties and expressions. Let’s explore 2025’s captivating mathematical features and patterns. A Perfect Square 2025 = 45² The year 2025 is a perfect square, resulting from squaring 45. The last occurrence was in 1936, and the next one will be in 2116. If we increment the digits of 45 and square this, something interesting happens: (45+10+1)2=452+1000+100+10+1, that is if we increment all the digits of 2025 by 1 we obtain a new square number 3136=562 Sum of…
Which One Doesn’t Belong? A Math Activity for Every Learner
Which One Doesn’t Belong? (WODB) is a simple activity with big benefits. Whether you’re teaching kindergarteners or high schoolers, WODB creates opportunities for every student to engage, think critically, and share their ideas. With no single “correct” answer, this activity encourages creativity and conversation, making it a go-to for classrooms everywhere. What is WODB? wodb.ca At its core, WODB presents four objects—numbers, shapes, or images—and asks students to decide: Which one doesn’t belong? The twist? Every object could “not belong,” depending on the reasoning. For example, a set of numbers might include 4, 9, 12, and 16. One student might…
The Evolution of Mathematics: What is a Ten Frame?
Continuing our series on The Evolution of Mathematics, let’s dive deeper into understanding why the math we’ve always done—and the algorithms behind it—work the way they do. In our initial post, we explored the idea that while math itself hasn’t changed, our approach to teaching it has shifted to emphasize understanding why algorithms work, rather than just how to perform them. In this post, we’ll focus on some effective strategies teachers are using to help students grasp these concepts on a deeper, more conceptual level. Let’s start by exploring the foundational tool of the ten frame. What is a ten…
