The Teacher's Mathville Academy We all know 2 + 2 = 4, and 5 x 2 = 10, but as mathematics standards change, what our students are expected to do changes also. Negative numbers, factoring and functions are now part of the math standards for elementary school children. If you would like a refresher course on some of these concepts, find the room you need in the Academy, and take a seat! Harcourt Brace (the text-book company) has created an Animated Math Glossary for use by teachers or students. To begin, click on a grade level. The words will appear on the left side, and the explanation/animation will appear in the center. Only grades 1-8 are shown, but some of the terms, such as mean, median and mode, can be used in other grade levels. Added 1/11/00 http://www.harcourtschool.com/glossary/math/index.html Dave's Math Tables give reference tables for various topics. You can find a simple addition or multiplication chart as well as conversions from feet to yards. The web page can also be presented in Spanish, if that is helpful to you or your students. http://www.sisweb.com/math/tables.htm#general Dr. Math, a service provided by the Math Forum of Swarthmore University, answers questions on all types of math topics. The questions range from the specific (What is 100 divided by 5?) to the general (What is place value?). Previous questions are archived, and you can search through various topics. http://forum.swarthmore.edu/dr.math/ SOS Mathematics presents several lessons on fractions for adults. Fractions: S.O.S. Mathematics explains terminology (such as numerator and denominator), works through problems, and gives examples and answers for you to check on your own. http://sosmath.com/algebra/fraction/frac1/frac1.html GCSE Answers offers math tutorials and Easy Starts, which are sample equations or problems with solutions. (The GCSE is a high-school level exam offered in England.) The tutorials suggest using a Java-capable browser, which means you should use Netscape Communicator 4.0 or above, or Internet Explorer 4.0 or above. The web site also offers Heavy Duty Stuff, which is for students who easily complete the Easy Starts. The web site also offers Language Arts information. Added 1/18/00 http://www.gcse.com/Maths/pre.htm Go Math, presented by Cubic Online, offers free math tutoring. You can search the Question Bank, which has a list of all questions and answers divided by topic (Algebra and Functions, Arithmetic, etc.) or look through the Message Board. The site says that all questions will receive responses within 24 hours. The site also advertises a "Real-time Classroom," which will be coming soon. Check back to see what it is! Added 1/7/99 http://www.gomath.com Another ThinkQuest entry, "Interactive Math Online," has a clear, easy-to-understand geometry section. Again, this is probably for teachers of older students, but the glossary is especially helpful. There are sample problems provided, along with the answers. http://library.thinkquest.org/2647/geometry/geometry.htm Another ThinkQuest entry, "Math for Morons Like Us," covers several different mathematical strands. The section on fractions presents terms (such as lowest common multiples) and explanations, examples and a quiz at the end of each topic. The quizzes are interactive (you type in your answers which are checked as you work), and quite challenging! Give it a try! http://library.thinkquest.org/20991/prealg/frac.html "Math for Morons Like Us" also includes a very thorough tutorial on geometry, including area, ratios, triangles, circles and many more topics. This section would probably be most appropriate for middle and high school teachers. http://library.thinkquest.org/20991/geo/index.html If you liked the fractions area of the "Math for Morons Like Us" website, you can explore the section on basic equations. The tutorial explains addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in equations, with a quiz at the end. http://library.thinkquest.org/20991/prealg/eq.html Trust those folks at "Math for Morons Like Us" to come up with even more useful information! The geometry tutorial deals mostly with graphing linear equations. However, it might be very useful for middle school or high school teachers. http://library.thinkquest.org/20991/prealg/graph.html Math League publishes short explanations of various mathematical concepts. The topics are comprehensive, and range from properties of whole numbers to absolute values of negative numbers. This site would be helpful for people to brush up on a particular topic, such as percentages or probability. http://www.mathleague.com/help/help.htm You don't need to be a "nerd" to use MathNerds. The Center for Advanced Teaching at Zavier University in Louisiana has created a question and answer site for people struggling with mathematics questions. Once you agree to the terms on the site, you can submit questions to be answered on topics ranging from elementary level mathematics to college algebra. The site also lists links to other math-oriented websites. Added 6/2/00 http://www.mathnerds.com/ The Web Classroom, from Australia, is a site to help students learn mathematics and language skills through lessons and quizzes. The quizzes are all scored online. For younger students (3-5 graders), the quizzes have a riddle format. Middle and high school skills are also addressed. Added 2/10/00 http://www.webclass.asn.au/ WebMath is a series of interactive web pages that addresses different mathematical topics. You can type in a problem, such as 47 + 13, and receive not only the answer, but an explanation of how to get the answer. This is helpful for everyday math (figuring a tip) as well as solving equations. http://www.webmath.com/index.html World Wide Math Tutor, a ThinkQuest entry, has clear explanations of fractions and mixed numbers. While not as all-encompassing as some other sites, the wording is clear and easy to understand. http://library.thinkquest.org/2949/
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