Math For Elementary Teachers II
dpharo@nmc.edu

To see information on this course go to the NMC Blackboard course site. http://idtc.nmc.edu

 

Extra Credit

The sequence a(1), a(2), a(3), . . . satisfies a(1) = 19, a(9) = 99, and, for all n > 3, a(n) is the arithmetic mean of the first n - 1 terms. Find a(2).

 

Suppose a computer can randomly output one 25 character line of text per second. What is the probability that, given 1 million years, the computer will output a line of text that matches exactly a line of text in a children's book. What is the probability given a billion years?

 

For more information about this class, click on a topic below.

  Polyhedra Project

 Class Syllabus

 

For good teaching sites, click below.

 Math Lesson Plans

 Probability Site

nightmare

A terrible thing happened to me.
It scared me half to death.
When it was over I was shaking.
I had nearly lost my breath.

Fractions chased me down the hall.
I didn't know what to do.
And worst of all I stumbled
On a remainder of thirty-two!

When I added I got the difference!
When I subtracted I got the sum!
I forgot how to divide and multiply!
I was feeling so awful and dumb.

Then all the square roots turned to circles
And rolled on down the street.
I couldn't tell the difference
Between inches, yards and feet!

pi r squared got eaten
Right before my eyes
And infinity came to an end To my horror and surprise.

If something like this should happen to you
Don't worry - it'll be alright.
The only time it will happen
Is in the middle of the night.

How to Recapture The Confusion 
Of When You Were Four 
And Your Mother Said: Grandpa Is My Daddy

    Years ago I married a widow who had a grown-up

daughter. My father visited me often, fell in love with my

step-daughter and married her. Thus he became my

son-in-law and my step-daughter became my mother

because she was my father's wife. Soon after this,

my wife gave birth to a son which, of course,

was my father's step-brother and my uncle

because he was the brother of my stepmother.

My father's wife also became the mother of a son.

He was, of course, my brother and also my grandchild

for he was the son of my daughter. Accordingly, my

wife was my grandmother because she was my

mother's mother. I was my wife's husband and grandchild

at one and the same time, and as the husband of a

person's grandmother, was the person's grandfather.

So I became my own grandfather.
 

To see a homework key, click on the homework below.

 TP1

TP2

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TP9

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TP24