FUN WITH MATH
Mathematics is more than adding numbers on a piece of paper. Mathematics can help you solve mysteries, create unique music or design artworks like those of M.C. Escher. Discover the fun possibilities of mathematics through the direct links on The Times’ Launch Point Web site, https://www.latimes.com/launchpoint/
Here are the best sites for getting your schoolwork done or for just having fun.
Level 1
Aunty Math: Fun Math Challenges for Kids: Whether it’s the School Picnic Challenge or the Couch Potato Weekend, word problems can be like mini-mysteries in which you use math to discover the answer. Try some fun challenges, and you can even submit your answers to Aunty Math, who responds to each submission.
https://www.dcmrats.org/AuntyMath.html
A+ Math Games
Do you know the difference between a quadrilateral and a parallelogram? How well can you add, subtract, multiply or divide? Find out through these online games of concentration, Matho and Find the Hidden Picture.
https://www.aplusmath.com/games/index.html
SchoolHouseRock-Multiplication Rock: What is so fantastic about the number zero? And how do you know if you’ve multiplied a number correctly by nine? Learn helpful math shortcuts and tips through such songs and animated video clips as “My Hero, Zero,” “Lucky Seven Sampson” and “Naughty Number Nine.”
https://genxtvland.simplenet.com/SchoolHouseRock/multiplication.hts?hi
Level 2
Fun Math Lessons: How do you get from a penny to $10,000,000? Find out through some games that include getting acquainted with algebra through a calendar game and exploring fractions using interactive shapes. This site includes many interactive demonstrations, games and activities that relate to real life.
https://math.rice.edu/~lanius/Lessons/
Fun Brain: Math Baseball, Power Football, Change Maker and Fresh Baked Fractions are just a few of the games that can help you build your math muscles. Whether you play alone or with a partner, you can choose the skill level to match the competition.
https://www.funbrain.com/kidscenter.html
The Absurd Math Odyssey: Can you rescue the DVine Plmander, an “alien being with vast mathematical knowledge,” through your timely mathematical calculations? Solve mysteries and save the inhabitants of Level -3 by taking this teleporter into fun math adventures.
https://www.absurdmath.inter.net/abmath/
Level 3
Interactive Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles: The Fish Soup Game, a Baffling Prediction and Sending Scouts Into the Desert are just a few of the many intriguing, interactive math/logic puzzles available at this site. Be sure to click on “Games and Puzzles.”
https://www.cut-the-knot.com/
Discovery Online: Fractal Music: The Sound of Chaos: What would it sound like if you created music using mathematical equations? Listen to the unique melodies of fractal music, use an online synthesizer to create your own mathematically generated tunes and view beautiful fractal images.
https://www.discovery.com/stories/technology/fractals/fractals.html
Totally Tessellated! Artist M.C. Escher was a master of tessellations, which are repeating patterns of interlocking shapes. Learn about the mathematics behind these artistic patterns, view tessellations from different cultures and try your hand at making your own math art masterpieces.
https://library.advanced.org/16661/cgi-bin/load.cgi
Launch Point is produced by the UC Irvine department of education, which reviews each site for appropriateness and quality. Even so, parents should supervise their children’s use of the Internet. This week’s column was designed by Charles Mabry, Brenda Kutcher and Anna Manring.
EXPLORER’S QUEST
The answer to this Internet quiz can be found in the sites at right.
Which would be better: to be paid a $1,000,000 salary or to be paid a penny the first day and have your salary doubled every day for a month?
CLUE: See Fun Math Lessons
Find What You Need to Know: Have a project on California history? Need help doing a math problem? Launch Point now covers more than 90 topics for getting your schoolwork done. Go to https://www.latimes.com/launchpoint/ for the full list of subjects and direct links to the best Internet sites.
Answer to last week’s Quest: To help the homeless, you can collect food, clothing, toys and money to give to a shelter, or volunteer your time.