Philosophy
One important aspect of learning mathematics is mastering practical techniques, such as addition, division, measurement, and so on. Critical thinking skills may be required to apply these techniques to complex problems. Another (often neglected) aspect of doing mathematics involves creativity and imagination. A friend shared a story about a woman she knows who took up quilting. Satisf
ied with her progress working on 2-foot by 2-foot square quilts, the woman decided to move up to larger sizes. She happily went to the store and bought double the amount of material and embarked on a 4-foot by 4-foot quilt project. She soon discovered that she was short on fabric. On reflection, she quickly realized her error—when you double the dimensions of a square, you actually multiply the area by four! She should have bought four times (not double) the amount of material. Of course, she knew how to multiply 4 by 4; the problem was that she didn't ask herself the right question—how to find the area of the larger square. Mathematics is as much about the questions as it is about the answers. The objective of the Brentwood Math Club is to stimulate students mathematical curiosity. Hopefully, experiencing the wonders of math will result in a positive attitude toward the subject that will serve them well throughout their formal education and beyond. specific requirements for math competency:
1. algebra and functions
3. measurement and geometry
4. statistics, data analysis, and probability
5. mathematical reasoning
The goal of Brentwood Math Club is reinforce and exercise the mathematical knowledge and skills taught as part of math curriculum designed to meet the math standards. Although many Math Club lessons explain and teach new terminology, concepts, principles, and skills, the lessons are focused on applying previously learned skills. All Math Club lessons exercise at least two of the standards strands, one of them being mathematical reasoning. This standard strand is unique in that it is not a content domain. In particular, it is the standard that includes logical reasoning and problem solving skills. These skills are required in order to apply the concepts, formulas, skills, etc. from any of the other standards strands to real life problems. All Math Club lessons develop logical reasoning and problem solving abilities. Brentwood Math Club Lessons
Brentwood Math Club offers an ever-growing collection of lessons that exercise mathematics skills and promotes the appreciation of the diversity of mathematics. The lessons target different grade levels but due to the unique nature of the lesson content, many lessons are applicable to a wide range of grade levels. Brentwood Math Club Lesson Example
Brentwood Math Club lessons are designed for 45-60 minutes of instruction comprised of short lecture phases interspersed with individual or group activities. Lectures are presented overhead slides. Overhead slides are also used to share student solutions to problems solved in class. Lessons begin with an introduction to the basic mathematical concepts needed for the lesson's main activity. This may be a review of terminology and concepts, or it may be more complete definitions and examples of more advanced concepts needed for the lesson. Once the necessary background material has been presented, the lesson's main activity starts. This may be solving puzzles or problems, playing games, trying to understand and learn a magic trick, producing a work of art, etc. Depending on the lesson, there may be one or more checkpoints during the lesson's activity where observations are made and discussed, where students present solutions to problems, where further instruction is given, where hints are suggested, etc.. Some lessons have multiple activities, where the later activities make use experience gained from earlier activities and allow the student to apply the knowledge gained in different settings.