Maths Homework

[maisie ladybird]

My daughter has been set some arithmagons for her maths homework, she's done them all apart from one and we just can't do it - is there anyone out there that can put us out of our misery?

?
2 -15
? -3 ?

I've tried to make that look like a triangle but it's not happening!

[MBH]

I like maths, but need some background information.....

What the heck is an arithmagons ????


LOL [Yes, I know I could google it]

[maisie ladybird]

I had to!

It's set out like a triangle and the two numbers at the corners has to equal the middle number.
I've also read that the total of the missing numbers should also equal the value of the given numbers divided by 2. So in this case -8 (I think ).

[maisie ladybird]

And I've just realised, we didn't divide by 2!!!! We've got the answer now. Panic over

[giraffe]

Top corner is - 5


Bottom corners are 7 and -10

edit: too late I see!

[LAT]

Doesn't a triangle have three numbers at the corners?

[giraffe]

The ? are the corners, and the numbers are in the middle of the sides. The numbers are the sum of the adjacent corners. It's just simultaneous equations.

[LAT]

Thanks! I had just about worked that out from the answers you gave.

[Bunnylump]

Goodness, how old is your daughter again, Maisie? I've never heard of them!!

[LAT]

they didn't have things like that when I was a child either!

[Bunnylump]

Mind you, I was in science with year 7s yesterday, and the teacher (who is only about 28) was telling them that he hadn't had his own computer until he was at university. The students were horrified. I had to confess that not only did I not have a computer until about 1997, but we didn't even have CALCULATORS at school, it was slide rules and log books all the way! Mind you, I then went on to tell them that my Mum didn't even have electricity in her house until she was about 12, and they had to make do with candles and gas lamps!

[LAT]

The first home my parents lived in when they got married didn't have electricity! It was installed some time after they had moved out.

And yes we had slide rules and log tables. In fact I didn't even get to use calculators when I sat my accountancy exams. I think they were allowed the following year.

[giraffe]

My year was the first that didn't have slide rules. My sister is a year older and I can remember my father writing to the head mistress, objecting about being asked to buy a slide rule as he was sure they would shortly be obsolete. Sure enough a year later I didn't need one. We had to use log tables for Chemistry and Maths, but I think calculators were allowed in one paper for maths. I was also the last year at school that didn't do computing as a subject.

[maisie ladybird]

Goodness, how old is your daughter again, Maisie? I've never heard of them!!

She's 11 and its not the first time she's come home with homework that we've both struggled with. I usually try and guide her towards an answer rather than tell her the answer, but although the set of arithmagons she was given started easy, the last couple were real stinkers and I had to show her the answers to help her understand them.

[Bunnylump]

It really irritates me when teachers give students work which they can't do on their own. Really, what's the point of that? All it achieves is the increase the gulf between the kids who are fortunate enough to have parents who can or will help and those who don't or can't.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticising you - we went through agonies with K and her homework when she was at school (Dibble wouldn't let us near his!) When I set homework, I make sure that a. it won't take ages, because I am a firm believer in kids being allowed to be kids and PLAY and b. it is suitable and most importantly DIFFERENTIATED so that it is achievable for each student.

<Back off soapbox>

[maisie ladybird]

No, I totally agree. My youngest daughter is in year 1, she's 5, and she gets homework every week. There's usually 3 things she can chose from and more often than not, I have to either sit with her and help or in some cases actually do it for her. It really frustrates me - I also believe strongly that at that age (and by that I mean primary age - I also have a 9 year old) they should be coming home and playing not sitting for hours doing work that should be done in school.

[clvrlad]

could it be the teacher is trying to gain extra info about how good "his" students are and how much help they get off the parents?


math teachers can be sneaky

[maisie ladybird]

The thing is, are students going to admit that they're being helped by parents? I'm not sure that my daughter is going to give me any credit at all!

Students can be sneaky too!

[giraffe]

Homework should just reinforce what has been done in class. It shouldn't need parental input. The most I do is point out that we have a book on a subject, when their instinct is to waste ages looking things up on line. Very occasionally if they are stuck on a Maths question they might ask me if I can do it, but more often they just ask the teacher. My role in homework is to ask them if they have done it.

[Bunnylump]

Well, yes, that is how it SHOULD be. But when K was at school, they gave her such absurd homework that I HAD to help her. Because she was (and is) by swotty, goody two shoes child, she never wanted to get into trouble for not having done her homework. Whereas the other one couldn't care less.