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What Is A Math Circle?: Mark Saul Bronxville School District (Ret.) Senior Scholar, John Templeton Foundation

A math circle is a group where people come together to share their love of mathematics and motivate each other to learn. They explore mathematical concepts in an informal setting that liberates intuition rather than focusing on classroom techniques. Math circles allow participants to engage with math through play rather than being constrained by standard lessons.

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59 views27 pages

What Is A Math Circle?: Mark Saul Bronxville School District (Ret.) Senior Scholar, John Templeton Foundation

A math circle is a group where people come together to share their love of mathematics and motivate each other to learn. They explore mathematical concepts in an informal setting that liberates intuition rather than focusing on classroom techniques. Math circles allow participants to engage with math through play rather than being constrained by standard lessons.

Uploaded by

Foor
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
Download as pdf or txt
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WHAT IS A MATH CIRCLE?

 
Mark Saul
Bronxville School District (ret.)
Senior Scholar, John Templeton 
Foundation
An Ontological Question:
What is a Math Circle? 
What is green? 
Green is a set of 
wavelengths of light,  
between 5100 and 5600 
angstrom units. 
What is green? 
The sensation 
evoked in the brain 
by rays of light of 
wavelengths between 
5100 and 5600 
angstrom units. 
What is Green? 
Green is the colour of the mangroves at my holiday batch
Green is the feeling of happiness
Green is the colour of the tall oak trees
Green is the sound of crickets buzzing in the summer           
season
Green is the taste of pickles sliding down your throat
Green is the feeling of success and satisfaction 
Green is a pray‐mantis hopping around in the garden
Green is the feeling you get on a great holiday
Green is a colour that is safe and alive
Ms. Blanche Funke, 9th

grade math
• an = a1 + (n‐1)d
• S = (n/2) (2 a1 + (n‐1)d)
• Insert 3 arithmetic means 
between 13 and 29.
Cpowerful
lassroom techniques are
and general, but
going there too quickly can stifle
students’ insight.
I nformal ‘playground’
settings for mathematics
liberate the intuition.
Dr. Louis Cohen – Bronx High School of 
Science
Three circular coins, each with 
radius 1 cm. lie on a table, 
tangent to each other.  A fourth 
smaller coin, tangent to all three, 
is placed inside.  Find the radius 
of the smaller coin. 
FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS – AN 
EARLY ATTEMPT
1.  Find the two prime numbers which are between 50 and 60. 

2. Four houses each have four floors.  On each floor are four 
apartments, with four doors in each apartment.  On each 
door are four hinges. There are no other hinges in the 
house.  How many hinges are in the house? 

3. Express as a whole number the fraction

77  77
77 .  

No calculator!
A String of Pearls

The Math Club wanted to buy a gift for one of their 
teachers.   

“She really likes pearls,” said Tray.  “Maybe we can get 
her some.  We’ll just save and save and save all our 
allowances.”

“Nah!,” said Bill, “Too much money.  Pearls are really 
expensive.”

Drew chimed in:  “We could get our parents to chip in.  I 
think they’d like it.”

So that evening, the math club members asked their 
Moms and Dads to give them money for a string of
The inhabitants of a certain planet will 
always tell the truth if asked when their 
birthday (the anniversary of their birth) is, 
except if they are asked on their actual 
birthday.  

On January 5, Roland (one such inhabitant) 
was asked when his birthday was.  He 
replied, "It was yesterday".  On January 6, he 
was asked the same question, and gave the 
same answer.  On what day in January was 
he born? 
Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo.
Men     women love     eat      Wheaties
Buffalo women love     eat      Wheaties
Buffalo women love     eat       buffalo
Buffalo buffalo love      eat       buffalo
Buffalo buffalo love      buffalo buffalo
Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo
USE YOUR BRAIN . . . 

It takes 5 seconds for a chiming clock to 
strike 6 o’clock.  How long will it take 
the same clock to strike 12 o’clock? 

…WHILE YOU DRAIN 
Emuch
njoy the ride. Don’t worry so
about where you’re going.
T he heart of teaching is
MOTIVATION.
The art of teaching is
MOTIVATION.
The hard part of teaching is
MOTIVATION.
A MATH CIRCLE IS….
A MATH CIRCLE IS…

A place where people motivate 
each other to learn mathematics 
by sharing their love and 
enjoyment of the subject
Thank you for your 
attention.
Thank you for your 
interest in math 
77

circles.

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