Skip to main content

My math book

Kevin and I were talking about the pros and cons of homeschool, and he mentioned that it would be a huge time investment and take a lot of planning and resources. Then I remembered an awesome resource I already had -- a math book I started to write when I was 11. I found it and opened it and lo and behold I think it's about ready to be published, it's so good.

I think the best part of the book are the story problems. Since they're based on real-life events, they prove that math is applicable to real life.

Here are some of my favorite story problems I asked in my oh-so-advanced math book:

 ~If S has seven Tootsie Rolls™ and K has eight Tootsie Rolls™, how many do they have together? (yes, I figured out the trademark symbol)

~ J needed Mommy to listen to her homework.  She had to wait 3 minutes when Spencer needed a diaper change.  Then, Mommy got a call from Aunt K, which took 15 minutes.  Then Kyra needed her to show her something on the piano, which took 5 minutes.  How many minutes did it take until poor J got to read her homework?

~ K notices something in the car.  Mommy and Daddy have two seats.  She and J share one seat.  S has one seat.  K, K, and L have three seats.  How many seats are in the car? (I love this question not just because it is so ambiguous but because it reminds me of how we used to fit 8 people in a 7-seat car. We probably wouldn't fit so well these days.)

~L finally got the puppies out of her room.  S threw them all over the place because he was happy.  He saw one over by the TV, two behind the couch, and one at the bottom of the stairs.  How many puppies were freed from L;s jars? (I'm sure there was some story behind this, and I think the puppies were not live ones.)

~ K is keeping track of how many minutes she reads.  She reads 34 on Monday, and 45 on Tuesday.  How many minutes did J read? (watch out . . . this one is tricky)

~If J waited 14 days for her thing to dry, and K waited seven, how many days would they wait in all? (okay, ambiguous question, and what thing am I talking about anyway?)

~How old is S's age plus K's age? (this answer was right for only a year)

~If K got 23 slivers and 2 bumps on the head in Mommy's room, how many ouchies did she get in all? (I think this is based on a true story)

~J and K are sitting by each other in the car.  They get Twizzlers® every time they say something nice to the other.  J says 4 things nice, and K says 4.  How many Twizzlers®  do they both get together?

~Why does 1+1=2? (I don't know why either.)

~Write a paragraph about why adding is important. (Personally, I feel like if you're just barely learning about addition, then you're probably not at a stage in life where writing paragraphs is particularly feasible.)

So there you have it. Sadly, I only made it through the addition chapters. One of these days I'll have to finish the math book with more story problems based on my siblings.

Comments

  1. So... did Leslie collect puppies in formaldehyde?

    Funny stuff, Kyra! You were clearly a very interesting 11 year old. Love ya!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We've been laughing about the formaldehyde for a while now.

      Delete
  2. Oh man. I remember those puppies in jars. We got some dalmatians in a kid's meal one time and we also had baby food jars. I ... combined the two?

    They just kind of sat there, squished in jars, for years. I never knew that they were so longing for escape.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Now I remember the dogs in jars! I'm sure I repressed that memory, so thanks, Kyra. Thanks for writing these fun memories.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Good News Limericks in a Year of Bad News

Every cloud has a silver lining 73. April 22, 2024 During pilgrimage down to yon church,  My young kin all stopped with a lurch. "This tree in our gaze Has no sweet-smelling bouquets!" "Nay, tis the Bradford pear smirch." 72. February 10, 2024 When she saw the young back-country boarder, The cougar thought his flesh might reward her. He returned her attacks With his snowboard (new wax!) Now he's glad that his life is not shorter. https://ksltv.com/620892/cache-valley-man-fends-off-cougar-attack-with-his-snowboard/ (I've heard this might be a hoax, so maybe it didn't deserve a limerick. oh well.) 71. June 24, 2023 Like the floor near a food-dropping tot, The freeway was paved French fry hot. This megasized mess Was grating, yet we're blessed The mashed boxes held no missile plot. https://ksltv.com/560796/french-fries-scattered-across-i-15-after-semi-trailer-crash/?fbclid=IwAR3iA8jgYdXWZKRf5xsDG901_bC6r3B2KWRkX3EIxhhpE61TxxeBBdD-NWA 70. March 23, 2023 ...

Corn Maze

 She took a deep breath, inhaling the scents of smoke and corn and ink. No one had found them yet. Then the footsteps started. "We know where you are!" a man yelled. Her heart began to pound, and her throat constricted with fear. "Do we run?" her sister asked. "I think we've got to hide," she replied. "But where?" her sister asked, tears forming in her eyes. "Surely they know this corn better than we do." She looked around desperately, wondering where she and her sister could hide. Then she saw it -- a gap in the corn stalks that would fit them both. "In there!" Clutching the papers to their chests, they wedged themselves in the sheaves as far as they could. "Please don't let there be any earwigs," she prayed silently. Footsteps pounded in sync with her heart. "Once we find you, we're going to burn up that Book of Commandments of yours," they said with a sneer. They then cackled and revved their...

Ski Day

Everyone knows that sisters argue about wearing each other's clothes, but I hadn't realized I would have similar arguments with my preteen son. We were trying to get out the door to go skiing today, but first we had to make sure we had ski gear that fit. Last year, I had cobbled together an assortment of boots, skis, and poles from DI for cheap, but this year, since he had supposedly outgrown them, I had shelled out the big bucks at the local ski swap to acquire used boots, skis, and poles of similar quality to the DI ones (the boots had duct tape on them). Since we didn't have any gear that fit me, I asked my sister if I could borrow hers for the day. She gladly obliged, and I drove the 5 minutes to her house to get them. Unfortunately, the boots seemed a little small for me. She reassured me that she could get them on, and as I warbled "Sing, Sweet Nightingale," she tried with all her might to squeeze my foot in.  Unfortunately, I was the ugly stepsister who nee...