I have been teaching my 4th grade students their first actual equation that also is the greatest equation of the ~~world~~ universe. The secret parts are that the height is A, and the distance from the center to the edge is Z.

The greatest equation is that the actual volume of pizza that you get in any pizza is equal to...PI x ZZ x A. They ate it up.

[–] wuphysics87@lemmy.ml 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

The part of me that loves when kids like math says yay! Every other part of me died when I say you called the height A in a problem that has an area

[–] n0m4n@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

These are advanced common core students. I wanted them to experience that they can choose variables to make sense for them. I also needed to introduce a third dimension to their math equations. We have played with Pi before, so that irrational is not new.

Pizza is loved, and I wanted to campaign for the vast superiority of Chicago Deep Dish. It is to bait them, it has vegetables... ewe... But they could see that more pizza might be a great advancement in the history of pizza. The pneumonic of PiZZa being the greatest equation in the world was too good to pass up. And Pi day was coming up.

The kids got pizza as a reward, so it was a complete win in their minds.

You are right about area should be A, instead of height, and radius should not be Z, either, but I improvised and made it the Z axis.

[–] flambonkscious@sh.itjust.works 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

You are a fuckin champ! Keep up the good work, I'm sure your students will fondly remember you for a long time

[–] n0m4n@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I will be happier if they remember their math, and carry that on to their next generation.

[–] flambonkscious@sh.itjust.works 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

You've got to be dreaming... We're not here to learn!

[–] n0m4n@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

My class is different. They have to qualify, and have to ask to get in. When they leave, they are giants who can mike drop things that 99% of adults cannot do. (And they have a blast, while learning.) If it isn't fun, they are not going to learn. The secrets to herding cats is either a string or a laser light.

[–] flambonkscious@sh.itjust.works 2 points 8 months ago

God, I wish my teen had someone like you...