Lilac Mohr's Blog, page 2

Book Club Week 2 {Math and Magic in Wonderland}

In Chapter 2 of the math adventure novel, Math and Magic in Wonderland, Lulu and Elizabeth solve two puzzles based on "ancient games of skill":  Tangrams and Magic Squares.  A squirrel (who loves to speak in puns) guides them in the right direction.  Were you able to solve the riddles along with the story, or did you go off on a tangent?  Join us for Week 2 of the book club...
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Book Club Week 1 and Giveaway {Math and Magic in Wonderland}

Welcome to the Math and Magic in Wonderland Book Club!


Over the next eleven weeks, I'll be hosting a virtual book club based on my math adventure novel, Math and Magic in Wonderland.
A copy of the book is all you need to get started on a grand adventure into the world of recreational mathematics (math as entertainment)!
Each week, we'll be playing with the math, language, and logic topics found in a single chapter. I'll be posting ideas for extension activities, videos demonstrating the concepts for the week, and additional resources. I'm really excited for the opportunity to share all the extra ideas that have been floating around my brain which I didn't have room to include in the book (as in Marco Polo's famous words: “I did not tell half of what I saw.”)

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Reviews for Math and Magic in Wonderland

Some wonderful reviews have started coming in for "Math and Magic in Wonderland".  Please check out the reviews, enter the giveaways, and follow these fantastic blogs:

"Puns, poetry, and plenty of puzzles. Tangrams, tessellations, truth-tellers and liars. History tidbits and many classics of recreational mathematics. 

No matter how challenging the topic, the book never talks down to the reader."

Review from Denise Gaskins, author of "Let's Play Math":
https://denisegaskins.com/2016/07/11/review-math-magic-wonderland/

"Math & Magic in Wonderland is not just a book – it is a journey you find yourself hoping doesn’t end.  

I found myself up late at night, hiding on my bathroom floor and working out math problems on paper."

Review from Stacy, homeschool blogger at "Three Busy Bees":
http://3busybees.com/math-magic-wonderland/

There's still time to purchase "Math and Magic in Wonderland" for next month's Book Club / Math Circle:


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Let's Play Math {Book Review and Giveaway}

"Why are you smiling?" asked my 7-year-old girl as she peered over my shoulder.  I glanced up from my book - "Let's Play Math" by Denise Gaskins - but before I could answer her question, my daughter disappeared.  A minute later, she returned with a piece of paper and a box of sparkly markers.  "Can I play too?"  I looked at the book on my lap and my smile widened.  My daughter had noticed this image on the open page:


We spent the next hour playing with the Fibonacci sequence (using crackers) and making patterns out of Tangrams. That's what I love about "Let's Play Math"; This book not only gives parents ideas for making mathematics fun for children, but it also provides concrete examples that foster a family culture of enthusiasm around math.  At our house, playing with math as a family is just part of life.
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Upcoming Book Club and Math Circle {Math and Magic in Wonderland}

There is no Frigate like a Book   To take us Lands away,   Nor any Coursers like a Page   Of prancing Poetry –    This Traverse may the poorest take          Without oppress of Toll –    How frugal is the Chariot   That bears a Human soul.                                -Emily Dickinson
Have you ever read a book that you just had to tell all your friends about?  What about an enthralling math problem you just had to share?  If you nodded at the former suggestion and chuckled at the latter one, you are not alone!  One of the reasons I wrote my book, Math and Magic in Wonderland, was to make the world of mathematics as fun and accessible as the world of literature.

My family has been having such a wonderful time playing along with my math adventure novel, that I just have to share it with others.  Today I'm excited to announce the Math and Magic Book Club and Math Circle.  I invite other families to join us as we read through the book and "play math" together...

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Role Playing Games for Homeschool {RPGs for Kids}

A couple months ago, I read about Roleschooling from Travelingkids.com. The article invited homeschooling parents to educate their kids through the use of Role Playing Games (RPGs).  I was intrigued, but unsure of my qualifications;  Afterall, unlike my husband who spent countless hours of his high-school years playing Dungeons and Dragons in friends' basements, I spent my time hanging out with the teenage deviants of my class and had never touched an RPG.  As someone who only embraced her "inner nerd" later in life, would I be able to not only learn how to play RPGs, but also use them as a teaching tool for my children?

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Traveling Chair Art Activity

A couple week ago, the kids and I tried out an art lesson from the Getti Museum called "Chairs, Rooms, and Time Travel" .  It turned out to be much more than an art lesson as the kids discussed history and geography, used descriptive words, and employed creativity.  Here's what we did...

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Inspiring Kids to LOVE Math

It was a warm Saturday afternoon and the smell of fresh tortillas wafted through the Mexican restaurant. Scarcely had the food arrived before I roughly pushed my plate aside and began scribbling on a napkin at a feverish pace.  "What are you doing?" asked my younger sister, raising an eyebrow and swallowing a mouthful of food.  I mumbled something about Pythagoras and the tile floor.  I don't know if my sister shrugged, rolled her eyes, or stuck out her tongue in response; I was too busy writing to look up.  A minute or two later, I slammed my hand on the napkin dramatically.  "Q. E. D.!" I declared aloud.  My parents gave me an inquisitive look before continuing their meal.  I picked up my burrito and took a large triumphant bite.  My entire face glowed with a secret delight.  I was 14 years old, and I had just found a new proof for the Pythagorean Theorem...
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Da Vinci and Invention Theme

The kids and I have been having fun learning about medieval history this year in The Story of the World Vol. 2.  My biggest complaint regarding this curriculum, however, is that most of the stories focus on war, and there is not much attention given to the art, music, literature, and inventions of the Renaissance.  So wherever I can, I try to fill in the gaps by taking some time to explore influential figures of the time (who were not monarchs or military leaders).  Last week, the kids and I learned about Leonardo Da Vinci, and participated in a number of activities around the theme of "Inventions"...

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Learning about Clouds

The kids decided that they wanted to study meteorology, so we spent a week learning about the weather, mostly focusing on clouds. Here's what we did...
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