Excel Math: 02/01/2016

Monday, February 29, 2016

Leap Year Math

Perhaps you've heard that this year 2016 is a leap year. How do we know that?

We use the figure 365 for the number of days in a year.

In actuality, the number is closer to 365.25. To compensate for this discrepancy, every four years we have what is called leap year.

In leap years, a day is added to February. Normally February has 28 days.

However, every 4 years, we give February 29 days to help synchronize the calendar year with the solar year, or the length of time it takes the earth to complete its orbit about the sun, about 365.25 days.

A leap year has 366 days. The year 2016 is a leap year with 366 days. So the month of February will have 29 days.

Because 365.25 is not exact, three leap years are dropped every 400 years.

These are the end-of-century years that are not evenly divisible by 400.

These rules only apply to the Gregorian calendar currently used by American and European countries.

Several other calendars are used by Asian countries.

Here's a formula we can use to find out if a year will be a Leap Year:

Leap Years are any year that can be evenly divided by 4 (such as 2012, 2016, etc.)
	except if it can can be evenly divided by 100, then it may not be (such as 2100, 2200, etc.)
		*except if* it can be evenly divided by 400, then it is (such as 2000, 2400, etc.)

In other words:
1. Divide the year by 4. If there is no remainder (so it divides evenly), it may be a leap year.
2. Divide the year by 100. If there is no remainder, then it may NOT be a leap year.

3. Divide the year again, by 400. If there is no remainder, it is a leap year.

Both 1600 and 1700 are evenly divisible by 4. However, 1700 was not a leap year because 1700 is not evenly divisible by 400.

Can you determine which of these years were leap years? The answers appear below.

1960 1930 1836 1862

Monday, February 22, 2016

Teacher of the Year: What's her secret?

Susan Vilar credits Excel Math with helping her achieve Teacher of the Year at Hoover Elementary School in Oklahoma.

We are proud to partner with Susan and dedicated teachers just like her around the country.

Excel Math opened the door to Susan's students, giving them the tools to be successful with math and providing them with some of the best elementary math lessons available today.

"I was nominated and won Teacher of the Year for my school campus, Hoover Elementary." Susan told us. "I completely believe this happened because of the EXCELlent Math program you provide!!! Thank you so very much!! I've used Excel Math for many years … and loved it! I started using Excel Math in Texas with excellent test results. Each year produced 95% to 100% of the students passing their Texas State Tests. I’m currently in Oklahoma, and I’m VERY excited to use this program again with my 4th graders. I can’t wait to compare the scores from last school year to this."

Thanks, Susan! We appreciate the great comments and the way you are building success in math among your students.

Beginning a new math program in the middle of the year can be a challenge!

If you're getting started with Excel Math mid year, here are some strategies to help you get off to a flying start. Take these steps to build student success mid year:

1. Use the Excel Math Placement Tests

Excel Math provides FREE Placement Tests to help you determine where your students should begin in math. Each Excel Math Placement Test file contains six tests that evaluate a student's preparedness for Excel Math.

The tests are labeled A - F, which correspond to first through sixth grade. Instructions for using the tests are included. Save the test to your computer and print it for each student.

Download the test (in English or Spanish) from our web store: excelmath.myshopify.com

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Celebrating e-Week in the Math Classroom

Although it may not be as well known as Pi, e is also an irrational number that is roughly equivalent to 2.7.

The first few digits are: 2.7182818284590452353602874713527. It's decimal expansion never terminates.

So the week of February 7 is the logical time to celebrate e in all its variations.

Your students may have used e in exponential and logarithmic functions.

It is an expression that is used in the study of compound interest. It is often called Euler's number after Leonhard Euler, who proved that e is an irrational number.

The number e is a mathematical constant.

Let your class have fun celebrating e-Week with egg-shaped candy, enchiladas, edible snacks, effervescent drinks, etc.

You may want to have your students read the poetry of ee cummings or Edgar Allen Poe, watch a clip from the E! Network or ESPN, read an e-book, do some of their work on electronic devices, listen to music with earbuds, do some math problems that use e or 8 or any number that begins with "e."

Let your students email a math problem to a classmate, create an elaborate story problem, do some Excel Math Stretches (brainteasers from your Teacher Edition), or do anything else you can think of that relates to e!

Your students could find the dimensions of the Eiffel Tower, use an encyclopedia (electronic or hard copy), discover some fun math facts about the earth or England, play a game of crazy eights, dress up in clothes from the 80s, and find cookie recipes with and without eggs.

Then let your students write as many math problems as they can with the numbers 8, 11, 80 - 89, or any numbers that contain the letter "e".

Challenge them to solve problems with exponents, add a list of eight (or eleven) numbers and then do it again keeping track of their best time.

Have your students write a note of encouragement to one of their favorite teachers or to their parents. Use the comment box below to share your e-Week activities. Have fun!
You may also like these articles:

5 Steps to Mid-Year Success

Excel Math: Your Common Core Solution

Periodic Update: An Elementary Milestone

Snowflakes: Basic Math Facts Bulletin Board

Excel Math Badges for Your Classroom

Higher Order Word Problems for Math Students