STEM Skills- Mathematics Focus Volume 1

STEM Skills- Mathematics Focus Volume 1

Have you ever wondered about the secrets hiding in the shadows of the universe? There is a mysterious code called STEM that unlocks these secrets, like a hidden map leading to untold treasures. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics but it is so much more than just words. It is the key to unlocking the mysteries of nature, and the power to shape the future. So, if you dare to embark on a journey filled with enigmas waiting to be unravelled, join us in the thrilling adventure of STEM!

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Math Focus

Math Skills

Skill One: Specializing

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Specializing skill in Mathematics is like being a mathematical detective, using specific examples as clues to investigate and understand the hidden truths and patterns within mathematical concepts, theories, and theorems.

Specializing skill in Math is searching for clues in a mathematical mystery. You have this awesome power to use examples as your magnifying glass to uncover the hidden truths of numbers, shapes, and patterns!

Picture this: you are exploring the wild world of Math, and you stumble upon a mysterious theorem or concept. Instead of just taking it at face value, you decide to put it to the test! You whip out your trusty examples, like numbers, functions, or shapes, and start experimenting. It is like being a mad scientist in a laboratory of equations! You mix and match different numbers, twist and turn functions, and play around with shapes to see if they fit the bill. Sometimes, you discover that your idea holds up perfectly under all circumstances – it is like finding treasure at the end of a mathematical rainbow! But other times, your examples might reveal a flaw or a loophole in the theory. That is when the real adventure begins! You get to dive deeper, unravelling the mysteries of why things work the way they do, and maybe even discovering new mathematical wonders along the way.

Let us take the concept of Prime numbers as an example.

Imagine you are exploring the fascinating world of prime numbers and you have learned that prime numbers are those that are only divisible by 1 and themselves, like 2, 3, 5, 7, and so on. Now, you want to test if a number is prime using specializing skills in Math. You are curious about whether 13 is a prime number. To investigate, you decide to use examples. You start by trying to divide 13 by smaller numbers. You realize that 13 divided by 2 leaves a remainder (6 with a remainder of 1), and it is not divisible evenly by 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12. So far, so good - it seems like 13 might be prime. But to be sure, you keep testing. You divide 13 by 11, and again, there is a remainder (1). Now, you are pretty confident that 13 is indeed prime because you have exhausted all possible divisors smaller than 13 itself. So, by using examples (trying to divide 13 by smaller numbers), you have employed specializing skills in Math to investigate whether 13 satisfies the criteria of being a prime number. And voila, you have discovered another prime number to add to your list!

This example demonstrates how specializing skills in Math can help you explore and understand mathematical concepts by applying them to specific cases.

Let us explore another concept- Angles in Geometry.

Imagine you are studying angles, and you come across a theorem stating that the sum of the interior angles in any triangle is always 180 degrees. You want to test this theorem using specializing skills in Math. You draw several triangles of different shapes and sizes on a piece of paper and measure the interior angles of each triangle using a protractor of which is added up. To your amazement, no matter what kind of triangle you draw - whether it is equilateral, isosceles, scalene, big, small, skinny, or wide - the sum of the interior angles always equals 180 degrees! By using examples to test the theorem with different triangles, you have confirmed that it holds true universally. This demonstrates how specializing skills in Math can help you verify and understand fundamental principles in Geometry.