Tessellations!

No idea what those were until we hit geometry! I don't remember ever doing those in my geometry class and I have to say I am glad I didn't meet these guys sooner. I am just not artsy at all! I am literal. I am not very imaginative. I need live demonstrations. Sometimes I can follow written instructions but I need specific instructions on exactly what to do to get X. With tessellations all we kept finding was do this and this and see what you see. I see a big blob with wavy lines. They saw dolphins, and lizards, and horses. Not I! So why did I rack my brain over this. Middle Peep is taking a great online Math class and this was his assignment worth a test grade......a WHOLE test grade! This sort of stuff freaks me out.

In order to explain it to him, I had to understand it. You see...he is like his mama. He took one look at all those sites....do this and then this and see what you see...and he saw...a blob with wavy lines! I can not tell you how many times we Bing(?ed?) tessellations.  (OK...we Googled too but that didn't help any either.) Well I finally left him to it and offered no suggestions other than perhaps he should alternate the colors...one solid and polka dotted, etc.

This is what he did!

A close up!

In a different direction...

Mama is proud of you!!!!

Now we await the grade.....

Edited to add......he received a 93%. WOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

MATH WOES!!!!!

I don't usually visit the high school boards usually on WTM. I think I need to start making it part of my routine. I need Algebra help and quick.

I am very good at math, always have been. I usually worked on the previous night's homework in class while the teacher explained the lesson. I never liked Math but it came to me easily. Oldest Peep is another story. She has never liked it and I doubt she ever will. We started off with MUS and that was a disaster. We then moved to Miquon/Singapore and quickly dropped Miquon. Singapore was the perfect fit for her until Primary 4. I think it was 4b where she started hating math again and questioning her skills. We finished 4b and started on 5a when I realized she was just not getting it. We did the key to Fractions, Key to Decimals, and Key to Measurements just for a fun break. She did well with those. In the mean time I searched for something that would help her. We went with Saxon 76. That was good at the very beginning. Very soon she discovered it bored her to tears. We switched to Lial's and it has been happily ever after since then.

Enter Chapter 6!!!!

This chapter has shattered her complete confidence again. We have taken now 2 weeks to do this one chapter. Every time I pull out the books the flood gates open and the pleading begins. I just don't know what to do. I've looked at the video based ones because I think taking me out of the equation will be a good thing. I just don't get how she learns Math. The problem is I don't like how the others teach Math. In my opinion they over complicate things. I think Lial's BCM is a good text. It explains things clearly. They have enough problems for her to work on so that the concepts sink in, but she doesn't want to put in the work. I think it is time for another "Pep" talk.

Who will pep talk me!?!