#MathStratChat - November 6, 2024 Artwork

Math is Figure-Out-Able!

Math teacher educator Pam Harris and her cohost Kim Montague answer the question: If not algorithms, then what? Join them for ~15-30 minutes every Tuesday as they cast their vision for mathematics education and give actionable items to help teachers teach math that is Figure-Out-Able. See www.MathisFigureOutAble.com for more great resources!

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Math is Figure-Out-Able!

#MathStratChat - November 6, 2024

November 06, 2024 • Pam Harris, Kim Montague

0:00 | 2:33

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 6, 2024.

Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies.

Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.

Twitter: @PWHarris

Instagram: Pam Harris_math

Facebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics education

Pam 00:00

Hey, fellow mathers! Welcome to the podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able. I'm Pam Harris.

Kim 00:06

And I'm Kim Montague.

Pam 00:07

And this episode is a MathStratChat episode where we chat about our math strategies. Every Wednesday evening, I throw out a math problem on social media, and people from around the world chat about the strategies they use and comment on each other's thinking. That's the best part, by the way. When they comment on each other's thinking.

Kim 00:22

Always, always. Yeah.

Pam 00:24

(unclear).

Kim 00:24

Okay, so this last Wednesday, our math problem was a little different. We said compare two-thirds and three-fourths. How would you solve this problem? Pause and solve it however you'd like. The problem is compare two-thirds to three-fourths.

Pam 00:38

Go. Alright, I get to go first.

Kim 00:40

Okay.

Pam 00:42

Quickest story ever. I said to you one time when I was very, very early in my fraction thinking, "What are kids going to do if they don't find common denominator to compare fractions?" And you said, "Uhhh, compare it to one-half." And I was like, "Let me think about that for a second." So... Or compared to maybe not just one-half but compare it to like a landmark kind of benchmarking thing. So, in this case, two-thirds and three-fourths are both over one-half. But how far from the whole are they?

Kim 01:11

Mmhm.

Pam 01:11

So, three-fourths is one-fourth from the whole. And two-thirds is one-third from the whole.

Kim 01:17

Mmhm.

Pam 01:18

So, two-thirds... Since one-third is greater than one-fourth, two-thirds is farther from the whole than three-fourths is.

Kim 01:27

Mmhm.

Pam 01:28

So, I'm calling three-fourths greater than two-thirds. Or two-thirds is less than three-fourths.

Kim 01:32

Mmhm.

Pam 01:33

Okay.

Kim 01:34

I like it.

Pam 01:35

Did I steal yours?

Kim 01:37

No, I... Well, is it legal to have the same fractions? Because I think 75%. And two-thirds is about 66%.

Pam 01:38

Sweet. You're so stinkin' fun to work with! Sorry to interrupt.

Kim 01:53

Only because those percents are... You know, it's not like some funky. I think we run into those pretty often, so that's what I thought about.

Pam 02:00

Totally. So, 66 and two-thirds percent. And 75% I love it. Nice.

Kim 02:05

Okay. Well, we can't wait to see what you do each week. Join us on MathStratChat and let us know how you think about the problems. And be sure to comment on each other's strategies.

Pam 02:14

We post the problems on Wednesdays around 7:00 pm Central time. When you answer, tag me, and use the hashtag MathStratChat, then join us to hear how we're thinking about the problem. We love having you as part of the Math is Figure-Out-Able movement, because Math is Figure-Out-Able!