A = 1/2 x B x H y = mx + b
V=LxWxH
V = S^3
Staying Positive+ About Math Weston Ranch Math Cup Story by Khaina Alupay
Weston Ranch High School Junior Community Outreach Intern
On February 21st, fifth graders from George Y. Komure Elementary School, August Knodt Elementary School, and Great Valley Elementary School took a field trip to Weston Ranch High School for a first-ever math competition. The Math Cup challenged fifth graders to work in small teams to solve complex problems as accurately as possible within a limited time frame. The fifth graders were divided by school
and class, then put up into teams of five or six to rotate from table to table, each presenting a different problem. For assistance, students were given guidance at each table from a Weston Ranch High precalculus student. Practice makes perfect. The Math Cup is all about helping students’ practice, refine, and grow at their mathematics skills while most importantly, creating a positive attitude toward math. Studies show that the effects of math anxiety have long-term impacts and can be a direct implication on overall math achievement in a students’ educational career. Stacia Lagomarsino, educator and future teacher program coordinator at MUSD, introduced the event after participating in the University of the Pacific’s Math Steeplechase event. “You’ll notice that no student is singled out. They are working together in teams. It is a friendly competition and these students are having fun,” Ms. Lagomarsino commented during the event.
She, alongside her future teacher students, facilitated the event with the support of Weston Ranch High Principal Mr. Fast. In the large gym, multiple tables were set up each containing math problems of varied difficulty. Precalculus students from Ms. Vang’s and Mr. Allred’s classes guided student teams in the competition and were responsible to score and record each team’s progress for the judges. The problems varied from solving for the number of triangles in a pentagon to finding the area and perimeter of a square. Each team had only six minutes at each table and when the six minutes were over, the teams rotated to a different table with a new math problem to solve. The judges of the competition, Ms. Vang, Mr. Zamarripa, and Mr. Allred, gathered totaled scores and rubrics from the pre-calculus students to evaluate which teams, classes, and overall school won by achieving the highest overall score. The teacher of each winning class was given a small trophy for display, and each winning team of fifth graders earned an
a^2 + b^2 = c^2
A=LxW
FV = P(1 + R x T)
