DuPage Children's Museum: Aunty Math

Welcome to the world of Aunty Math! Periodically, Aunt Mathilda Mathews or "Aunty Math" (also known as Angela Giglio Andrews) will present a new math challenge to the internet audience via the DuPage Children's Museum site on the World Wide Web. Each challenge is presented in the form of a story taken from the life of Aunty Math, her two nephews Barney and Danny, and her niece Gina. Aunty Math challenges present an opportunity for students in grades K-5 to use their math and thinking skills to solve various problems. These challenges can be found on the Challenge of the Week page.

Solutions Have Personalities, Too!
There are many different methods for solving Aunty Math's challenges. Some solution methods, or strategies, recommended for use by primary students are identified below:

In the challenges, Aunty Math's niece and nephews Gina, Barney, and Danny like to use different methods for solving the challenges. Each child's preference represents some of the different approaches that students can use to try to answer the challenge:

Drawing a picture, using objects, and acting out a problem, are all favored by Aunty Math's niece, Gina, who is in kindergarten.

Looking for a pattern and guessing and checking are the preferred strategies for Aunty Math's nephew, Danny, who is impulsive and intuitive.

Nephew Barney is logical, organized and practical. He prefers the strategy of making a list, chart or graph to tackle a challenge.

All three children sometimes use the strategy of visualization where they can just "see" the solution in their minds. The hard part is figuring out how to explain what you "see" to others.

If you need more help...
Aunty Math Challenges attempt to stimulate thinking among students of a broad experiential, developmental and cognitive range. Occasionally teachers and parents may feel a challenge is too difficult or too easy for their children. Aunt Mathilda will provide some suggestions for modifying or extending each problem in the Tips for the Current Challenge page.

Solve the Challenge, Share the Answer!
Children or classes who wish to try their hand at the Aunty Math challenges are encouraged to share their solutions -- both their ANSWERS and their STRATEGIES for solving the challenges with each other and Aunty. If teachers or parents wish to share portions of samples of their classes' works, they may send their work to Aunty Math c/o:

Aunty Math
DuPage Children's Museum
301 N. Washington Street
Naperville, IL 60540

While Aunty cannot return this work, she will send a personal thank you and may mention this work in a later posting.

Remember to include the child's name, school name, and grade level (K-5) when sending a solution.

Aunty Math problems, copyright 2012, Angela G. Andrews You may download, print and make copies of "Aunt Mathilda's Math Challenges" for use in your classroom provided that you include the copyright notice shown on that page with all copies.