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I Heart Math

Here's how I started out my Middle School Math class this year.

First, I LOVE MATH! I tell them that I love math for many reasons, but one of them is that it is such an useful tool to describe our world. It allows us to compile complex information into small, elegant equations. I LOVE MATH.

Then I put on my "favorite" math song: Seasons of Love, from the musical Rent. The central question is how to we measure a year in a life: with love. Reinforce the LOVE part.

Then we made simple origami hearts and talked a little about the geometry behind origami. I had them write inside the heart to complete this sentence: I love math because....

They taped their hearts on one white board of the classroom. The hearts can be read at leisure.

I think this activity is important because it sets the tone that math can and should be seen as a human accomplishment and loved, even if not all the time.