Nix Math Tricks

  • Draft Sections
    • Tricks Open for Commentary
    • Vocabulary
    • Notation
    • Submission Form
  • Speaking Schedule
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Draft Sections

The full text currently includes 7 chapters with illustrations and examples. Is there a trick you hate to see that's missing? Is there a better way to teach a trick that's been nixed? What about things that could be taught better but don't necessarily fall under the heading "trick"?


  • peer review math tricks
  • Once someone submits a trick it goes to this document for peer review. Leave a comment on whether the proposed additions are truly tricks and the best way to fix them. All comments will be considered for the next edition of the book.


  • define math vocabulary
  • Students may memorize more definitions of vocabulary terms without understanding than they do methods of problem solving. Ideally students have enough experience with a concept that they already understand the meaning before they have a word to describe that thing they have been talking about. This document is for creating succinct definitions of terms without losing meaning. And for disambiguation.


  • proper mathematical notation
  • In mathematics, the symbols we use are as much a part of the language as the vocabulary terms are. This document presents appropriate notation and considers when it is best to introduce the symbols.


  • Question or CommentThis form is the place to submit any and all thoughts that don't fit in a comment on one of the documents above. Want to add a new trick, term or symbol to the draft pages? Have an example of student work that exemplifies the issues with using tricks? Want to volunteer to help with this project? Any commentary at all, goes to the submission form.
  • Download the Book
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  • Preview the Table of Contents
  • Email this resource to a colleague or administrator. Read more about sharing permissions on the Citation page.
  • Are your students struggling with the very same issues as are described in this book? If you run across examples of errors that might be caused by students who memorized a trick rather than understanding the concept submit them to Math Mistakes and to the book.
  • "The worst thing about mnemonics is not that they almost always fall apart, they don't encourage understanding, and never justify anything; it's that they kill curiosity and creativity - two important character traits that too many math teachers out there disregard."
    -Andy Martinson
  • Nix Same-Change-Change, Keep-Change-Change (Integer Addition)

                keep change change
    Instead use reasoning about negative numbers being the opposite of a positive number.

    Download the Book for a full explanation.




Contact

Submit a trick, offer a fix, volunteer, ask a question (feedback form)

NixTheTricks@gmail.com






Community

This truly has been a community effort. Learn about our Global Math Department and join the conversation.



Author

Tina Cardone and the MTBoS










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