A Math Lesson Is a Recipe for Fun
Monday, August 10, 2009 at 10:51PM Since we (and by we right now I mean Mike) homeschool Michaela, her school year never really ends. She's had several long breaks but has continued to do schoolwork throughout the summer (though not as much as she should have done, for sure). The last few days, however, Mike has been getting her used to the idea of getting back into a more normal school schedule, and has been reviewing as well as moving ahead in her Math text.
She would never say that Math is her favorite subject. (And I have to admit it was never mine...it didn't come easily for me and I don't like to do things that aren't easy. Fortunately, she hasn't inherited all of my tendencies...) What we have learned, though, is that sometimes it has its benefits. One might be when you're studying fractions and part of the lesson involves measuring out the ingredients for a brownie recipe, baking them, and eating them!
That is such a coincidence, because I love to make brownies, and then eat them! I love Math!
Melting the butter was the first step, and because of the size of my beloved metal cake pan we had to double the recipe. Bonus! Michaela had to add her fractions to figure out how much we needed of everything.
She had no problem figuring out the amounts. She impressed me further by not only doubling a given measurement, for example 3/4 cup, two times, but also by telling me how else you could name the measurement. She easily went from 6/4 cup to 1 cup and 2/4 to 1 and 1/2 cups. I thought that was pretty cool. I couldn't do that until I was 24. Or percentages. Just ask my mom.
Eliana is always around whatever we're doing. "Smile, Eliana..."
Ooh, we need to work on that. "Try again!"
Alrighty then. Maybe later, eh?
Although this was not his Math lesson, Christian didn't mind helping out one bit.
And after it's all done, when you've measured everything out correctly, the results are quite satisfying.
Even Eliana agrees that Math is a useful subject.
And as for fractions...this is how the brownies got divided up:
1/4-Michaela
1/8-Christian
1/16-Eliana
1/16-Mike
1/2-me
That seems fair, right? I cleaned up the mess...
homeschooling, life together
Reader Comments (8)
I was laughing out loud at Miss Eliana! I didn't realize you homeschooled, I obviously have some catching up to do on your blog!! This year will be my first year homeschooling my 7 year old I am so glad I can get ideas from you all. I was so impressed with Michaeala! Fractions really messed with my head when I was younger haha. Thanks for coming by to visit me!
I like that last bit of division. THAT is my kind of math. :)
You got the short end of the stick. We always have to clean up;) Brownies looked yummy.
Soooo cute!! And chocolate makes me smile too.
Why are fractions so darn tricky! I tell you, I have learned so much by having to review/relearn all of that math stuff with my kids. It's fascinating the things I can understand now that completely baffled me as a child. As they say, education is wasted on the young... (I'm kidding of course).
Mmmm... brownies. Maybe we need a math lesson today.
OMG so cute - absolutely adorable kids. So many people are home schooling these days - it is something that I am reading more and more about....And the kids seem to enjoy it too...Makes one think!!!
What a cute way to teach! I didn't enjoy math either, but I bet I would have gotten a whole lot more out of it if I had been able to bake my way through it!
You all are so funny! Brownies make the world a better place. :) Just kidding, but it helps to have some chocolate around.