#activity idea

Do Now:

Activity:

Hello everyone! Today we are collaborating with Judee Shipman from Education.com to show you an interesting and creative math-activity to use in class. Enjoy!

Grade Level: 6th & up;

Objective: This activity explores the properties and uses of “magic squares.” The purpose of this activity is for pupils to experiment with magic square design while also finding more about the history of magic squares and their different uses.

Questions: At the end of the lesson pupils should be able to answer the following questions.

What is the history of magic squares?

What are their applications, other than Sudoku puzzles?

Research: Before starting any type of activity with your pupils, you need to research the topics for yourself. From my previous experience, you don’t have to stress too much if you don’t know everything. As a change, it is a great experience to learn something new from the pupils.

A magic square is a mathematical construct in which symbols (usually numbers) are arranged in a square, so that the numbers in all rows, columns and diagonals add up to the same amount. No symbol can appear more than once in any row, column or diagonal. Magic squares have been known to mankind for thousands of years. Artists, architects and designers have been fascinated by this mathematical construction (a good example is Albrecht Dürer and his painting Melencolia I). In contemporary culture, they most commonly appear in the form of the ever-so popular puzzles known as Sudoku.

Materials:

Computer with Internet access;

Color printer;

Digital camera or phone (just in case you want to take some photos of your lovely pupils and their work);

Typical office/hobby/hardware/craft supplies (paper, poster board, glue,etc);

All materials can be found in your home, at school or at local stores.

Lesson/ Activity:

Start by talking a little about magic squares, show them some images or a short video. This is the perfect time to talk about other people (not mathematicians) that have worked with them (example: Albrecht Dürer and his painting Melencolia I).

Next step is to actually give them some examples of magic squares that they can work with. Also, it is a good time to talk about Sudoku and give them some examples to try. Depending how much time you have, you could focus more on this or just go over the examples very quickly with them. At this point, use your flexibility (school timeline) to see if you can spend more time focusing on this. Generally, this type of activity helps pupils with basic operations; it develops their understanding of numbers and problem solving.

Ask the pupils to create their own magic squares. Encourage them to use colors, shapes, letters, emoji (anything else, but not numbers). Show them an example, if they are struggling. The best thing for this activity (it helps with time management) is to have templates ready for those pupils that might struggle, or that need a little impulse.

After the pupils have created their own magic squares, you need to find a way to check them. One idea would be to check them yourself after school and give the pupils feedback next day. Otherwise, you could ask the pupils to swap their work and complete a short feedback form for the magic square in front of them.

What else can you do with this activity?

You could create great posters with their work.

If you have taken photos of pupils’ work and their final pieces, you can create a science fair display (a good focus on STEM subjects).

Be creative, let us know what else you have in mind. We would love to see/read about your ideas.

Further reading:

Wikipedia topic: Magic Square

About magic squares

Internet searches of your choosing. Search words or terms listed here, or make up your own phrases. Click on any results you find interesting. Have fun surfing the net!

(Under the cut)

Vision Boards

I love this idea of a dream/vision board, particularly a hanging mobile or “chandelier. ” In terms of sympathetic magic and the law of attraction, I think it would be very powerful. I’m going to add this to my list of magickal projects I want to explore this year for the Grimoire Challenge. I often tear out images I like from magazines with the intention of using them in some way (but never actually do anything with them) - I think I will start using them for a vision board. Plus, I need for artwork for my walls.

A few of things to consider (from video):

Create board in a sacred space

Create during days or moon phase corresponding to working

Find images in magazines, book covers, photos, Pinterest

Charge images before using

Place sigils on surface before or after creating (layers)

Use as altar back drop or crystal grid

Composition and shape of board to direct energy

Hanging mobile above bed

Spell jar (maybe also to cover a jar candle?)

Line bowl for water charging

So, I had mentioned a while back that I wanted to do an activity that involves me getting out of my natural comfort zone and more into the bitch zone. When I mentioned this, Will texted me saying that it wouldn't be proper because I wouldn't act like that in an actual situation.

Here's the thing: I stifle my bitch. Meisner is about not stifling, right? Hence, I think it'd be pretty okay if I did an activity that involved me being bitchy, petty and a bit self centered.

This is still in progress, so I might edit this post later since all the kinks haven't meen worked out...

The physical activity: Painting old text messages on poster board with the intent of giving it to the recipient/sender of the text messages.  

The difficulty: I won't have a paintbrush and will not be able to use my dominant hand to finger paint.

The urgency: If I don't get this to the person, it means all of my feelings are pent up and that he doesn't know about them. If my feelings remain pent up then I will either self harm or overdose because I will feel like too much of a coward and the shame of not being able to express myself will overwhelm me. The feelings have been building and if I don't get this done and delivered in 15 minutes, I will do something I regret.

The back story:

First, this physical activity is similar to a previous post I made on an activity idea. Seeing as I never went through with it and I have the materials to do the activity, I changed the circumstances to make it more relevant. 

If any of you consistently read my blog, you get that Will has been sort of a douche recently. I thought things were getting better, but I guess that's all a figment of my imagination because he's still being a light switch, ignoring me, treating me worse than dirt and being ridiculous for no apparent reason. Re-reading my most recent journal and some saved texts has been startling  because I can see how quickly this hatred set in and how it stands in such contrast to everything we were before. Everything changed so quickly and without any graduation  it's hard to see where that line suddenly appears.

Frankly, I'm fed up with it. I'm fed up with this attitude and lack of care for someone he obviously cared for as a human being not even two months ago. He's forgotten everything we've been through, repressed it, ignored it, and it treating me like shit. It's ridiculous and I'm just fed up with it.

For this activity, I'm looking up old messages he sent me, sweet things, promises, and writing them down in red. Then, I'll go over it in black and write what my current reaction to that text is. Things like "fuck this," "you pushed me away," and things of that nature. I won't include specific messages because part of this activity will be locating them.

Basically, I want to remind him of everything he said to me. How he said he cared so much and now he honestly couldn't give a shit about me. He might be able to repress those memories and run away from them, but I can't. He deserves to experience this and be reminded of how much he's changed and how much he has hurt me and lied to me. 

This is me rubbing it in his face, telling him that I remember even if he doesn't, saying that I'll always remind him of it. This is me shoving my hurt in his face and making him experience it as well.