How to be a Math Wizard (Careers For Kids)

146 Pages·2020·30.439 MB·English

by  DK

HOW TO BE A
Math
Wizard
Written by
Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon
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Contents
4 Foreword by Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon
Written by Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon 6 How this book works
Consultants Sean McArdle, Meryl Glicksman
8 Getting ready
Editors Sally Beets, Kathleen Teece
Senior designers Katie Knutton, Ann Cannings 1 Edible math
US editor Elizabeth Searcy
US senior editor Shannon Beatty
12 Counting
Additional editorial Katie Lawrence, Abigail Luscombe
14 Edible abacus
Design assistants Eleanor Bates, Katherine Marriott
16 Watermelon fractions
Additional design Emma Hobson,
Aishwariya Chattoraj, Nidhi Mehra 18 Spinning snack decider
Illustrations Mark Ruffle, Katie Knutton, 20 Weighing scales
DTP designer Nityanand Kumar
22 Measuring
Project picture researcher Sakshi Saluja
24 Smoothie servings
Jacket coordinator Issy Walsh
Jacket designer Katie Knutton 26 Shapes
Publishing manager Francesca Young 28 Marshmallow shapes
Managing editors Laura Gilbert, Jonathan Melmoth
30 Tessellating cookies
Managing art editor Diane Peyton Jones
Preproduction producer Dragana Puvacic
2 Toys and games
Senior producer Ena Matagic
Creative directors Clare Baggely, Helen Senior
36 Joan Clarke
Publishing director Sarah Larter
38 Cipher wheel
First American Edition, 2020
Published in the United States by DK Publishing 40 Adding
1450 Broadway, Suite 801, New York, NY 10018
41 Subtracting
Copyright © 2020 Dorling Kindersley Limited
42 Animal number bonds
DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC
20 21 22 23 24 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 44 Make your own currency
001–316131–May/2020
48 Multiplication
All rights reserved.
50 Dividing clay
Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above,
no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced 52 Division
into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means
(electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise),
without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. 3 Out and about
Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited
A catalog record for this book
56 Buildings
is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-1-4654-9303-3 58 Zaha Hadid
DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk 60 Shape city
for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use.
66 Möbius loop
For details, contact: DK Publishing Special Markets,
1450 Broadway, Suite 801, New York, NY 10018 68 Rainwater measures
[email protected]
70 Natural symmetry
Printed and bound in China
72 Rotating starfish
A WORLD OF IDEAS:
SEE ALL THERE IS TO KNOW 74 Nature array
www.dk.com 76 Times-table flowers
US_002-003_Contents.indd 2 06/12/2019 12:02
Contents
4 Getting around

80 Time
84 Timing helicopters
86 Distance competition
88 Decimals
90 Make a marble run
94 Gladys West
96 Picture algorithm
98 Measure a circle
5 Around the home
102 Make a calendar
104 Printing patterns
106 Create a floor plan
108 Benjamin Banneker
110 Sunflower size
112 Treasure map coordinates
116 Computer math
118 Tomohiro Nishikado
6 Your body
122 Make your body clock
126 Finger place value
128 What are statistics?
130 Data discovery
134 Angles
136 Did you know?
138 Glossary
140 Index
144 Acknowledgments
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13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2 P Q R
1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O
4
US_004-005_Foreword.indd 4 05/12/2019 13:18
I was excited to write this book and share my love of math with
you. It’s something that has fascinated me since I was your age
and continues to amaze me with every new thing I learn.
Math is about solving problems and being creative. The world is
full of problems waiting to be solved. Many people around the
world work as scientists, engineers, technologists, and in
hospitals—all of them use math skills to help people and create
solutions. I hope you’ll be able to use your creativity as you try
the activities packed into this book.
As you turn the pages, you’ll realize that math isn’t just about the
classroom or homework. It’s all over our world and is done by
almost everyone every day. The food you eat, the buildings you
visit, and your own body—all are made possible by a fantastic
balance of mathematics. Math shows up everywhere.
Before you get started, I have one special request for you. When
you learn a cool new bit of math, read about an amazing person,
or build something new from this book, share it with your friends
and family. Help them be math wizards with you!
Have conversations with the people around you whenever and
wherever you see math. Keep talking and thinking about it—
maybe one day you’ll get to write a book about it too.
Anyone can be a math wizard. Let’s get you started!
Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon
5
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How
this Awesome
activities
Learn on the job with the
works

activities throughout this
book
book, which show key
ideas within math. There
are also crafts to make
math devices, such as an
In How to be a Math Wizard, you will learn abacus, and memory aids
that help you remember
how to think and act like a mathematician.
important facts.
The book is packed with fun activities,
important topics, and people who have used
their math skills to do amazing things.
You will need Marshmallows Sstpraangdhsetti “Now try...”
Everything you Marshmallow Tish ais v meratresxh mofa tllhoew Now try... suggestions
need for an pyramid. Can you create more shapes help you
with marshmallows and
activity is listed shapes trisapnagguhleatr tpi?r iTsrmy— tao sbhuailpde t hthisa t build on new
is made of two triangles
at the start. connected to each other. knowledge.
You can build 3-D shapes using
marshmallows and dry spaghetti.
The marshmallows sit at the corners, This spaghetti 3
and each piece of spaghetti forms sotfr athned pisy raanm eidd.ge
an edge. Master the shapes on Pouf te aacnho tshpearg mheatrtsi hsmtraanlldo.w C oonnn teocpt 3 spBagrihnegt ttih set rtahnredes
these pages, and see which other the marshmallows with four more together, and add a
ones you can build! strands to finish your cube. confnineaclt m tahresmhm. Yaolluo wno two
have a triangular pyramid!
Build a cube Build a pyramid
Make sure each
strand reaches
the same height.
Each activity
is broken down
1 2 1 2 into steps.
Connect four marshmallows using four strands Poke another spaghetti strand into the Break three spaghetti strands Poke one spaghetti strand into
of spaghetti to make a square. You’ll need to top of each marshmallow. These should into equal lengths, and use them each marshmallow. The spaghetti
break the spaghetti strands so that they are stick up out of the marshmallows. to connect three marshmallows. should be pointing upward.
all equal in length. Don’t poke them all the
way through the marshmallows.
28 29
Safety first Take particular care when
• you are using sharp objects,
All of the projects in this
such as scissors;
!
book should be done
• you are running around
carefully. If you see this
with friends;
symbol at the top of a page,
it means that you will need • you are handling hot food;
an adult to help you with
• you are outside—always tell
the activity.
an adult what you are doing.
6
US_006-007_How_the_book_works.indd 6 05/12/2019 13:19
You will need Card Ruler Spheanrcpil Scissors Markers Pen Statcickky ! Turn to page 128tsota lteisatrincs about Look out for
What is probability? “Turn to...” bars
Trace over this
1 hanexd acguotn it o onu cta.rdboard, Pidsre otfoibn ahitbaepillyipt yhe anisp. hpAoenwny t hlhiakinesg lay tpshoraomtb weatiblhli ilnitgy leading you to
of one. If it will never happen, then related pages.
it has a probability of zero.
Draw a favorite
snack in each segment, 3
and color them in.
When you throw a die, there are six possible
Donraew s naat clek amsto r e oouuttccoommees i.s T ohnee p oruotb oafb isliitxy, oorf 1g/e6.tting each
than once so that
tdhifef esrneanctk csh haanvcee s Feature boxes
of being landed on.
The introduction A one-in-six chance provide more
can also be called
lets you know a probability of 1/6. information
Spinning
which area of about the
math you’re 4 math behind
snack decider
exploring. Ca asrheafurpll yp epnucsihl the activity.
through the center
of the hexagon into
Probability is the chance of 2 some sticky tack on a
something happening. We can ssupirnfa tchee. Nspoiwnn yeoru t oc adne cide
calculate probability and use it Using a ruler and which snack to eat!
pencil, divide the
to predict what might happen in hexagon into six
the future! Let’s start by using equal segments. Tonh eoruer a srpei ntwneor ,m saon tghoeeres
it to choose a snack. iosf ait t lwanod-iinn-gs ioxn c mhaanncgeo .
18 19
Decimals The decimal point Decimals and fractions
Money
Any number that comes after a decimal Fractions are another way to write numbers
point is smaller than one. This is called We often use decimals in real life when smaller than one. Any decimal can also be written
a decimal number. The farther away a we use money to buy or sell things. Many as a fraction, and vice versa. To get the decimal
digit is from the point, the smaller it is. currencies (types of money) are whole version of a fraction, use a calculator to divide
Decimals are a way of showing Everything to the left of the point is a amounts and decimals. the top number by the bottom number.
Top topics numbers smaller than one. We whole number. Eonaceh-h cuenndtr (e¢d)t ihs
Learn about some of the wwrhiitceh t lhoeomks a jfutsetr laik dee ac ipmearli opdo.int, DeWcimhoalle p nouinmtbers1.25Decimal numbers $1 5¢of a dollar ($). Tninsuuh cmmea beltloeerapdrt othr.e 0¼.o2r 5 One divided by
four is 0.25.
The bottom
Tenths, hundredths, and thousandths number is called
key math topics, such Iafs y ao ud edciivmidael. oDnivei dbiyn g1 0o,n yeo buy g 1e0t 0on geiv-teesn ytho,u w ohniec-hh iusn wdrreitdtethn, aosr 00..011 , 5¢ 25¢ the denominator.
as division, measuring, and dividing it by 1,000 gives you one-thousandth, or 0.001. 10¢
= $1.45 0.5
and decimals. These 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 Otwnoe idsi v0i.d5e.d by ½or
will support and build There are 10 tenths in one. Tenths Time
anruem tbheer ,f isrustc hd iagsit t ihne a 1 d ienc 0im.1a.l Ethaec ht elinnteh sb esthwoewesn Sproemciesteimlye, fso wr eex naemepdl eto t om feinadsu orue tt iwmheo v weroyn
on what you’ve learned a hundredth. a very close race. Tiny fractions of time are
shown as decimals on stopwatches. 0.75
through the craft projects. There are 010.05 h1undre0dt.h5s 2in one, a0n.d5 3 0.54 0.55 0.56 0.57 0.58 0.59 Wsophfoh oitnohwtlee.n d soeencc oitmhnead lsl e afrte Tofh ias sise cao tnedn.th This is a ¾or Tfohurre eis d0iv.7id5e.d by
10 in each tenth. Hundredths are the hundredth
second digit in a decimal number, Each line between of a second.
such as the 1 in 0.51. tshheo whus nad trheoduthssa ndth. This is a
thousandth
0.551 0.552 0.553 0.554 0.555 0.556 0.557 0.558 0.559 of a second! 1
One is neither a
fraction nor a decimal!
There are 1,000 thousandths in one, and 10 in
each hundredth. Thousandths are the third digit
in a decimal number, such as the 1 in 0.551.
8888 8899
Gladys PThienrep aroe siantetlliitnesg in olrobict aabotvieo ynou now! Satellites Math heroes
send out signals, which tell computers on Earth—such
as smartphones and tablets—how far away they are.
West Using this information, the computer can calculate its
location exactly.
Meet the inspirational
Mathematician • Born in 1930 • From the United States
people who have
Gladys West realized as a young girl that she didn’t want
to work on her parents’ farm. Instead, she chose to study Computer wizardry
math and science. Her calculations and discoveries help Gbyla hdayns dd,i das l owtse lol fa csa ulcsuinlagt ieoanrsly used math to make
millions of us navigate the world each day using a digital computers. She would program
map system called GPS (Global Positioning System). rfaoinnoddm oo-tushitze terh dpe l“ aslocuecpaset oriconon mE oapfr utohtce.e rAasln”l st o a difference in the
of this programming helped
AGwlhasidctyhsr a sorteun udnioepdiml olotteisdc o safp dla acGteac rclaoafltled ocrtybeidsti nbgy (scaitrcellilnitge)s , Sgainbaacttolehuuledtlir itln oeingtsfs woc oaremfna t at hhtiienorgn. s , doveever ltohpe GwPoSr,l dw thoidcha yis. used all Celebrating Gladys world. And remember:
EawPnalaurdstt o hot .hba Sjeneh dcceo tt snah lniesne o psc lgptaiaaontcnehet eb. NrOeeetndwpe tie nuoefnfon eGr h mlmaoadowtyvi oset’hn.se ad bdisowcuoatvr fep rlpailenasne test wo“rkWinhge ne vyeoruy’ rdea y, GfrFeooladrr dcimseyca soHn vwayel alry esoendfa ’.tFr Ss ar.he mHewe’osa!w rndeoevwde rif,no h rte hhree w rU oinmriktp ewodrat Sast nraett ceweson Artkliyr anyone can learn to
you’re not thinking,
‘What impact is this be a math wizard.
going to have on the
world?’ You’re thinking,
‘I’ve got to get
this right.’”
94 95
7
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Getting
You’ll need pens
and pencils to do
calculations, make notes,
and draw shapes.
ready
You can do many of the activities in this book
right away. Rummage around at home to see
if you can gather the items you need. Here You’ll need
scissors to cut
things out.
are instructions on how to use some of the
most important math tools you’ll need.
A ruler will help you
draw straight lines
and measure things.
Using a protractor
cAe prtraoitnr asciztoer. Fcaonllo hwe ltph yeosue dstraewps a tno alenagrlne hoof wa .
Ftmhoeera arsingughreltem, sue fsnaetc stinh.ge se Fthoer alenfgt,l euss efa tchinegse 1 vfoDiernrrsa tttew hlxie na (ee cs onotrdrfna .y eiTgorhh)u.itrs l aiwnniegll l web eiat hnth dae id tso t 2 spLtoianirnett iun wpgi ttlihhn eet h poerfo dytoroatuc, rta oanrnd’sg t lcheee n ter
measurements. with the baseline.
3 Draw a dot above the
omf etahseu arenmgleen yto suh owwainntg t oth der aswiz.e 4 tDor acwre aat elin yeo ubre tawngeelen! the dots
Baseline
Center point
8
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