10 Awesome Jobs that Require Great Math Skills

Math is more than just a way of adding and subtracting. It is a complex discipline that provides the base foundation for a number of professional careers. So, it goes without saying that there are a number of awesome jobs out there that can provide a home for someone with incredible math skills.

While there are many categories of engineer (electrical, civil, computer, mechanical, etc) all engineering jobs require solid skills in math. Also, there are very few things in this world that can be created without the help of a skilled engineer. Whether you are crossing a bridge or flying around the solar system in a space ship an engineer is the person who makes these things possible. As such, an entire adventurous world is open to someone who picks a career in the engineering field and this can only be achieved by someone with great math skills.

The word photogrammetrist is a tongue twister but if it sounds suspiciously like a photographer that is because it is a cousin to professional photography. The difference is that this deals with working with images from aerial, land based and even satellite based imaging systems. This is truly the cutting edge of photographic work and it is based on signed skills in mathematics.

Where would we be without computers and, for that matter, where would computers be without the help of computer scientists? One of the lesser known skills of computer science is math aptitude as mathematical principles are the underlying force that creates computer applications. So, math and computer skills go hand in hand.

There is much in the news these days regarding climate change and that has sparked a lot of interest in a career or field related to it. For those with solid math skills, an environmental mathematician may prove to be one of the more interesting scientific positions.

Since we already had made mention of engineers why would we give a robotics engineer a separate mention? If you have ever seen a science fiction movie then you know the answer. It's because using your math skills to study and create robots is mega cool! Surely you have seen the movie I ROBOT? Ok, maybe it is not THAT exciting of a career but it certainly is one filled with wonder and perfect for those with a creative mind.

While some may assume that the duties of a statistician are dull such an assumption is not based on any actual reality as the collection, analyzing and presentation of data derived from experiments can be an interesting profession.

Here is a tongue twister: geophysical mathematician and it is a very important job. Without sources of energy our whole world is in a lot of trouble and this profession uses math skills to help successfully explore for oil and natural gas. Clearly, many people rely on these mathematicians for energy needs.

Ok, in the "don't let the title fool you" department the profession of an economist has the potential to be a very exciting one. Yes, they appear a little dry on all those cable TV business programs but being at the center of the analyzing of the economy of a company, an industry or even an entire nation can prove to be quite a stimulating job.

Another tongue twister is operations research analyst and it is another critical job because its purpose is discovering how to run a company or industry in a cost effective and better organized matter. Consider it a sort of mathematical advisor because, in a nutshell, that is what it is.

And saving the most important for last, one of the coolest jobs for those interested in a career in math is that of a math teacher. Not only do you get to share your knowledge with others, but you also get to craft the next generation of mathematical superstars. Not a bad gig, eh?

The Math Used in Professional Baseball: More than a Game

It is baseball season again and statistics are flying; how math is used in professional baseball to determine all those number that appear after a player's name. Baseball is more than a game it is game of mathematical numbers used to try and determine how players respond in certain situations. For example a batter's hitting percentage is .344 and a pitcher has an earned run average of 5.13.

So lets take a look at the a batter's hitting percentage. The percentage .344 is based on the number of hits - 55, divided by the number of times at bat - 160. So what does .344 mean to the baseball world? A .344 is very good, because it means that a batter will typically get a hit 1 out of 3 times at bat. Batters with this kind of batting percentage are typically the lead off hitter in a line up.

Teams keep all kinds of statistics on batters, such as: number of times at bat - AB, number of runs scored - R, number of hits - H, number of runs batted in - BI, number of walks - W, number of strike outs - K, and batting average - AVG. These are all used to determine the quality of a batter to be able to hit and score runs.

Math statistics are also kept on the number homeruns divided by the number times at bat; the average times a batter will get a hit in specific situations for example, with 2 outs; how many times a batter will hit to a certain part of the field, for example left field; and how many time a batter gets a hit against specific pitchers. Professional baseball players are analyzed using lots of math to develop a statistical picture of the player as batter.

Let's take a look at the pitcher with an earned run average (ERA) of 5.13. The number is determined by taking the number of earned runs - 4, dividing it by the number of innings pitched - 7, and then multiplying that number by 9. So what does the 5.13 mean for a pitcher? It means he is not a highly recruited pitcher in professional baseball; he gives up too many hits that lead to runs. The pitcher is prone to giving up lots of runs and not winning many games. The lower the earned run average the better the pitcher. Now you may be asking what earned runs are; they are runs scored not the result of any errors by the pitcher's team.

What is some other math numbers used to determine the quality of a pitcher, such as: number of innings pitcher - IP, number of hits given up - H, the number of runs given up - R, the number of walks given up - BB, the number of earned runs given up - ER, and the number of strike outs - SO. These are used to statistically develop an overall view of the pitchers.

Other math numbers include the number of times the pitcher strikes out or gives up hits to certain batters. Along with the number of complete games pitched, pitched all nine innings. And then the coveted number of perfect games pitched; which means the pitcher gave up no walks, no hits, no errors, and no runs were scored by the opposing team.

Then there is the entire math related to the actual dimensions of the professional baseball field. The distance to from one base to another is 90 feet, the pitchers mound is 60 feet from home plate, and the distance from home plate to left field is 342 feet, for example. The number of baseballs used in the average baseball game is about 60, due to foul balls into the stands and homeruns.

Math is used everywhere in professional baseball.

10 Common Mistakes When Preparing for a Math Test

Taking a math test is never an easy venture because math can be a difficult and complex subject. But most students do poorly on math tests not so much because the material is too difficult to understand as much as the student's study habits are poor. That is to say, poor test preparation is often the reason for underperformance. Of course, through reversing a number of common math test preparation mistakes the ability to perform better can be achieved. Here is a look at the ten most common mistakes to avoid when taking a math test.

Studying at the last minute. Waiting until the night before the test to study is often a recipe for disaster as it leaves you with far too little time to study properly. Plus, if it turns out you need extra time in order to properly prepare�you are out of luck!

Studying for too long a stretch. There is only so much you can mentally and physically stand and forcing yourself to study for an extended period of time is self defeating. Instead, it is far better to break up your study time into shorter periods (say a half hour each) throughout the day.

Reading test material without practicing it. When it comes to math you have to actually work out the problems in order to become proficient. Math is not a course like history where you can simply read from the textbook. Math requires practice.

Studying haphazardly. What structure do you apply to your study session? If you try to study without any structure you may find yourself totally under-prepared when test time arrives. As such, a solid study plan should be devised and followed. Also, it is critical to be productive when you study and not waste time or cut it short. Such an attitude will prove self defeating.

Taking an "I got it" attitude. In other words, do not get too confident in your supposed knowledge of the material. People use this attitude as an excuse to study less and it is a bad idea. Believing that you have solid knowledge of the material when you don't will eventually bring a solid dose of unwelcome reality.

Not taking advantage of resources. If you have access to study groups, extra help sessions or even a private tutor you should utilize these resources as they will dramatically increase the chances of performing well. Sometimes you really shouldn't go it alone particularly when certain partnerships can lead to higher scores.

Not identifying or concentrating on weaknesses. If there is a particular area that you are weak on then it becomes important to invest time in this area the most. Yes, this can be a little difficult to do at times but the end result is your weak points will not longer be weak.

Incomplete study materials. This is a close cousin of haphazard preparation. When you sit down to study be sure you have everything you need. This means in addition to your notebook and text book you should review prior homework, old tests and quizzes, handouts and anything else that may be part of the class work. By comprehensively studying all classroom material you will undoubtedly

Be sure to have adequate sleep. Staying up all night to cram will leave you mopey, dopey and sleepy when test time arrives. That hardly sounds like the way to boost peak performance.

Not knowing what is on the test. This little item was saved until last because it the easiest to avoid but many people make this fundamental mistake. If the test is on Chapter 4 then you shouldn't be studying Chapter 9!

Why getting the correct math answer is not always important: Show your work!

"But I got the answer right."


"You didn't show your work."


"But I got the answer right."


"You didn't show your work."


"What's the big deal?"


"Ok. The answer you wrote is 14x. Can you prove that you did not guess it?"


No response. Now do you know why it is important to show your work?


The concept of showing your work when you deduce the answer of a math problem shows all the steps that were required to arrive at the correct answer. For example, the answer to the following problem (4 + 2) � 3 is 18. How is this answered arrived at? We can see how it is arrived at by actually showing the work:


1.) (4 + 2) �3


2.) 6�3


3.) Answer is 18.


Of course, this simple math problem is very easy to answer incorrectly because many people violate the PEMDAS principle. (PEMDAS stands for the order then you need to follow when solving a problem: parentheses, exponent, multiply, divide, add, then subtract. Then, this order is followed step by step to arrive at the correct answer.


Primarily, the main person you do a favor for when you show your work is yourself. That is, showing your work greatly allows for a reduction in the potential errors that you may make. After all, if you have all the steps written out in front of you then the chances for an errant omission of a major part of the problem solving process is reduced. Sure, accidents happen and people make mistakes, but you want to reduce the potential for making mistakes.


Let's go back to the example of (4 + 2) � 3. If you were to tell someone to answer that in his or her heard they may come up with the answer of ten. But, look at the steps they followed:


1.) (4 + 2) �3


2.) 4 + 6


3.) Answer is 10


The final answer is correct but showing the works displays a critical flaw in the student's skill. He divided before he multiplied. In this particular situation, the answer may be the same as the proper way to solve the problem but what if the math problem was the fact that the parentheses step was completely ignored. Because of this the student multiplied with adding the numbers in parentheses first, This is because he added first and then divided. The correct answer, however, is:


1.) (4 + 2) �3


2.) 6 x 3


3.) Answer is 18


Clearly, showing one's work provides an insight into where problem areas may lie. This is a critical component to the instructor's ability to isolate and correct the student's mistakes and get him or her back on the right track. For a student who lacks mastery in a subject trying to solve a problem in your head is not the way to go. Instead, put it all on paper and person you save may be you.


When it comes to showing work it is critical to show the work in a complete and clear fashion. That is, it can not just be understood by you but it must be understood by anyone else who reads it - particularly the person grading your test. Jotting down loose or fragmented bits of your work in a sloppy manner will not instill the confidence in the instructor that you have truly grasped the concept of solving the problem. It also does nothing to disprove a notion that you arrived at the answer through guess work. So, let's repeat: show all work completely and in a neat and clear fashion.

10 Ways to Motivate Elementary Students to Value Math

Children are no different than adults. We all need motivation and encouragement. Use relevant issues to motivate them and allow them to use the creativity within them.

Real-World Issues Motivate Students

Use real world issues. Hunger in Calcutta. Tsunami's in India. Allow students to become involved in issues like these where they can make a difference and at the same time you can use math in every decision you make.

What about math games?

There are many math games to play. From board games, card games, online games, video games and the list go on. Through the use of games students learn that it can be fun to use math. That it isn't just a serious activity. Try using the speechless game. They are not allowed to speak or make a noise, but have to go and write answers on a white board.

Use designing

Allow the students to design something they like and have a passion for. For boys perhaps a kite, for girls a dollhouse. When you draw them into making and designing something useful to them, they will see math in a different light. It will motivate them to learn more and to use it in what they like.

Use a reward system

What about using a reward system. Take the students on outings or set up a bank system where they earn rewards for accomplishing certain math skills or tasks. Then they can make deposits or withdraw and learn other basic skills as well.

Disease and medicine

Disease is a part of life, and even many students are battling with some form of it. Identify a certain disease that students are battling with and allow them to do a research on this and motivate them to use their math skills to come up with usable suggestions.

Health

Water is a part of our lives. We need it to survive, but most of our water sources are polluted. Teach them to test the ph balance in the water, to come up with solutions on how to purify water and save rivers, lakes, etc... They can use their math skills and even go out to the different sites and learn many other skills.

Emotional Gain

Sweets only work for a little while, but genuine praise can motivate a student to excel in math. Every one needs to feel some sense of security in what they do. They need to feel pleasure but also prestige. When you bring that into account they will learn that to do something for themselves gives a feeling of satisfaction and personal gain.

Lead by example

To motivate students you need to lead by example. It's easy to say, do what I tell you, but a student will do what they see you do. So be the one that motivates them trough your example. Tell and show them how to motivate others by using math.

Ownership

Encourage students to plan their own activities and outings. They can draw up charts, use math creatively in any way they can think off. Then allow them to come back to class and give a full report of what they did and why. This allows them to take ownership for their actions.

Intern program

Set up an intern program where students can come and be an intern for a week. Each one gets a turn to do this. Let them choose for which subject they want to do internship, then after the week they have to come back and tell why and how they used math in that project.

3 Tips for Developing Elementary Math Tests

from Concordia University...

http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/educator-tips/3-tips-for-developing-elementary-math-tests/

Elementary math tests are an essential part of the assessment process. Without the information that test results provide, it is nearly impossible for a teacher to accurately judge whether or not her students are understanding or retaining the material she is presenting to them.

Because test results are so important, designing appropriate tests to assess student progress is paramount. How, then, do you develop elementary math tests that accurately measure the success or failure of student learning? Here are three things to consider when you are in the planning stages of your test development.

Three tips for developing elementary math tests

Show and tell – Early elementary students are usually very concrete learners. They can often understand a concept in a hands-on way even when they are not able to accurately articulate it verbally. When at all possible, allow your students to show you what they have learned with physical — or even virtual — props. Students could be allowed, for instance, to demonstrate their understanding of basic mathematical concepts by adding or subtracting objects from a group. They could also construct basic geometrical objects on paper or from straws or popsicle sticks. Use your imagination. There are many ways that allow students to show their understanding of math concepts in a concrete way. Even interactive computer games can be used to test an individual student’s understanding of math. Many of them are available for free on the Internet, including this simple shape-matching game designed for third grade students and hosted on the Georgia Public Broadcasting website, and the resources available at the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives.

Use both timed and un-timed tests – Math skills can be divided roughly into two parts and both parts are equally important. One part is the analytical, problem-solving side of math. This is important for working through story problems and for understanding more and more complex mathematical operations. Testing for this kind of understanding should not be timed. Students need to know they can take as long as they need to puzzle their way through the work. The other part is rote memory. Without a quickly accessible database of facts — such as the answers to basic multiplication problems — further understanding of more complex math problems is simply impossible. Therefore, you should encourage a solid understanding of the basics with timed tests. A word of caution, however, timed tests, according to an article in Education Week by Jo Boaler, can cause anxiety in young students. Emphasis on timed tests should be on the usefulness of speed to the students themselves and their future success with math, not on the grades they are trying to earn.

Mix and match the test questions – Every subject — even one as concrete as mathematics — can be assessed in many different ways. When designing elementary math tests, teachers can include true and false questions, multiple-choice questions and, of course, questions that employ a student’s problem-solving skills. According to the “Improving Your Test Questions” page of the Center for Teaching Excellence website which is hosted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, every type of testing has both positive attributes and drawbacks. Multiple-choice questions, for example, according to the website, offer “highly reliable test scores.” On the other hand, they can take a lot of time to create and encourage students to simply guess at the answers. By using many different types of questions on any given test, you can take advantage of the best attributes of all of them without weighing your assessments down with the negatives.

It’s the learning that matters

We can all agree that student understanding and retention is what matters most in any school setting. Elementary math tests are just one tool available to teachers to measure both of those important factors. Whether testing shows that your students are learning, or whether it shows that they have failed to learn what you are teaching, important data has been gathered. By using good testing tools, you will either have the satisfaction of knowing that your students are learning, or you will be able to gather the information necessary to make appropriate changes to your teaching style and your curriculum.

Fifth grade: Take learning online

By fifth grade, your child should be able to add and subtract fractions automatically. She'll also begin simple fraction multiplication and division, as well as more complex two digit division. A major focus of fifth grade math is decimals: your child will learn to add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals into the hundredths.

Do this: Your maturing fifth grader probably likes working independently, so reinforce math with online sources of math help and math practice, so she can work independently. Some free websites include Khan Academy, which has thousands of video math lessons (and other subjects as well) from the world's greatest online teacher, Salman Khan. Sheppard software,WebMath.com, and Math.com offer a variety of math games, practice problems, and math information for a wide range of grades and math levels. Drexel University's "math forum" also provides answers to math questions and grade-based activities.

Explore these sites on your own and then with your child to see if they are helpful. Working online isn't a substitute for doing homework, of course, but can help your child practice math facts, find answers to math questions, supplement classroom learning, and introduce the curious student to new math concepts.

How does math help us make predictions?

When it comes to the subject of how mathematics is used as the basis for making predictions a common reaction among people is to shake their heads. Isn't predicting something that fortune tellers and magicians do they ask? Well, yes, but what stereotypical fortune tellers really do is make guesses that are not based on sound mathematical principles. They simply pull statements out of the air and hope they come to pass. Usually their predictions falter because they are not based on a statistical analysis of data. Predictions without a basis in math is little more than guessing and guessing is not reliable. This is why people who predict the weather, the outcomes of political elections, the decline and fall of a stock are often closer to accuracy than not.

When we say predictions we are not speaking about guessing because guessing is a haphazard way of trying to search for an answer. If you took a math test and did not try to actual figure out the problems and you tried and guess the answer you may be right or you may be wrong. The odds are, however, overwhelming that you would be wrong the vast majority of the time. So, it becomes important to actually figure out the proper answer to a question in the same way you need to use math as a basis of making proper predictions. Mathematical analysis is the component that makes predictions more reliable.

How do predictions work in a practical manner? They work in the sense that predictions are based upon a careful analysis of patterns which are essentially recurring events. Patterns can be found in languages, sciences and even the arts. The key to being recognize patterns can provide the basis for us to later make predictions based on our observation of the repetition of patterns and then making a subsequent prediction based on the data. Does this sound complicated? Well, it really isn't! Patterns exist in a number of activities including leisure pursuits such as fishing.

Predictions with math would be best referred to as forecasting which is making an educated guess based on recurring patterns of activity. Ok, let's look at this a little closer. Let's say that you are going fishing and you are using a casting lure. You make 100 casts and reel the lure in 100 times. At the end of the 100 casts you catch 4 fish. So it may be safe to assume that under similar conditions it is possible to repeat this 4 out of 100 (or the odds being 1 out of 25) when you go fishing. Of course, this may not be able to be repeated all the time but it can provide a clear idea of a credible prediction that is based on some form of empirical evidence.

Of course, there are other areas where predictions come in handy that are of a more serious nature. For example, in the stock market operates brokers will collect data about a particular stock or industry. Then, they will look at the common external factors that can manipulate how the stocks go up or down. (The stock market is, of course, based on dollars and cents which are whole numbers and decimal points) Again, the predictions are based on collected data and patterns.

Does that mean that math can provide predictions that possess 100% accuracy? No, it would be next to impossible to make a 100% accurate prediction. But, a prediction based on solid data can allow you to make an assumption that is as close to the likelihood of accuracy than not and this is clearly very valuable.

The History of Calculators

The very first calculator was a Pascaline adding and subtracting machine created by Pascal in 1642, so calculators have been around for a long time - almost 400 years. The interesting connection with Pascal's calculator is little has changed since then, as far as how numbers are calculated. The difference today is the speed and variety computations that can be completed with a calculator.

The golden age of calculators began in the 1800's. Technological and mechanical challenges were faced by all those who developed early calculators. These limitations often caused early calculators to not function correctly, if at all. However, in the 1800's technological and mechanical capabilities had advanced enough for reliable mechanical calculators to be built and operated. Some of these included:

• In 1820, the Arithmometer was developed by Colmar which used a step drum technique to add, subtract, multiply, and divide.
• In 1875, the Original Odhner was developed by Odhner who invented a pinwheel or variable cog calculator which used a hand crank to complete the computation.
• In 1885, the Comptometer was developed by Felt who invented the first calculator using keys to push for number entry and calculations.

In the 1900's the golden age of calculators continued and began taking on the familiar shape we use today.

• In 1901, the Standard calculator was developed by Hopkins who used two rows of five buttons representing the digits 0 through 9 to perform math computations.
• In 1911, the standard ten digit keyboard we use today was developed by Sundstrand who brought the design from Sweden to the United States.
• In 1914, the first commercial calculators began entering businesses and the use of calculators began to be popular.

The golden age of calculators continued until the 1960's, since they were mechanical devices requiring the entering numbers in specific sequences to accomplish the desired mathematical computation. Most even had the mechanical handle you pulled during various parts of the computations to eventually wind up with the desired result.

In the 1960's everything began to change as soon as transistors and other technological components could be made small enough to fit in portable calculator devices. The first electronic calculators began to appear:

• In 1961 the Anita MK8 was developed using 170 vacuum tubes coupled to a decade counter, for basic math operations and was used to display numbers in a desktop calculator.
• In 1964 the Sharp Compet CS 10A was developed as the first transistor commercial calculator.
• In 1968 the Sharp Compet 22 was placed on the market as the first desk top commercial electronic calculator.
• In 1969 the Sharp QT8-D was introduced as the first battery operated hand held calculator. It was only 5.2 inches wide, 9.6 inches tall, and 2.75 inches thick. This was a major achievement in the 1960's.
• In 1970 the first Texas Instrument calculator, called the Pocketronic, was developed and was even smaller than the Sharp QT8-D.

Calculators continued to evolve and became smaller and more sophisticated in their ability complete complex computations.

• In 1975 the HP-55 by Hewlett Packard was introduced for a price of $385.00.

From the 1970's through to 1990 a market war was waged by many companies trying to enter the handheld calculator business. In 1990 there were only four major companies left:

• Casio
• Texas Instruments
• Hewlett Packard
• Sharp

Beginning in the 1990's through today, the number of handheld calculators has exploded onto the market. They include graphing calculators and specialty scientific calculators. Due to the technological advances, the price of calculators has decreased significantly. The first calculators built in the 1600's, 1700's, and 1800's which could just simply do the four basic math computations would cost thousands of dollars today. Today you can get a calculator that completes these same basic functions for less than a dollar.

Calculators have come a long way through the technological evolution stages; the question is what will they look like 400 years from now?

10 Reasons Everyone Should Master Math

Math isn't at all as difficult as it seems. Sometimes we need to change our thinking.

Don't think in difficulty

Math is not at all as difficult as it seems. Many people just give up after one or two hick-ups. Think of it as a road with some potholes. You're not going to turn around when there is a bump in the road before you, you will find a solution to going around or even over it to get to your destination. Conquer the problem and find the solution.

Perseverance

Sticking to something always pays off. Rewards are inevitable and you will be rewarded according to your perseverance. Math is something you need to master and if you persevere you will not just master a math skill, but you will gain a life skill.

Feel comfortable

Memorizing formulas will help you to master the basics of math. Math formulas is the essence of every solution you need to achieve in math. Take time to study the formulas and understand them, this way you will succeed every time. Feeling comfortable with formulas will give you momentum.

Make a math journal

Take time daily to write down math problems and their solutions in a journal especially for math. This way you can go back to them whenever the need arises. You can keep your journal handy and have a quick reference guide. Do it especially with the difficult problems, also write down the contact details of the person who assisted you with that problem, for in case you need help.

Gaining experience

As with everything in life the fear of the unknown is living and breathing when it comes to math problems. The only way to conquer fear is to gain knowledge of the subject. When you have experience in something you have self confidence and you will succeed.

Positive attitude

Don't let one little misunderstand or problem make you negative towards math. Build up your attitude by sticking positive statements against your wall or work area. Remind yourself constantly that math is the key to better living and that you are able to do all things, conquer every mountain and be successful in whatever you do!

Be inquisitive

Tackle problems head on and investigate, explore or ask questions. This way you will find solutions and be able to dissolve every problem. Remember that teachers are there to help you.

Think logically

Use your daily activities to think logically and use relationships to help you master math. Every person you meet has some skill that you can learn from. Use this to your advantage and take what you learn and apply it to your own life, this way math becomes a part of who you are.

Mistakes isn't always wrong

The greatest lessons I learned from life was the ones I did wrong. Don't get discouraged when you make mistakes, these are the lessons you will remember and they will stick with you like glue. You will remember those solutions and they will become natural to you.

Don't be brave

Use your calculator. It's absolutely essential for your sanity. You don't have to do everything yourself, you have an assistant, a personal assistant that can accompany you everywhere you go. Your calculator is your best friend when it comes to math.

The Math used in Professional Basketball

Basketball is a game that uses many different types of math. Basketball is played on a rectangular court and made up of two five player teams. Two guards, two forwards, and one center make up the five players on each team. All five players play offense as well as defense. In Professional Basketball a game lasts for 48 minutes which is broken up into four quarters. 48 divided by 4 = 12, therefore each quarter lasts 12 minutes. Which ever team has the most points at the end of the game is the winner. When a game is tied after regulation time has ended, the teams play overtime periods until one team ends an overtime period with more points and is therefore the winner. There are two ways an offensive team can score points. The first way to score is to make a basket, which is worth 2 or 3 points, depending on the distance of the shot. The second way to score is a foul shot, also called a free throw.

Every foul shot is taken from what is called the "free throw" line. The free throw line is 15 feet away from the basket which is also equal to 4.6 meters. The free throw is worth one point. The National Basketball Association (NBA) has teams from two countries, the United States and Canada. In total there are 30 NBA teams but they divided into two different conferences, the Eastern and Western. Each conference is made up of three different divisions. Although only five players are allowed from each team on the court at a time, there are 12 players on the roster at all times. There are 82 scheduled games in a regular season.

When the NBA season ends in April 8 teams from each conference will be qualified for the playoffs and since there are 2 conferences, 8 x 2 = 16. So, 16 teams would then qualify. These games are broken down into what is called "series" and each series is won by which ever team wins the most out of seven. This means that whichever team wins 4 games first are the champions of the conference. Finally a champion team from each conference meets to play 7 more games. Remember, there are two conferences, Eastern and Western. The first to win 4 games out of 7 are the NBA Champions.

Basketball can be used to show many types of mathematical procedures that include identifying geometric shapes, choosing the right display of data and to interpret that data, the ability to predict outcomes, the ability to construct tally charts, scatter plots, and bar graphs, and finally the ability to change fractions to percents. The fact is that math is all around you every day and people use math without even realizing that they are doing so. In basketball math is used to keep score, of course that is the most obvious. Math is used to count how many people are playing, how many feet up the hoop is, how many feet players can jump, the circumference of the hoop and the measurement of the ball, which by the way are all very important parts of the game of basketball.

Take out the sports section and go to the pages on basketball. Look at a game with a box score. A box score will list all the players on the team and the points they scored. The box score can be put into a list to calculate mean, mode, median, and range. So as you can see there are various types of mathematical calculations that are used in the game of basketball and most of them are just second nature for most. Maybe that is why they seem so simple when applied to basketball, because you never thought of it in terms of math.

10 Super Reasons Why Multiplication is Important in your Life

Knowing your times tables. From front to back and from back to the front. As a child I loved times tables. I just enjoyed them so much, and would learn them daily that even today, many years later I don't even have to think, they are so embedded in my long term memory that whenever I need them, they are ready to be used.

I think that this is the one part of math that I have used the most in my life.

Calendars

Whether you need to work out the days of the week, the weeks in a month or the months in a year. You will multiply. It comes so easy and naturally that you don't even realize you are doing it and using it.

Memorization

We memorize daily, but do you realize that your brain is like a computer. Whatever you put into it, will most probably remain there for a long period of time. You can choose to fill it with unimportant things, or you can fill it with skills that can be a benefit to you your entire life. Like multiplication. You will use this skill for as long as you live. Using and teaching your brain to memorize is probably the most important skill of all.

Car repair

Have you ever assisted in repaired a car? Well, you definitely need to be able to multiply when you overhaul the engine, measure the pistons or just need to put in a new gearbox or engine.

Building block

By learning multiplication and memorizing the times tables you provide yourself with essential building blocks to do higher learning math, like division, fractions and even algebra.

Career choices

You need to be able to multiply when you are in an academic career or perhaps you want to become a chef. Well, world class chefs definitely need to use multiplication as a skill. How else will they produce divine pastries and mouth watering dishes?

Traveling

Traveling all over the world can be fun, and perhaps that is your desire. To make a career choice that will allow you to travel from one place to another. Well, even then you need multiplication skills. You need to work out estimated arrival times, make calculations when it comes to money exchange and even calculate your distance.

Stress saver

When you are able to multiply you can save yourself a lot of stress and take a huge load of your shoulders. Can you imagine every time you need to work out something, that you need to run to someone else to help you. This will be disastrous and will make your life a ball of stress. Rolling with a never ending circle.

Show business

Have you ever thought about becoming a Broadway star, or what about Hollywood. Maybe you want to become a movie star. Even in acting you need to multiply and use your basic math skills. When you work on a set you need to make quick decisions and that definitely requires multiplication.

Stock market

Some of you are very brave, and like a challenge like the stock market. If this is your desire for a career, multiplication needs to be like breathing to you. You need to multiply in your sleep. It needs to be something that comes naturally to you.

Photography

When doing photography, you need math, and you need to multiply. We're talking about angles, depth, perspective, resizing, distance and the list just continues. How will you be able to do all of that without multiplication skills?

5 Easy Ways to Practice Multiplication Skills

In second or third grade, kids are set to learn their multiplication tables. Several teachers ask students to practice their multiplication skills at home. Although, simply sticking to age-old flashcards does not motivate much learning and fun.

Below are five outstanding and helpful ways to help kids of grades to practice their multiplication skills based on multiplication tables, so that they can lead in various math multiplication projects.

Five Fun Ways to Practice Multiplication Skills:

Activity 1: Memory Game

Kids mostly opt to play multiplication memory game. They can create their own multiplication memory game focusing on a definite multiplication table. Here, in this example, you we will use table of 3.

Multiplication is a sequential function. You can select a color of construction sheet, cut 2-inch squares, and write the problem (0 x 3, 1 x 3, 2 x 3, etc.). Now, choose one more color of construction sheet, and cut squares and write down the answers (0, 3, 6, etc.).

Next, turn almost all the cards downwards and play the usual memory game. Try to choose a "problem" color and an "answer" color for it. If your memorization is correct, then note down the points and try again. You can do this with almost every set of table.

Activity 2: Use of Internet

Next, parents and teachers may make use of the Internet to help practice multiplication skills for kids. You can find tons of web sites devoted to help kids to practice and polish their entire math skills. They also offer fun and innovative interactive games.

Generally, children tend to practice hard in multiplication problems to improve the game, and when it becomes fun to play, they hardly realize that they are practicing and learning.

Activity 3: Musical Practice

Another helpful way to practice multiplication is to memorize musically. Teachers and parents can find several knowledgeable videos, songs, and recordings, based entirely on multiplication tables and skills.

Several teachers affirm that music is by far the most helpful way to practice multiplication skills.

Activity 4: Single Calculations

1 x anything = itself

You can start such multiplication concept with a few small numbers, for example 7 x 1. Try to stick with small digits until you find the concept easy and simply repeat the number that you are supposed to multiply. For students of higher grades, try for example 283 x 1 along with some fractions.

Activity 5: Doubles Calculations

2 x a number = doubles

Two times a number signifies to add it twice. Thus, those are the doubles in calculation. Tables of two are just the doubles. You can evaluate the doubles, with multiplication equation, but try to explain it in addition form.

For example, 2 x 6 = 12, and in addition, doubles of six is the same 6 + 6 = 12. You can write the solution to the addition problem as the solution to the multiplication problem. Hence, kids need to understand that 2 x n is n + n.

Final Review:

The implementation of this system is very much simple. You can assess the concept of 1 x anything, with varied set of numbers bearing the multiplication tables in mind.

Kids need to observe that, they are not only learning a whole set of multiplication tables, but they are also making themselves capable to use these skills to solve bunch of numbers. Kids tend to polish their multiplication skills with regular and repetitive practice of multiplication tables. Try to mix these steps or perform each, on a daily basis. The more you practice, the quicker you will polish your multiplication skills.

Math is always unproblematic, if is taught and learned in a correct manner.

Learning math through play

Get your child to fall in love with math -- the easy way.

from Great Schools...

http://www.greatschools.org/students/academic-skills/4369-learning-math-through-play-video.gs?cpn=20130407weeklysend