tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30226356.post115319795891171482..comments2024-02-16T23:32:12.073-08:00Comments on The Exponential Curve: It's Logic Week!Dan Wekselgreenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08696028020767073620noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30226356.post-1153291048356802392006-07-18T23:37:00.000-07:002006-07-18T23:37:00.000-07:00Thanks for the link Mrs. Simpson - those problems ...Thanks for the link Mrs. Simpson - those problems will be quite challenging for my students, but I think I will give them a try.Dan Wekselgreenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08696028020767073620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30226356.post-1153285696353353902006-07-18T22:08:00.000-07:002006-07-18T22:08:00.000-07:00When I taught Geometry, I would spend a day or two...When I taught Geometry, I would spend a day or two using Lewis Carroll puzzles. This site has some great ones....<BR/><BR/>http://home.earthlink.net/~lfdean/carroll/puzzles/logic.htmlJeanne Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13638039962190008041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30226356.post-1153247071897983162006-07-18T11:24:00.000-07:002006-07-18T11:24:00.000-07:00So far, I've found the Euler diagrams very helpful...So far, I've found the Euler diagrams very helpful for getting across the idea of why the converse is not necessarily true (it is simply a circle within a circle, where the inner circle is the hypothesis and the outer circle is the conclusion). I've had a couple of students resisting the idea, but when we use the diagram, it seems to be clearing it up for them, because they can see the difference between being in both circles, in just the outer, or outside of both. It also helps make clear why the contrapositive is necessarily true.<BR/><BR/>What's also interesting so far is that one of my students who is failing due to weak numeracy and algebra skills is really taking off with these concepts, and is doing a great job of thinking logically. I wonder how I can help her connect this ability back to her mathematical difficulties.<BR/><BR/>I've been trying to use examples that they will enjoy, as well as having them write their own conditional statements. May favorites so far are "If you have a lover, you will have drama" and "If you have feet, then you have shoes".Dan Wekselgreenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08696028020767073620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30226356.post-1153242476997200372006-07-18T10:07:00.000-07:002006-07-18T10:07:00.000-07:00I would have them do a lot of examples where they ...I would have them do a lot of examples where they write sentences/situations from their own lives that illustrate the concept at hand. Personalizing what converse means is a lot easier than "just remembering" it. (Also, maybe try to do something really nerdy like make up an example that has something to do with the word--like sneakers for converse, etc. The nerdier my way for remembering things is for my kids, the more they remember. Plus, then they feel like they get to make fun of me a bit which is fine by me as long as they remember what I'm being nerdy about!) :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30226356.post-1153239676721853612006-07-18T09:21:00.000-07:002006-07-18T09:21:00.000-07:00We used to teach a 3-week unit on logic at the beg...We used to teach a 3-week unit on logic at the beginning of our calculus courses. If you are looking for a good textbook or print guide to the basics, I'd recommend Steve Roman's book "Logic"; it's a 35-page booklet that covers all the basics, most of what you listed above, along with a neat application chapter on digital logic circuits. Of courses there's lots of free stuff on the web too. <BR/><BR/>Beware that logic, for most students, is a completely alien concept. They are products of a culture that has basically trained them to think of logic and analytical reasoning as "bad". They will have some innate skill, because logic is supposed to describe how rational human beings think under normal circumstances, but don't underestimate the amount of work it will be to get them to think with their brains rather than their emotions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com