Seasoning a Math Problem – Or the Season for Math Problems

This is part of the Five Minute Friday series. Today’s prompt is: Season

I wonder sometimes why I do these Five-Minute-Friday posts. “Season” isn’t the tastiest of words for someone who writes about math.

I can see perhaps there’s a season for learning. Well, maybe not.

How about that math should be the seasoning on the learning of…

Nope, that’s terrible too.

So here’s where I get stuck. And where I have to work things through.

I’ll do this like I tell my students: what do you know?

What do you remember?

Do any of those things apply to solving (or redefining) the problem?

What do you know?

Season is either flavoring or a chunk of time.

What do you remember?

Seems like there’s a school season. And there’s also some very bland ways of learning. As well as some really zesty ways of learning.

Do any of those things apply to solving the problem?

Well, maybe.

When solving a problem, it might be that you don’t have enough seasoning – like the 57th totally lame problem like: Solve for $x$ :

$3x+2=5$

And sometimes there’s too much seasoning. Like: Solve for $x$ :

$x+\frac{b}{a}=\frac{\sqrt{x^2-4dc}}{42e}$

And both types of problems have a season in your life where you would find it enjoyable (or at least “doable”).

This was a tough one.

OH! And there it is – just as you season meat to make it less tough, can you season a problem to make it easier?

#shootme

Learn more about the Five Minute Friday writing challenge here. And share with your friends on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest!

This post may contain affiliate links. When you use them, you support us so we can continue to provide free content!

Liz says:

December 4, 2015 at 3:21 pm

Your post made me smile. Thank you for hanging in there and trying to work with the prompt. I hope you have a great weekend!

- Bon says:
  
  December 5, 2015 at 6:05 am
  
  It was a tough one, Liz. Thanks for the kudos! 🙂
  
lorig says:

December 4, 2015 at 3:32 pm

It is always a season for math in my house, which adds seasoning to many conversations. Both my high school girls enjoy math as I did once upon a time. Our only complaint it needs to be seasoned with fun instead of the same old easy questions. Thankfully their teacher is a seasoned teacher who has a challenge problem about once per week for those who would like to give it a try.

Thanks for sharing your 5 minute Friday thoughts

- Bon says:
  
  December 5, 2015 at 6:10 am
  
  Thanks, Lori, for your very nicely put response. I wonder if the 5 minutes and the not-so-math-friendly term caused some undue anxiety in me. This post turned out pretty wonky. 🙂
  
  I’m glad your girls get some enjoyment in math class – at least occasionally. I fear that so much of the textbook math is just un-enjoyable by its nature. #sigh
  
  Thanks for stopping by!