poetry responses

Poetry in math classes helps students deal with the affective nature of learning

I was going through my files while working on a project on Writing Across the Curriculum and came across this exercise which I use in my math classes. I thought some of you, especially math and science teachers, would appreciate the student responses. Some people may actually empathize with the students' sentiments depending upon your own math experiences.

I never quite know what will come out of this assignment but I am usually very pleased with the effort and sincerity of my students in responding. In most cases they have a fascinating way of capturing the majority student sentiment, at least in developmental classes. I have included a statement of the assignment FYI followed by a few student responses. I usually put all the poems from a semester into a "single volume" and share them with all the classes. A good time is had by all when we read them in pairs or larger groups or when we have a class poetry reading. Imagine, in algebra no less!

If you have assignments which have resulted in interesting student responses please share them with the list. It is always fun and interesting to hear about other teachers adventures into the unknown. Don't limit yourself to just WAC exercises. Include anything of interest, such as reactions to field trips, projects, collaborative learning efforts etc.
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WRITING ASSIGNMENT- THERE IS A POET IN ALL OF US

I would like you to write a poem about math. You may use any form of poetry you wish such as free verse, rhyming, haiku or any other form you prefer. You may write about your experiences with math in this class or other classes, your feelings about math or problems your are having, or a math problem, if one can be translated into poetry.

Use your imagination and release your thoughts from the algebraic rules and operations we have been concentrating so hard on in class, unless you "See a mathematical expression as lovely as a tree".
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Student responses:

ODE TO MS. ALGEBRA

When I was a child, mother often said "Mind your P's and Q's".

Now I'm simply payin' my dues.....

There's this real tough dude, he kinda looks like old Kris Kringle,

Believe it not. ALGEBRA mkes him tingle!!!!!

When I was a child poly meant a bird who wanted a cracka.

This dude wants me to learn to facta........

Mono was a disease, not one instead of three's.

Bi, well we all know what that means....

X stood for a kiss at then end of a letter.....

But wait it gets better!!!!!

When I was a child we used to eat PI, ski down SLOPES, Flip pancakes not fractions, and damn we could CANCEL anything.....

Ted, that's the dudes name

well he's running a new game

Minus is not subtraction it means negative

Math is where we take english

When I was a child Mother said I was backwards, I'm sure proud to say "Mom the world caught up to me".........

Now if I could simply PASS this carzy course with a P

Because the next time I hear the alphabet........

I will surely flee........

MATH POEM

A student discovered the number one,

And thought math was lots of fun,

But when she met x and y,

She thought that math would make her cry,

and now this poem is all done.

MATHEMATICS POEM BY PARIAH

All fears encompassed,

with thoughts in disarray,

my mind in a mist.

I can no longer delay.

I must face this beast called mathematics,

and I shudder and I shake,

my brains turn to static,

I don't know what path to take.

math is my enemy,

A deadly obstacle in my way,

preventing myself and company,

from finishing this day.

The numbers loom like dark demons,

The equations stop my thought,

leaning my brain screamin,

Like a their I am caught.

Caught in the act,

trapped in an algebraic expression,

I should sign a pact.

with the devil to survive this depression.

These laws do not dissipate,

they just confuse me more,

breeding a greater hate,

preventing me from finishing this chore.

Perhaps some day,

math will require only luck,

but for now I can only say,

who gives a #%@*!!

MATH DOESN'T COME EASY TO ME

Math doesn't come easy to me.

It's not like my A, B, C's.

1+2+3 equals 6

But what does 2A + 6AB mean?

In life we use adding, subtracting. multiplying, and dividing:

To answer everyday problems.

But I've never come across a day, when algebra and geometry meant anything.

The two seem to have no meaning in life.

So why do professors waste their time teaching?

But I will accept, and try not to fret.

Because math doesn't come easy to me!

APPLES AND PI's

At 6, we were asked to count from 1-10

Easy enough now, but hardly then.

Next, a flashcard existence is all I remember,

no claculators to compute 9 plus 5 or 9 plus 4

learned them all by tote. fur sur, fur sur.

Junior high brought dreaded word problems fifty problems, over night,at last look.

If 5 apples cost 75 cents, how many for $3 did Johny buy

But without a single formula why even try?

In high school. I skipped algebra and geometry too.

Business math?

You bet!

Learned so much more, with far less fret!!

Yes I got through 12 years of school with minimal math skills, no hint of how to apply,
and, certainly no use for pi

NOTHING

"Nothing" said the Arabs.

"Our invention is nothing."

From broiling sun and windblown sands came ZERO

Multiplier, place marker Genesis of Computation, Origin of Algebra

Root of Science and Stem of Technology

ZERO that rocketed arithmetic

Through Leibniz and Newton to Calculus and the universe of math beyond.

Precurser of the huge rounded of the

Blazing nozzles that rocketed mankind

Into the near fringe of the airless universe

Beyond our petty shores

There before the Big Bang, now the first half of the

Computer's binary niracle: model builder of atoms,

Double helices, and galaxies.

Pointer to winged Imagination.

ZERO, stunning concept, magnificant tool; a simple oval face and two easy syllables; withal

ZERO, contributer to centuries of student sweat and suffering, welcome sight to seekers of intercepts,

delightful divider of number lines, impossible divisor, marvelous multiplier, snaky adder, swift subtrctor,

Zesty ZERO

ALGEBRA POEM

Why?

MATH AGAIN?

Oh no it's time again

Where oh where do I begin

Each page I turn

Makes my stomach chew

Developmental math its called

and it keeps me appalled!

However they say it just might equal C.

At the end of the day I find

I'm much too old,

I'm far too tired,

to find out if this equation has finally expired.

But then a reprieve from above comes in.

As I press on the pain gets less and sometimes I win!

MATH, MATH, MATH!

I used to really hate math.

Now I think it's fun.

Iwas always pretty lousy at it,

hardly knowing one plus one.....

After taking Ted's class and learning more and more,

I'm finally beginning to understand what it takes to even the score.....

Math was my enemy it always had me beat,

x's, y's, percents and squares./

How many halves in 2.5 feet....

five

I'm learning all the answers as slowly as they come,

to some of the hardest questions with differences, exponents and the sum...

I really like math now

I'm not afraid of it anymore

and thanks to Ted I have finally evened the score
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From: David Mount <dmount@MAILBOX.ARN.NET>
Subject: Best exercises

To all interested,
In response to Ted's inquiry, I have to post this particular exercise. I
cannot take credit for it as it was the idea of my partner, Wendy
Duncan-Hewitt, while we were at the U of Toronto School of Pharmacy.
As we have been researching everything we could get our hands on for our
Collaborative Learning approach, we (inevitably) came across Steven Covey's
books, in particular The Seven Habits.... In it, one of the essentials he
discusses is the need for a personal mission statement to make us aware of
and on track of our goals in each of our life roles, teacher, parent,
spouse, partner, etc.

We had adopted personal statements of our own and found them to be highly
beneficial (if you haven't done this, you might consider looking into it).
Wendy was looking for a meaningful assignment for the class. She considered
the benefit it had for us; she had posted hers in her office where she
could see it every day, reminding her of her purposeful goals.

When she distributed the assignment, she also provided each student with a
copy of her personal mission statement as an example. The reception of the
pass-fail assignment "proved" it was a bomb almost immediately. Most
students groaned, some came to the office to complain. Others wanted to
know if it was a joke. The pass-fail criteria of the assignment was based
simply upon receipt of a mission statement: no submission, grade of zero.
We expected, at this point, most students to ignore it since it didn't seem
pertinent and the load from other courses often resulted in less-grade
significant assignments to be brushed aside. We were resigned to the
possibility of receiving statements from less than half the class.

The one week deadline arrived and with it came the startling deluge of
nearly 170 completed assignments, almost the enitre class. As Wendy checked
in the submissions, her cursory review changed from one of recording which
students had submitted to one of deep immersion. The depth of the responses
was truly amazing, revealing a side of most of these students that one just
knew was there somewhere below the surface, but they never revealed. The
format of the responses ranged from what we expected on standard paper to
laminated plaques to origami.... The content often extended beyond the
professional goals we expected and encompassed very personal ideals.
The visible impact of the assignment extended beyond the deadline...several
students had not been satisfied with what they had submitted and so they
came in a week later with a revision to proudly display!

This was, without a doubt, the most impactful assignment she had ever seen
as a student or professor. The students, nearly 100% of them, made more
than a cursory effort...and only two weeks prior to final exams. With few
exceptions, the effort was exemplary.

There were several conditions which upon analysis, but the one we
considered to be MOST essential to the success of this assignment:
TRUST (caps for emphasis) - we had been fortunate to know this class (in a
professional training, pharmacy) for two years and knew each of the 170+
students by first and last names. Nearly all of the issues which come up
under trust building had been addressed and we were considered to be
faculty who "didn't fit the mould". But we believe that this would _not_
have been so successful, or even marginally so if Wendy hadn't risked
putting her own personal philosophy into their hands. We judged this to be
true because of several comments which came in indicating that she was
really human, not the usually infallable and unreal ivory-tower icon of
professor.

I would like to hear others comments on this and I can provide more detail
off-list if you are interested. If you have done something like this,
perhaps we can compare notes.
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From: "West, Earle" <ehw@hostarf.ho.att.com>

This is yet another example of how so-called professional educators have completely lost their focus on teaching and methods improvement. Without any data supporting the notion that this is more effective, we have math teachers neglecting to teach the kids what they need to learn.

The criteria of success seems to be "Did the kids have a good time?"

Well this is the number one reason so many parents like myself are totally fed up with the lack of focus and discipline in public education. This math teacher should be fired, along with the principle and superintendent that allows this kind of behavior to take place.

I have four kids in public school and am running for the Board of Education so I can deal with this kind of nonsense. Other local examples I've seen include: having the kids play checkers and chutes and ladders all day long, because they like it, taking the entire student body to the local swim club for the day as a "reward."

In this context, the teachers and administration suggest that I should have my kids tutored outside the school. The teachers get off work at 3 PM and I have to work until 6-7 PM. Basicly, the schools have gotten very lazy and have lost their focus.

Earle West Mad as Hell Marlboro, NJ michaelc@sedona.net
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From: Ed Ketz <ketz@HCC.HAWAII.EDU>

Ted and Folks,
I don't have any samples students' work (I have one filing cabinet that's
beginning to look a lot like the Goodyear blimp.), but an assignment I like
to give at the very beginning of the semester is: "What Animal Are You?
Even though it says "Animal," I tell students that they can pick any
non-human living thing that somehow possesses qualities they see in
themselves and write a page or so on what the qualities are and why they
(the students) think they have those qualities.

I have two purposes:

1) Get a writing sample.
2) Get to know a little bit about them.

I'm not one for the usual, "Tell the class a little about yourself ______."
Some folks are kinda shy. The "animal" seems to fire their imagination and
the are pretty honest in their assessment. I learn a lot about them, and
since it is such an off-the-wall assignment they don't seem to be
threatened by it, so their writing samples are more representative of the
"real" them.

I start off by sharing the "Ed" animal with them. I'm a porcupine - kinda
fat, slow, and easy to get along with until I get riled, and then I act on
instinct.

We've just started a new semester. Once I've gotten the assignment back,
I'll try to post some examples to the list.
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From: Bob <FRARY@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU>
Subject: Writing for math

Once I was pressured to have my math students do some writing due to some
sort of "writing across the curriculum" activity. One approach that
worked out fairly well was to have them express in words what mathematical
formulas specify. For example SIGMA(x-xbar)**2 would be: Subtract the mean
from each number, square the result, and add up the squares. Another
tactic was to give them the solution to a word problem (with units of
measurement sepcified) and ask them to come up with a word problem that
would fit the solution. For example:

24hrs/xhrs + 24hrs/(x+20)hrs = 1

Possible solution: It takes 24 hrs to fill a pool using two pumps.
If they work alone, it takes one 20 hours longer than the other. How
many hours does each pump require to fill the pool alone?
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From: Paula Pruett <ppruett@CLEMSON.EDU>
To: amte@csd.uwm.edu

I had to write and tell you that I have also used poetry with middle school
mathematics students. I taught middle school math for 17 years before
coming to Clemson University to pursue my PhD and am currently teaching the
mathematics courses for undergraduate elementary education majors.
When I taught middle school students, I always used writing as part of the
curriculum. Students used journals to react to activities, videos,
projects, mathematics concepts, etc. It was a valuable resource into their
understanding and attitude in mathematics. I had students write a poem
about math expressing their feelings. In addition, one of the most popular
activities for students, parents, and teachers was to make "Math Similes".
Students were given the assignment to write a math simile using the words:
Math is like a ___________ and then give a reason. They also drew a
diagram to represent the thought.

Some examples were:

Math is like a rock. It's hard.

Math is like a recipe. You leave one step out and the whole thing is ruined.

Math is like building a bridge. Without a foundation, you and it will fail.

Math is like a pill. It's hard to swallow.

Math is like food. You need it to survive.

Math is like a roller coaster. It has it's ups and downs.

This has been an excellent alternative assessment tool for checking student attitudes. I also share this idea with my preservice teachers.

Paula Pruett
PhD Student, Clemson University
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From: cathyw@TIGGER.STCLOUD.MSUS.EDU (cathy wick)
To: amte@csd.uwm.edu

With regard to the discussion of creative writing tasks in mathematics K-12
and in teacher preparation, I recommend the book "Mathematics Write Now!",
Janson Publications (1994), edited by Peggy House and Nancy Desmond. The
book contains wonderful examples of student writing as well as ideas for
writing tasks and related activities.
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From: SSloan@VAX2.WINONA.MSUS.EDU (Sally Sloan)
To: amte@csd.uwm.edu

Not having read the preceding articles I may be way off - taking this
question straight on my reaction was - journals
I have students take the last 5 min of class and write about what they
learned. It serves the purpose of bringing closure, deeper processing of
what went on, aids memory, and does indeed reveal emotions. I remind them
they can say anything including how they feel about things. MORE revealing
were the formal journal assignments I tried - where students were asked to
write about the math they learned or were studying etc including how they
felt about it. It was VERY revealing. Sadly I found it an unwieldy amount
of work to read the journals in a timely manner. I tried reading them
during tests but it was not enough time. Since I ran out of weekend time I
had to abandon the assignment.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: James Vanner <vanner@LIGHTSPEED.NET>

Ted,
I am so impressed with your idea about giving poetry assignments in
math that I am going to have my English students do math problems this
semester. I figure I can burn up at least a quarter of a semester in
this pursuit. The real challenge will be getting them to express their
answers in a sonnet form. Elizabethan, naturally, not Italian or
Petrarchan. I find the whole idea rather exhilarating. Thanks for the
suggestion.

Vanner vanner@lightspeed.net
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From: "NANCY NESBITT VACC" <VACCNN@dewey.uncg.edu>
To: amte@csd.uwm.edu

Journals are excellent, but I agree that they require an exceptional
amount of time.

Try "quick writes" of 2-3 minutes at the end of class with "lists"
of main reflections/reactions/etc. on 4x6 cards. This task provides
surprisingly similar information that is equally useful and can be
read/reviewed in much less time.

Modification: cards are distributed at beginning of class and
students can jot down comments, questions, etc., anytime they wish
during class -- provides valuable feedback concerning their thinking,
understanding, and needs.

Nancy Nesbitt Vacc UNC Greensboro
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From: SSloan@VAX2.WINONA.MSUS.EDU (Sally Sloan)

Nancy - I agree this sounds great - but how do students get their notes
back - do you have them sign and then read and return? Is this a writing
assignment designed to further deeper processing but NOT become part of
what a student may use for review?

Dear Sally,
I only recently went to quick writes in place of journal entries and
they proved valuable. Students sign the cards before turning
them in, and I returned them at the beginning of the next
class session. Depending on the purpose of the writing, I
either provide feedback or my own reflections about their writing or
just check that I've read them. With the latter, I'll
occasionally share comments with the whole class about the cards as a
group, for the purpose of providing some form of feedback or input to
the students. Now and then a student wrote something that I wanted
to keep, so I sought and was granted the student's permission to make
a copy of that card. Otherwise I didn't keep them.

I used the cards in numerous ways, but I found them most helpful in
gaining information about students' (a) thinking and understanding,
(b) writing skills--these particular quick writes required
short paragraph(s) rather than lists of words or phrases, (c)
reflections about the course in general or about specific topics
addressed, and (d) areas of concern about teaching mathematics.
Different prompts will of course provide different data. The cards
also were helpful for gaining feedback about my teaching and
for identifying topics that I needed to address in greater depth. I
also used them to introduce some topics (e.g., When you hear
the word fractions, what comes to mind?) This prompt provided
valuable information about their feelings/attitudes as well
as cognitions. I followed this particular quick write with a
discussion about their perspective of fractions. Relatedly, I
found quick writes most helpful in generating discussions; they
permitted students an opportunity to "pull their thoughts
together" prior to the discussion and, as a result, there was a
greater number of active participants.
Incidentally, I used the quick writes in a graduate mathematics
course that included elementary preservice and inservice teachers.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: "Kimberly Vincent" <kvincent@elder.csrv.uidaho.edu>
To: amte@csd.uwm.edu

To all those interested in using creative writing with mathematics students: I also use alternative forms of writing in my mathematics classes. I teach the pre-service classes for elementary education majors I ask them to write a fictional story (not a story problem that needs a solution) dealing with particular math concepts. It provided a wonderful opportunity for the students to find ways to tie the concept in with the world outside of our artificial classroom environment. It also relieves some of the tedious drill from the work. The students find themselves learning more about the topic, for they feel they have to understand more in order to write about it.

Many find this extremely difficult for as adults we have lost much of our creativity. However, I love the results and most of the students do as well. I follow this up with a journal assignment where they discuss the benefits for the student in writing fiction dealing with math concepts. They discuss pros and cons. From here I can find out their attitudes and reactions to having to write fiction in a math class.

I do many other writing projects that are more problem solving oriented but this fits the vein of discussion on the poetry.

Kimberly Vincent University of Idaho Moscow, Id
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From: The Old Pro <jgajniak@IX.NETCOM.COM>
Subject: Algebra 1A and Archaeology--Writing Across the Curriculum

Recently I assigned the following problem to my Algebra 1A class. It, the Problem, can be found in "GATEWAYS to ALGEBRA and GEOMETRY" (by Benson, Dodge, Dodge, Hamberg, Milauskas, and Rukin), an Integrated Approach. Publishers are McDougal, Littell & Company, Evanston, Illinois, 1994, 1993.

No class discussion took place prior to assigning this problem--it is on page 21 (in case you are interested).
My Questions for the readers of this post are:

1. Do you think that this problem has any value in an ALGEBRA 1A class?
2. Should I spend 3 or 4 days discussing Rome and Roman numerals before assigning this problem? (I didn't)
3. Are these responses fairly typical for 10th and 11th grade Algebra students?
4. I would especially appreciate feedback from teachers who have used (or are planning to use) this textbook. At our school, opinions vary.
5. For English or History teachers, do you consider this assignment to be an interesting or motivational one to the student?

About 65 students (2classes) were asked this question. Here are some of the answers, but first.....the problem (or the investigation).....followed by several students responses in their own (unedited) words. Fifteen minutes were allowed for the students to copy the problem and then answer it in their own words.

The Problem:

In a deep tunnel beneath the city of Rome, the following symbols were discovered on a wall:
(II,III) >> VI (X,III) >> XXX (VII,X) >> LXX
The fourth set of symbols was incomplete: (IV,IV)>>
What might have been to the right of the arrow?
Describe in your own words what is taking place here.

Some of the answers:

1. "I think that means some kind of year or special dates. It could
probably be the day some king was born and the date that he died."

2. "I think it was a very confused person."

3. What Romans were doing were Roman numerals. It was multiplication with
Roman numbers. And for the last one, they couldn't find the answer. So
they just left it blank for someone else to fill in. And hope that another
wind storm doesn't come again to wash away the numbers. So why don't they
just do it in permanent marker. Stupid!!!"

4. "Maybe when they were home on a rainy day. The "

5. "I really don't know what that writing means."

6. "I think does symbols mean a story of long time ago, or maybe a song."

7. "I think they were trying to add. Long time ago I think they were doing
that. Because they were trying to add or substituting for numbers. They
were also. Trying to think of methods of the alphabet. The End."

8. "What I think this means is that before, they used letters instead of
numbers because numbers did not exist back then and here they are doing
multiplications with letters or symbols."

9. "I think they simplifies the numbers for a long time."

10. "I think the Romans were adding Roman numerals together. Maybe it used to be a school. Maybe after the last problem, the children had to go home. Or maybe they didn't know the answer. Perhaps this is some kind of
artwork. Maybe it is a calendar."

11. "I think that they are trying to multiply the romen numbers and I think
that because of the examples on top show that II,III>>VI and that means 2 x
3 = 6, it could not be addition, subtraction, or division, because it
wouldn't come out right."

12. "I think this means that you have multiply. The people who wrote the
problems on the wall were try to multiply numbers together. I think these
problems mean: (2x3)=6 (10x3)=30 (7x10)=70 (4x4)=16"

13. "I think that what the archaeologist found were math problems. But one
of the answers might have been washed away. Or maybe they left it that way
so that when people found it, they wouldn't know what it was. It would be
a mystery."

14. "Each statement is a multiplication problem:
I = one III = three X = ten V = five IV =four L = 50
2 x 3 = 5 + 1
10 x 3 = 10 + 10 + 10
7 x 10 = 50 + 10 + 10
4 x 4 = 10 + 5 + 1"

15. The symbols mean that people knew how to multiply a long time ago. The
first symbol is 2 x 3 = 6, the second one is 10 x 3 = 30. The third one is 7 x 10 = 70, and the last one is
4 x 4 = 16."

Which answer did you like?

The Old Pro Math Teacher Los Angeles Unified School District
jgajniaki@lausd.k12.ca.us
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Roberta Thornton <aces@KNOWNET.NET>
Subject: Re: Algebra 1A and Archaeology--Writing Across the Curriculum

I liked the answer about the numbers on the left were being multipled to
equal the numbers on the right. This problem could have been solved by
my 6th grade class. Don't spend any more time with this in algebra
class. If they don't know roman numerals by now, they never will. L.
Campagne

Ashtabula Catholic Middle School Grs. 5-8
1464 West Sixth Street
Ashtabula, OH 44004
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: MCKAY@cotr.bc.ca (McKay, Velma)
Subject: Writing Across the Curriculum

Hi Ted

After a number of forwardings, your message about writing across
curriculum, came to my computer screen. I teach high school level math
courses at a small college in Cranbrook, B.C. Canada and am always looking
for new ways to catch the interest of my students and motivate them to see
math as.. dare I say it... FUN. I gave each of my classes a "bonus"
assignment to write me a poem with a math theme. After less than 24 hours, I
have received my first poem, and though my colleagues in the English
department might not agree, I think it's pretty good. Thank you for sharing
your idea.

Here is one for you. I love to sing so have started to "sing" some of the
more common mathematical formulas to my students in attempt to help them
remember them. For example, the quadratic formula fits very nicely to the
tune of "Mary had a little Lamb" if you use the following wording:
"x" equals negative "b" plus or minus the square root of,
"b" squared minus 4 "a" "c"
all of which is over 2"a"

Velma McKay Adult Basic Education, Math Instructor
College of the Rockies Cranbrook B.C.
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