How can I teach calculus in a funny way so students find it easy?

Question

I got some students who always talk to others, play, sing, etc. That is because they are BORED. I know Calculus is a very rigid subject, it accepts no shorcuts. I try to make it easier so everyone can undersand it the same. But I got to teach it other way, I still can't find it.

Answer 1

1) You can do distance-velocity-acceleration problems by making the problem about getting to the concert in time. How fast must they drive there, etc....then throw in the fact that they also need to slow down.

2) Can of paint can be used to cover the area under a line.
3) The ant walking up the hill can talk about points of inflection...that is, at some point the ant knows he's still walking uphill but that it's just not as hard as it was.

These must have been effective because I STILL remember them from way back in high school!

Answer 2

Personally I'd stay away from trying to be funny, but that's just my teaching style. Unless you really are funny, the students will just roll their eyes at you.

I strongly agree with what others have said - use interesting examples, and relate the math to the real world. Also, the more engaged the students are (actually doing math, working through problems themselves or in groups) the less they'll be bored.

I've been studying science education, and what I've learned surely works for math education, too. And that is that lectures don't work, no matter how interesting the lecturer is (my favorite quote: "In a lecture, the material flows from the notes of the lecturer to the notes of the student, without going through the minds of either!"). In order to learn, the students need to think. Of course, that's easier said than done!

Answer 3

Hi

Break the lesson down into smaller chunks.

1 5 minute starter activity (doesn't have to be related to calculus - just something to wake them up)

2 You demonstrate a new concept

3 A student attempts a question at the board with classmates helping if he/she gets stuck

4 Students try similar questions for 10/15 minutes

5 Students self-mark their answers and any problems are addressed

Repeat steps 2-5 with a new concept if you have time

6 A plenary activity to check what students have learnt

Although this isn't making it 'fun' it does ensure that the lesson has pace and that will keep them busy and stop them from being bored.

HTH

K x

Answer 4

Calculus is hard....no bones about it. I had a really awesome teacher but it didn't make it easier for me or more entertaining. I didn't have any trouble with my math courses leading up to Calculus, including my Pre-Calculus class taught by the same teacher, but I just could not get a grasp on Calculus. All of those function summaries and stuff just blew my mind, but I stuck it out the whole year. The kids that want to learn it will and if the others are being disruptive ask them to leave the room. Calculus is an advanced class that just wasn't made to be entertaining.

Answer 5

How To Make Calculus Fun

Answer 6

Brand X is right, the odder questions normally stick out in the minds of students. On such question I remeber from my high school physics class was about a polar bear standing ice and wearing a bulletproof vest is shot with a bullet.
Of course visual aids will always help keep the attention of students and interactive exercises can be fun too.

Some examples, to illustrate limits. There's the example of walking towards an edge, If you feel up to it you can stand on your desk and explain part of it while you walk towards the edge. Or another example using speeds. Have one of your larger students(so he won't get pushed over) slowly walk down the aisle of chairs, then have another student start walking behind him but faster. Once he reaches the larger student he will have reached the limit of his speed.

Just use you imagination, sounds like you got the right mind set. You want your students to learn and you care if they don't. Don't lose that man, the world needs more teachers like that.

Answer 7

Find a way to make what you're teaching relevant to your students. If they're interested in sports, find examples related to some aspect of basketball, let's say. I always appreciated real world examples. The lecture that gained my attention (almost thirty years ago) was about using calculus to understand population growth. The example given was of the problem of spruce bud worms decimating forests. Being an environmentalist at heart, the class proved to me that there is a point to learning this stuff.

Answer 8

Wow, that's a tough one. Obviously, the students have no interest in the subject, or simply don't have the skills necessary to comprehend the lessons, and thus are bored.

Try relating the current lesson plan with something which would be experienced on a daily basis.

Other than that, you can only do your best. Failure is the student's option...

Answer 9

Students get bored when they don't understand how to do math. It's because they are afraid of failure. Teach them how to succeed with math and they will turn on to it.

One of my favorite math teachers used the following teaching method. First, her classroom had chalkboards covering the entire sidewall and front wall. She had each student go to the board and show their work for each problem, even if all they could do was copy down the problem, one problem per student. Then she progressed from one problem to the next asking the students to help solve each problem. She asked us to tell what rules applied and so on. It kept us interested and I know that I learned to enjoy math success from that teacher.

Humor was not what I needed and probably would have backfired. I want to respect my teachers teaching skills, not their comedy routine.

Answer 10

haha, sounds like me in my accounting class. i hate math so the easiest way for me to learn things is by having someone teach me in a way that i can relate to. i can relate to credit cards, shopping, concerts or movies. i dont know the basics of calculus so i'm probably wrong. you can ask them what it is that they can relate to most so you can plan your lessons around that.

you can also tell them that if the whole class has an average of 70 or above you will give them a pizza party or something. you should also be available to the students after class or school for tutoring.