All posts by Brent Natzke
Multicultural Celebrations
Ever wonder about all the holidays that occur within December? It’s challenging to keep them all straight when you may only celebrate one or none of them. It’s fascinating to see a stronger push to be “politically correct” and wish people a happy holiday season, yet we’re ignorant to what exactly defines the beliefs and celebrations our peers participate in. While I don’t expect you to know the exact denomination or religious-affiliation of everyone you know, it would be wise to rub up on a basic knowledge regarding the upcoming holiday season. Hypothetically, upon learning the name of the holiday your coworker plans to celebrate, a conversation could spark regarding the historical context of Boxing Day or the purpose behind Saturnalia.
Click here to be more informed.
Best Gifts for 2017
With increasing speed toward the end of 2017, many, like myself, are stumped by what to buy their closest friends and family. Luckily, here is a list of the best gifts of 2017! From interesting wine-holders to cozy clothing, something on this list is perfect for the person you have in mind.
Click here for holiday help!
Spiraling Galaxies
The Milky Way is broken up into five different arms; the Perseus Arm, the Carina-Sagittarius Arm, the Norma Arm, the Crux Scutum Arm, and the Outer Arm. The way in which our universe spirals is similar to the spiral of hurricanes, nautilus shells, and bracts on a pinecone. Other galaxies have formed in the same way including the Andromeda Galaxy, the Barred Spiral Galaxy, and the Pinwheel Galaxy. The galaxies simply differ in their “tightness” of arms but all resemble the Fibonacci sequence. The Fibonacci spiral comes from manipulating the sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8…and so forth.
The recursive sequence follows the rule that each pair of numbers adds up to the next in the sequence. While the sequence does not converge because it tends to infinity, dividing each number within the sequence by its preceeding creates a series which tends to tends to the limit of the Greek symbol Φ. or approximately 1.618034. Using Φ, pronounced Phi, and applying it to the length of an arc of rotation, each arm within a universe pans out from the center at an angle of 137.5 degrees after each quarter turn. The same spiral is seen in the way leaves spiral up stems to not lay on top of each other or in the formation of ancient architecture.
Some spiraling galaxies have mutual attraction due to their gravitational pull. It has been theorized that the Milky Way and its neighboring universe, Andromeda, will merge into one consistent spiral within the next 4 billion years.
To read more on spiraling galaxies click here.
To read more on the golden ratio within the Milky Way click here.
How to Lower Stress
With increasingly cold weather, the need to shop until you drop during this year’s holiday season, or even the culmination of a semester, it’s important to keep a handle on your stress levels. My advice is to stay away from caffeine, try to sleep more, and make an effort to talk to people on a consistent basis. I never realized how important even minimum communication was to maintain my general sanity.
Click here to read up more on dealing with stress.
How Many Stars Exist?
Ever wonder how many stars exist within the universe? What happens if there are multiple universes? What about the stars we cannot see? These are the questions we not only ask ourselves, but the questions our students ponder. Young children are wondering about phenomenally confusing concepts and what better way to get them thinking within a mathematics class than to bring in concepts they want to fathom? Deliberately connecting multiple subject matters makes problems more worldly applicable.
To read an interesting 8th grade lesson plan regarding scientific notation click here.
Broaden Your Focus Beyond Achieving Goals
The concept of achieving goals has often times been discussed in terms of stages; planning out exactly what you want to succeed at and planning the process to make it happen. James Clear, however, explained the importance of success being in the scope of a day-to-day basis, rather than the life-longs steps to be accomplished in a huge plan. For example, instead of a coach focusing on the championship trophy, he would focus on the success of practice every day and the goal would simply fall into place. The trophy can still be attained while focusing on other characteristics. The idea of life’s success being taken in less dramatic stages seems to be more stress-free. Instead of planning out the next three years, plan out the success of this week. The little triumphs will assist in attaining your goals.
To read more achieving goals in smaller increments click here.