tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post4964697926810819496..comments2023-10-17T09:50:58.075-04:00Comments on Sweeney Math: The Banana RuleMr. Sweeneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09576574228194571537noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post-43159385848265300742019-11-03T11:18:59.377-05:002019-11-03T11:18:59.377-05:00I use Algebra Fruit for combining terms because th...I use Algebra Fruit for combining terms because there are no banapples so 5a +3b does not equal 8banapples! Of course, there are pluots and such like but ...'becca Florahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13504142081528509875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post-83046311264221994462014-09-08T00:25:29.678-04:002014-09-08T00:25:29.678-04:00Yep, we math teachers often think alike... but I&#...Yep, we math teachers often think alike... but I've always used cows!rokershnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554943316430817384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post-47992643563638661282014-06-03T12:06:23.007-04:002014-06-03T12:06:23.007-04:00After I give them the order of operations rational...After I give them the order of operations rationale, I tell them to call each variable by a noun - but try to make them really different. If it is a constant, we call it dollars. So, 3a + 5b + 4 would be apples, bloodhound and dollars. If they try to given me 8ab, I tell them to picture what a cross between a bloodhound and apple would look like. If they are categorizing them in the room, they would be in 3 different pilesUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02059651815760204160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post-77918642328299401052012-10-25T22:29:52.535-04:002012-10-25T22:29:52.535-04:00LOL...I use cats and garbage trucks. They just do...LOL...I use cats and garbage trucks. They just don't go together....<br />Jen Desideriohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02510209095747292328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post-43980293070056553402012-09-17T06:09:42.660-04:002012-09-17T06:09:42.660-04:00I'm two years two late to this conversation, b...I'm two years two late to this conversation, but I also use this same basic idea with combining like terms. No one else has pointed out a possible "why" in the comments to explain the amount of unintended group-think on this one. So I'll assume the reason why I teach it this way applies to everyone ... we all grew up hearing the saying "comparing apples to oranges" which obviously puts us in a fruit mindset when combining like and unlike termsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post-10151515672871737652012-05-04T17:46:32.512-04:002012-05-04T17:46:32.512-04:00Wow. I taught this the same way, almost verbatim (...Wow. I taught this the same way, almost verbatim (apples and bananas). Maybe we're related.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post-46201948910654601562010-06-15T15:08:28.752-04:002010-06-15T15:08:28.752-04:00Amazing how we all think alike. Mine are usually a...Amazing how we all think alike. Mine are usually animals... 2m^2 + m^2 = 2 square monkeys + another square monkey. I'm also in danger of losing my math teacher card, but we gotta do what works!Jill Backlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02288580935791047237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post-71226229564558415412010-04-27T13:21:13.362-04:002010-04-27T13:21:13.362-04:00Would the same concept apply to any variable in al...Would the same concept apply to any variable in algebra? I'm wondering if some students with language issues might be confused by x's, y's, z's, and n's, but more comfortable with fruit or some other symbol in their equations.<br /><br />Just a thought.Bob Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11940547724064146440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post-50152971776983744232010-04-26T20:00:28.560-04:002010-04-26T20:00:28.560-04:00It's cool that a lot of us are on the same wav...It's cool that a lot of us are on the same wavelength here. This was something that always just made sense to me in math class, and my first year or two I couldn't understand why my kids just didn't get it. Through some trial and error I found that naming it "The Banana Rule" and referring to it vs. just telling them it's like adding fruit seems to help it stay memorable for longer.<br /><br />Finally, after going through this a couple times with my class this year we started referring to adding unlike terms as "Making fruit salad" which is pretty fun.<br /><br />Thanks for the comments!Mr. Sweeneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09576574228194571537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post-89155314667683017102010-04-24T14:50:12.562-04:002010-04-24T14:50:12.562-04:00I use this too, but I don't always use bananas...I use this too, but I don't always use bananas. I usually start with apples or bananas the first few times and then I let the students choose... we end up combining like terms by using pizza, elephants, or whatever pops in their head!Mrsilovepihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11690189504578134424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post-84177568199972749442010-04-24T10:22:20.217-04:002010-04-24T10:22:20.217-04:00The only difficulty I have when doing this (I use ...The only difficulty I have when doing this (I use apples as well) is extending it to multiplication, because when you multiply, 1 apple times 1 apple is an apple squared.Glennhttp://mrwaddell.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post-78023477528884316812010-04-24T02:07:50.089-04:002010-04-24T02:07:50.089-04:00I used a similar discussion with my students. It&#...I used a similar discussion with my students. It's amazing how something as simple as counting and single digit arithmetic can be complicated by what amounts to little more than a label.Raymond Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14213559862857292867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post-16084611427709196122010-04-24T00:39:16.264-04:002010-04-24T00:39:16.264-04:00I like this one better than the rainbows. This one...I like this one better than the rainbows. This one is about why (to me) and the rainbow isn't. This one says, focus on the fact that you have 1 of these monsters and 3 more of the <b>same kind</b> of monsters, so there's 4 of these monsters. (I like monsters, because it looks like a scary monster to the students.)<br /><br />The rainbow seems to me to just be a memory trick. Could be useful, but I'm guessing there's a way to work with those problems that helps students see why they work the way they do.Sue VanHattumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10237941346154683902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post-74125116262842049682010-04-24T00:36:26.615-04:002010-04-24T00:36:26.615-04:00I use the apples too, maybe from seeing the others...I use the apples too, maybe from seeing the others mentioned? My students will mess with the exponents too. I get specific with my fruits by saying "If we have green apples and red apples in a basket and I tell you to find the number of green apples, do you count all the apples?" That always helps them until they forget two days later. Hopefully it sticks with a few of them though.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17953641387474397371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post-38960972690749287622010-04-23T20:04:44.009-04:002010-04-23T20:04:44.009-04:00I can definitely use a simplified version of this ...I can definitely use a simplified version of this in my 8th grade math class right now. They're struggling with like terms - completely baffling, since they had it cold at the beginning of the year.<br />Thanks for the idea!Angela Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13132933906723358824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post-75130486728563833582010-04-23T19:54:08.743-04:002010-04-23T19:54:08.743-04:00Apparently @samjshah does this with apples and &qu...Apparently @samjshah does this with apples and "blahs". Which makes me start singing I like to blah blah blah apples and bananas....<br /><br /><br />And please, delete this comment once Sam's happy.Sarah is posting because Sam needs helpnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542724471702676307.post-7350293741967404292010-04-23T18:56:02.080-04:002010-04-23T18:56:02.080-04:00I use apples instead of bananas (really!) but othe...I use apples instead of bananas (really!) but otherwise, sounds like we're on the same wavelength.RichTCShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17900671327616754437noreply@blogger.com