About the Book
Got a minute? Have we got a mystery for you! Our best-selling math title is now available in a bilingual edition! It fills a huge void at a time when the need--and interest--in bilingual education has never been greater. These mysteries have a clever twist--you have to be a super sleuth, tapping into your math wisdom and critical thinking skills to solve them. Each story, presented in both English and Spanish, takes just one minute to read and challenges your knowledge in a variety of math disciplines. These brainteasers keep you engaged and eager to learn more. This bilingual edition of One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math! was written by the father-daughter team that brought you the three award-winning One MinuteMysteries books. This entertaining and educational book is great for kids, grown-ups, educators, and anyone who loves good mysteries, good math, or both!
Praised by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Recommended by the National Science Teachers Association
"Brain Child" Award Winner
About the Author :
Eric Yoder is a writer and editor who has been published in a variety of magazines, newspapers, newsletters and online publications on science, government, law, business, sports and other topics. He has contributed to or edited numerous books, mainly in the areas of employee benefits and financial planning. A reporter at The Washington Post who also does freelance writing and editing, he was a member of the Advisory Committee for Science, Naturally's 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Science. He and his wife Patti have two daughters, Natalie and Valerie. Eric can be reached at Eric@ScienceNaturally.com
Natalie Yoder is a college student whose favorite subjects include psychology, science, and photography. A sports enthusiast, she participates in gymnastics, field hockey, diving, soccer, and track. She also enjoys writing, being with friends and family, and listening to music. She has been interviewed several times, along with her father, on National Public Radio to talk about their work on their One Minute Mysteries series: 65 Short Stories You Solve With Science! and 65 Short Stories You Solve With Math! She looks forward to writing more books. She is thinking about careers in oceanography or photography. She can be reached at Natalie@ScienceNaturally.com.
Yana Alfaro was born and lives in Costa Rica. She previously graduated with a B.A. in English Studies and has recently gone back to university to finish her Masters in English-Spanish Translation and major in Sustainable Development and Gender Studies. These majors perfectly fit her passion for experiencing and learning about different cultural backgrounds. She spends most of her time leading groups of volunteers from the U.S. and Canada all over Costa Rica and Latin America.
Karen R. Geating was born and raised in a bilingual home in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She moved to the Washington, DC area to pursue a career as a U.S. Government attorney. In 2005, she began living abroad, first in Southeast Asia, then in Africa, and eventually in Latin America. While overseas, she worked as a language teacher and consultant. She has recently returned to Washington, DC, with her husband and two children. She is fluent in English, Spanish and French, and is currently working as a language services consultant. She can be reached at Karen@ScienceNaturally.com.
Review :
This book will help both English speaking and English Language Learners (ELL) students to learn mathematics in a fun and engaging way through different types of stories. One minute mysteries will help students develop abilities to quickly calculate mathematical problems. The way the problems are set in short stories will help to further spark students interest in math and expose students to new vocabulary. The book will assist students to better understand different mathematical themes and will help remind students that math is utilized in daily activities.-- "NSTA Recommends"
This fifth volume in the Yoders' One Minute Mysteries series, and the second in both Spanish and English, is the sister book to the science mysteries titles. As the publisher, Dia Michels, wrote to me, "Doing a bilingual math book brought with it a whole new set of challenges." The original project began as a series of father-and-daughter activities in which one wrote and the other edited, or both wrote together. Eric's vision was, as he writes in his part of this foreword, to "show real-world applications of academic subject matter, using mystery as the vehicle," and Natalie's vision was to be able to figure out "everyday problems that could be solved using math." Together, their aim was to make math more accessible and enjoyable. As with the science volumes, these challenging problems open up both discoveries and potential for curious, inquisitive minds. And that these 40 pint-sized "mysteries"--covering Math at Home, Math Outside, Math at Play, and Math Every Day, and including a Science Bonus Section--are presented as encountered and solved by children themselves, actually make math both approachable and fun. As with the science volumes, the book design here is clear and the text is readable, without illustrations or clues to detract from each "mystery." The problems are presented in English on the left and Spanish on the right and generally headed by puns in each language to grab attention. The images--black-and-white photos and drawings--are appropriately reserved for the "solution" pages: those on each two-page spread are related to each other so young readers can intuit more than one connection between image and solution. Among my favorite brain-teasers is "Pancake Mix-Up," in which Meg has to figure out exactly how many single-serve packages of pancake mix to combine with milk, using several different kinds of measuring cups. All she had to do, she says, was to find the smallest number that was a multiple of both ounces of pancake mix and ounces marked on the measuring cups. As someone who's math-challenged, to say the least, my solution would have been to make scrambled eggs. But my hands-down favorite, probably because I was able to figure it out, is "Ice Cream, Anyone?" in which 21 energetic middle-school girls, celebrating the end of their field hockey season, visit Cora's Ice Cream Parlor and request that each them get two different flavors of ice cream--and that each get something different from anyone else. But Cora has only 12 flavors. Bachelet's colloquial Spanish translation reads well, and this layout of the mysteries and solutions enable hablantes, bilingual students, and English-only speakers to work in the language in which they're most proficient, and look to the other side for corresponding words, phrases, and idioms that particularly interest them. And his puns are hilarious; for instance, his version of "Pancake Mix-Up" is "Manos en la Masa." For those who don't know, the interpretation would be "caught you with your hands in the cookie jar," which, of course, has nothing to do with this math problem. I'm betting that it'll cause both hablantes and bilingual kids to laugh out loud. While it's obvious that the authors used great care in choosing the photos of both children and adults who represent a diversity of age, ethnicity, and gender, I would like to have seen a representation of children and adults with disabilities and the spectrum of family configurations as well. Also missing was a diversity of income levels. The problems feature predominantly middle- to upper-income families taking private golf lessons, staying at a dude ranch (in which they're required to take part in the daily chores), or figuring out which kind of new car to purchase. One problem that was particularly problematic for me was this one: Jada and Michelle's school was closed for a winter teacher training day, so their parents decided to take a day off from work to take the family skiing. They were glad to see when they got there that there were no lines at the chair lifts. With those suggested changes in mind, One Minute Mysteries: Short Mysteries You Solve with Math! / Misterios de un minuto: ¡Misterios cortos que resuelves con matemáticas! is engaging and fun for math nerds (and their parents, if permitted), as well as youngsters who could benefit from some time away from video games. It's recommended.--Beverly Slapin, education activist, author, and co-founder and former executive director of Oyate "De Colores"
Today I bring you a review of a book that is as curious as it is useful. A book for the youngest in the home, but also appropriate for grown-ups that want to play with math: One Minute Mysteries: Short Mysteries You Solve With Math! It is a book with a double purpose: playful and educational. Playful because it deals with games, a type of riddle that we must solve with the help, that is, of math. And educational in a double sense: because they must be resolved, as I said, with the help of math and because it is a bilingual book: we find both the problem and the answer in English and Spanish. Each one should read the language that they prefer, although, that is, I recommend trying to read it in only in English, and if we don't understand something, then read the Spanish version It is an American book, made by math teachers thinking of children from 10 to 12 years old (which is to say from fourth place to sixth of primary and first of the ESO but we can also extend it to other grades of the Spanish ESO (who, clearly, will have covered more material since they are already working with equations, polynomials, etc., but can benefit from reviewing these problems) The best way to learn is playing and experimenting. You need not go any further than the books used in Early Childhood and first grade of primary school that look more like activity and game books than textbooks. But it is true that as they grow, subject matters get more complicated and books become less playful and more cumbersome. However, we can continue playing our whole lives, with activities that are appropriate to our age. Most of us like mysteries, puzzles. This book is based on that innate curiosity so that, through small mysteries that are really mathematical problems, math becomes fun, light and easy for children. "One Minute Mysteries" is a paperback book, slightly larger than a pocket. It has 224 pages and 65 problems. These are written by math teachers from the United States in accordance to their standards but, they are more or less the same things that have been taught to Spanish children in the targeted age group. It is divided into several sections: - Math at home - Math outside - Math at play - Math every day - Science bonus section Further, there is a Glossary that explains words that could be somewhat more difficult, (algebra, hypothenuse, etc...) an index and a conversion table (inch, ounce, yard...) There are 10 problems within each section I will tell you what the problems are like so that you can have an idea: On the top part of the left side page is the title of a problem (for example "Heavy Toll") and then the problem is presented in English. On the page on the right, the same problem in Spanish, title included. In both cases, at the end of the page there is a Stop signal that indicates "Think "or "Piense." We turn the page and we see the answer and the explanation: in English to the left, Spanish to the right, accompanied by a picture in black-and-white that is related to the topic. Just as on the pages in which the problem is presented there is a Stop sign, in the ones in which the problem is solved there is a lightbulb. There's no way to get lost. In this problem, "Heavy Toll," we have a conversation between a father and his daughter. He has just received notification of a traffic fine. It seems that in American highways, when you enter the highway the entry time is registered and, upon exiting, the exit time and time that has passed is checked. The girl reads the notification and says that it is correct, that they were driving over the speed limit. The father asks her how she knows that. That is the problem. The solution, explained in the following page, calculates the miles driven and the time that it took to travel those miles to find the speed at which the car was traveling. I think you can get a pretty good idea of what the problems are like. They are of a practical type, the type that we could run into in our everyday lives, requiring us to think a little bit but not especially difficult to do. I must comment that the Spanish is South American Spanish so there might be a word here or there that might appear strange but whose meaning we should have no difficulty understanding such as "car," "drive," etc. And some measurements use the American system (in this problem, for example, the distance is measured in miles). It's not an issue because the problems can still be solved but also, since at the end of the book we have a conversion table, we can take advantage of that to convert to our metric system and have two in one. In case you're interested, the book is available for sale on Amazon, both in digital and paper versions (although I recommend the paper version because of the price (12.14 for the paper version, 9.11 for the Ebook) and because for these types of things for children I always prefer the paper versions) and it took me a little bit over a week to receive. At the end I include the purchasing links I definitely love this book. It is very educational, it helps you lose your fear of math by playing with them, and it will be great for reviewing this summer // Hoy os traigo la reseña de un libro tan curioso como útil. Un libro para los más jóvenes de la casa pero también apto para adultos que quieran jugar con las matemáticas "One minute Mysteries. Misterios cortos que resuelves con matemáticas" Es un libro con una finalidad doble: lúdica y educative Lúdica porque se trata de juegos, una especie de acertijos que debemos resolver con ayuda, eso sí, de las matemáticas. Y educativa en un doble sentido: porque han de resolverse, como digo, con la ayuda de las matemáticas y porque es un libro bilingüe tanto el problema como la respuesta la encontramos en inglés y en español. Cada uno que lo lea en el idioma que prefiera aunque, eso sí, yo recomiendo intentar leerlo en inglés y ya, si vemos que no entendemos algo, leer la versión en español Se trata de un libro americano, hecho por profesores de matemáticas y pensado en niños de 10 a 12 años (lo que vendría a ser de cuarto a sexto de primaria y primero de la ESO pero también podemos ampliarlo a otros cursos de la ESO española (que, está claro, habrán dado más materia porque ya están con ecuaciones, polinomios, etc. pero tampoco les vendrá mal repasar con estos problemas La mejor forma de aprender es jugando y experimentando. No hay más que ver los libros de Infantil y de los primeros cursos de Primaria que parecen cuadernos de actividades y juegos más que libros escolares. Pero es verdad que a medida que crecen, las materias se van complicando y los libros van haciéndose menos lúdicos y un poco más farragosos. Y, sin embargo, podemos seguir jugando toda la vida, con actividades adecuadas a nuestra edad A casi todos nos gusta el misterio, los enigmas. Este libro se basa en esa curiosidad innata para, a través de pequeños misterios que en realidad son problemas matemáticos, hacer que las mates resulten divertidas, amenas y fáciles a los niños. "One minute mysteries" es un libro de tamaño un poco más grande que el bolsillo y de tapas blandas. Tiene 224 páginas y contiene 65 problemas. Están elaborados por profesores de matemáticas de Estados Unidos conforme al programa de allí pero, más o menos, es la materia que han dado los niños españoles de la edad a la que van dirigidos Se divide en varias secciones: - Matemáticas en casa - Matemáticas en el campo - Jugando con matemáticas - Matemáticas todos los días - Suplemento especial de Ciencias Además, hay un Glosario donde se explican las palabras que pueden resultar un poco más dificultosas, (álgebra, hipotenusa, etc...) un índice y una tabla de conversión (pulgada, onza, yarda...) Dentro de casa sección hay unos diez problemas Os digo cómo son los problemas para que os hagáis una idea: En la página de la izquierda en la parte superior viene el título del problema (por ejemplo "Heavy Toll") y luego se plantea el problema en inglés. En la página de la derecha, el mismo problema en español, título incluido. En ambos casos, al final de la página hay una señal de Stop en la que pone "Think" o "Piense". Damos la vuelta a la página y veremos la respuesta y la explicación: en inglés a la izquierda, en español a la derecha, acompañado de una fotografía en blanco y negro que tenga relación con el asunto. Así como en las páginas donde se plantea el problema viene la señal de Stop, en las que se resuelve viene una bombilla. No hay pérdida posible. En este problema, "Hevay toll", tenemos la conversación entre un padre y su hija. Éste acaba de recibir una notificación de multa. Por lo que parece, en las autopistas americanas, al entrar en la autopista se chequea la hora y, al salir, se comprueba la hora y el tiempo transcurrido. La niña lee la carta y dice que tiene razón. que circulaba a mayor velocidad de la permitida. El padre le pregunta que cómo lo sabe. Ése es el problema. La solución, explicada en la página siguiente, calcula las millas circuladas y el tiempo en que se han hecho para hallar la velocidad a la que el coche ha circulado. Creo que os podéis hacer una idea de cómo son los problemas. De tipo práctico, con los que nos podemos encontrar en nuestra vida cotidiana, de pensar un poco pero no especialmente difíciles de hacer. Sí debo comentar que el español es español sudamericano por lo que hay alguna palabra que nos puede resultar extraña pero cuyo significado no tendremos problema en comprender como "carro", "manejar", etc... Y que algunas mediciones se realiza con el sistema métrico americano (en este problema, por ejemplo, la distancia se mide en millas). No pasa nada porque los problemas se pueden resolver igual pero es que, además, como al final del libro tenemos una tabla de conversión, podemos aprovechar para pasarlo a nuestro sistema métrico y así tenemos un dos en uno. Por si os interesa, el libro está a la venta en Amazon, tanto en digital como en papel (aunque os lo recomiendo en papel tanto por precio (12,14 en papel, 9,11 en ebook) como porque yo para estas cosas de niños siempre prefiero el papel) y a mí me tardó poco más de una semana en llegar. Os pongo al final los enlaces de compra En definitiva, estoy encantada con este libro. Es muy educativo, hace perder miedo a las matemáticas jugando con ellas y nos va a venir bien este verano para repasar-- "Libros que hay que leer"
