Math Investigations Using the New Year (2023)

Wednesday, December 21, 2022 by Catherine Gilliland | Unique Learning Opportunities

To acknowledge the new year 2023, consider adding a fun and unique learning project to your month. There are several topics pertaining to years and calendars which you could investigate together with your child or teen. For example, learn about events occurred 100 years ago, 250 years ago, 500 years, etc. How has technology progressed since 1923? 1823? Popular music, art, and theater from 1923? 1823? 1723? Learn about the origins of the modern calendar. What were the ancient methods of keeping track of time? When were hours named? Is there history behind the names of months and days?

    

A plethora of more specific math investigations can be explored together based upon the year numbered 2023.

For younger children:

• Help them memorize the names of the days of the week, months of the year, or the number of days in each month. 

• Assist your child in making their very own calendar.

• Practice counting by sevens using their calendar. Begin with counting by sevens, then challenge them to begin on 1, add 7, seven more, etc. Next, begin on 2, add 7, seven more, etc. 

• Work on double digit addition, on paper and by mental math by adding up combination of months. For example: Add the total days contained in the months January, March, and November.

• Help your child to picture the concept of a half of a year, a quarter, third, sixth, and a twelfth.

• Have fun adding and subtracting from 2023. For example, ask, "What year was it 25 years ago? What year will it be 25 years from now? You can also use this style of question for asking about the date 6 weeks from now, 8 weeks prior to a certain date, etc.

Not only will your children have fun with this practical math, but they will be growing some crucial life skills.

Older children:

• Challenge them further by adding in the concepts of adding hours and minutes. For example, ask, "What time is it now? What date and time will it be in 21 hours and 39 minutes?" and "What date and time was it 17 hours and 59 minutes ago?" If you have a friend over, let the two race each other.

• Challenge your student to factor the year 2023 on paper or mentally.

• Introduce simple and compound interest calculations using the year 2023.Teach about the costs of borrowing vs. the value of saving.

• Calculate wages earned over time using months, years, etc. From those calculations challenge students with some budgeting questions.

Happy New Year! May you delight in learning together!