BASIC MATHEMATICAL EQUIPMENT

Maths is always associated with some drawing equipment. It is not like in  other language lessons where you don't need anything particularly like equipment. Exception is maybe the bilingual dictionary which is an essential reference book. In mathematical language lessons it is a little bit different because there is a lot of drawing and calculations and they need some tools. So what equipment do we need?  

The basic list includes:

1. A PENCIL – We know what is a  pencil and I believe that we use it already with a different purpose. Its positive side is that when you make a mistake, you can delete it. The pencils for mathematical purposes are mainly black, but I leave to you to choose your favorite colour. I will not object if you draw love hearts with red pencil, yellow suns with yellow or orange pencil, green forests and mountains with green pencil. Everyone is free to paint what he lacks in his life. Please do not paint money because you will make me sad and I will think bad things about you. We are worth more than that. It is a depressing habit to think about something as boring as money. Therefore, use a bold pencil. Draw smiles, love and numbers, positive numbers. There is something very unpleasant in negative numbers, but we will talk about negative numbers further. To defend myself, I would like to say that we will have a story about money. I will give you then the freedom to dream and to paint as many as you want zeros after the chosen random number. At least for a while we will all be billionaires.

2. A SHARPENER - Well, this is a very useful tool. Because the pencil and the sharpener go hand in hand. In our real life, we ​​need to sharpen and keep intact many different types of things, such as our inspiration, curiosity, humanity, compassion and love for life. Usually sharpener in these cases is our resistance to the idea of the human end, and our desire to show that although we are a small part of the universe, but we are a part – macro cosmos and micro cosmos they cannot be separated because they depend on each other.

3. AN ERASER – An extremely useful tool. What would our lives be without an eraser - so often we have to delete the bad things that happen,  bad memories, people, tears, suffering, and sorrow. Rub boldly.

4. A RULER - Use a ruler whenever you want to walk a straight line. When your lives are going curved and you are losing the directions, take immediately the ruler and measure the distance in centimeters or millimeters. It is extremely useful to know how many centimeters of us is our cup of coffee, for example. When we measure our own pride, integrity and humanity - then you need to measure strictly, because these concepts must be in millimeters from us, we need to be one big whole. For large distances, use the meter.

5. A TRIANGLE RULER - This can be complicated sometimes. Does the same job as the ruler. However, it has the advantage that it can measure right angles, and help you to trace a triangle. Right angle is a useful thing in life. So are the acute and obtuse angles. Watch out for their corners! Sometimes they could be painful.

6. A COMPASS - It looks a little bit like a medieval instrument and it could be a  nightmare to learn how to use it. You need to  learn to keep the pencil tight in order to be able to draw beautiful circles. You have to practice. If you are at a point in your life when you lack harmony and fullness, then compasses can help to draw a perfect circle. Circle, as is known from ancient times, is a symbol of perfection, the complete life cycle harmony, endless sun, and divine energy. People often have to use a compass to draw happy circles. This simple exercise could change their energy and vitality. More happy circles, please.

7. A PROTRACTOR -This is a useful tool known even in ancient Babylon. It consists of a small line and a semicircle of which are located degrees from 0 to 180 or to 360. It helps you to draw in how many degrees are the angles for example. Whenever in life you need a clear strategy, plan and purpose, try to achieve them with the help of precise degrees. Precise clarity always helps.

8. A CALCULATOR - It is always better to train your memory and to try the questions without using the calculator. Our brains are perfectly capable of dealing with some calculations without a helper. Using calculators even when there is no need for it, makes our brains lazy.  Sometimes you can play with the calculator and try to calculate how much will remain of your salary when you pay your bills for example. After that simple revelation, you may find maths lessons quite enjoyable. You may calculate how old you are, if you are that kind of person who prefers not to remember exactly how old you are.

9. A GRAPH PAPER - It is a paper with pattern blocks of squares all over it. Do not worry about it. We will need it only when we begin to exercise graphics and only when we are sure that the graphs have a place in our lives, then I will ask you to show me your graphs, created in the graph paper. This paper is ideal to exercise transformations of shapes. Human life knows countless types of transformations, such as birth, youth, middle age, old age, death and birth again. 

10.    A BLANK SHEET OF PAPER – To scribble some stuff when     you are bored or to record your thoughts that go through your head     while trying to draw a concentrated circle with compass and it is     not happening so perfectly well. Sometimes you can draw the seasons     – falling autumn leaves, blooming spring,  snow or rain.

11.     A CHOCOLATE - This is not exactly a drawing tool, but it's always good to     have chocolate nearby. It is an excellent     antidepressant and a stimulant of our vital energy.

Here     are some activities for you: Activity 1:     Can you try to make a picture using the compass? You need to draw some circles for that purpose. Draw them connected with each other, colour them after that. Are there any ideas you are trying to apply?  Activity 2: Use the protractor and try measuring how many degrees  is your chair from the window. Is it easy to do? If not, can you explain why?