A picture is worth a thousand words but how many numbers is it worth?
picture by stewf
What image comes to mind when you think of each Math-U-See level?
- Alpha
- Beta
- Gamma
- Delta
- Epsilon
- Zeta
- Pre-Algebra
- Algebra 1
- Geometry
- Algebra 2
- Pre-Calculus
Example 1: When I think Epsilon I think about a measuring tape.
Example 2: When I think of Gamma I think about rabbits.
We are soliciting your ideas for a secret project and if we use your idea we will give you a complete Math-U-See level of curriculum (your choice). Post your suggestions and awesome ideas in the comments section and you could win a complete level (Instruction kit and Student kit $55.00-90.00 value!)
Well! We’re only up to Lesson 24 in Alpha so far, so I don’t have any good suggestions for all the higher levels.
The thing that really sticks in my mind about Alpha is CHOCOL8 - er, you know, chocolate. To me, this level is all about getting to know the blocks and seeing what they become when you put them together. I close my eyes and see row upon row of delicious chocolate bar squares, some stacked two high, mmmm!
Alpha: vacuum cleaner (subraction) OR a sun’s rays (like the clock where you learn to tell time from the different blocks) OR stair steps (representing the blocks lined up in order)
Alpha - I think of the “leader” of the pack - the “Alpha” dog - leading the way to greatness.
Beta - I think of the computer programming language - programming our brains for mathematical success.
Gamma - I think of Gamma Rays - also of illumination - “Seeing the light”.
Delta - A river meeting the ocean - a place where ideas merge. Also the airlines, flying high with Delta.
Epsilon - the german letter “Y” (Ypsilon).
When I think of Delta, I think of a Dorito chip. Like a tortilla chip.
Pre-Algebra makes me think of checks. Blue and white checks… like graph paper, almost.
Geometry brings protractors to mind.
Algebra 2 gives me visions of grass green and bright yellow. I loved Algebra 2. I also think of show tunes. (long story)
I automatically go to the fish when I see “beta”.
And, Alpha is obviously an alphabet. Or, the Letter People.
HTH!
Alpha makes me think of a freight train moving across the country, picking up and dropping off freight cars along the way.
For Beta I think of a series of empty (colorless) buildings (each one representing a place value), and each only 9 stories high. Floors are colored in as numbers are added, and when the tenth floor is to be added it adds a colored block to the next place valued building. Highest value buildings to the left, unit building on far right.
Alpha makes me think of beginnings.
Beta makes me think of computers.
Gamma makes me think of grandma or gamma rays.
Delta makes me think of airplains.
Epsilon makes me think of spy movies and secret missions.
Zeta makes me think of pasta.
Pre-Algrebra makes me think of puberty.
Algebra I makes me think of alphabet soup.
Geometry makes me think of a big shade tree.
Algebra II make me think of Stairs.
Pre-Calculus makes me think of smiles (Because my Calc teacher was always smiling- she loved math.)
When I think of Alpha, I think of Alf. You know that furry little alien from the TV show that I loved to watch as a kid. LOL! But his cute little face comes to mind every time I hear Alpha.
I’ll have to think about the others.
Algebra I - I see an X climbing a letter
Algebra II - I see a Y sliding down the side of a U
Alpha: I think of that old show on TV call Alf. He was an alien.
Beta: I think of the Beta fish, otherwise known as a Siamese Fighting Fish!
Alpha-”polished” apples
Beta -bugs
Gamma -graham crackers
Epsilon -elephant
Zeta -zebra
Alpha= #1 Top Dog
I am in Beta and when I think of that word, I think of somebody going fishing! ~Josephine
Alpha makes me think of the Bible when, in Revelation, Jesus calls himself the Alpha and Omega. ~Joshua
When I think of Geometry, I think of triangles — those little, cute ones and those big, obtuse ones!
The pictures I actually make for my children will be my suggestions.
Gamma - Hopscotch squares for skip counting or skipping rope while skip counting.
Zeta - Neighborhood street with “Deci” the mole living in the alleys between the houses (decimal street)
When I think of Alpha, I picture a child skip counting while skipping down decimal street.
When my son thinks of Delta, he imagines a deck of cards being dealt. You can use a deck of cards to practice multiplication.
Delta makes me think of the sun
Jesse age 9
P.S. Can you please tell me how I can be added to your homeschoolblogger blogroll? Thanks!
Algebra - I think of a poor student being attacked by algebraic symbols - only to be rescued by a knight in MUS armor - on a horse, of course.
Geometry - I think of a street scene or countryside scene with the geometry parts outlined - especially ancient architecture - like the Coliseum with arches and angles and the like marked…showing geometry all around us in symmetry being so beautiful (I like geometry)
Zeta - my daughter thinks of a zebra surrounded by dots (decimals)
Beta - the fish (beta)
Delta - since multiple digit division by multiple digit divsion has been the hardest math we have done so far (through calculus) - we think of once finished with the lessons of things like 4759 divided by 327 equals… we are at the top of the mountain - the rest of math is downhill! So a student persevering to the top of a beautiful mountain (while manually working long division)…with the other side of the mountain being easier walking, since algebra etc.. are along the path the MUS way…
Well, we have just started MUS and we have Primer. When I think of Primer I think of the word Pre. This a “pre”view of my son understanding numbers and what they mean. This is “pre”paring him for the learning ahead. This is the way I discovered how hands on he is. This is showing me what my older children have been missing out on and that they need to “see” math for what it is. Math is a “pre”paration for life and if they do not understand and “see” it they will not be fully “pre”pared. I can not wait to see how they will all “pre”form in their careers.
ALPHA–I think of my firstborn child, whom we call Alpha for fun. She is the child forging a path through the jungle of our homeschooling journey of which the Math-U-See program is an integral tool. Her sisters follow the path more quickly, because they have all sat at “Alpha’s” side as she works through the program. They follow her path.
BETA–You had “beta” know your addition and subtraction facts by now, or “drill drill drill” is the new name of the game!
BETA–Work your hardest, be tenacious with each problem, fighting your way through until you are victorious…just like the betta fish…the beautiful fighting fish.
GAMMA–I always think of my grandmother who was a teacher, and whose annual critique of my children during our summer visit adds a bit of pressure to do well and keep motivated.
DELTA–Most obviously, this is the mouth of a river, an area where a lot of nutrients are deposited, valuable fertile resources, just like the valuable resources in the area of math and thinking skills that are being deposited in the lives of my children, fertile minds for further growth.
DELTA–I also think of my torturous times in fourth grade, and am pleased that my children are learning in a safe, comfortable, encouraging environment where numbers make sense, not madness!
Alpha: Alpha makes me think of God, whom calls himself the Alpha and the Omega. I’ve always been comforted with that description of God when it comes to my children. I love my kids, but my influence on them is only the beginning, the Alpha. I don’t have to be everything to them, I only have to point to God in the Alpha, the beginning. God is big enough to handle the rest. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I also love the fact that Math-U-See doesn’t end with Omega. It leaves the door to our children’s hearts and minds open to learn what God has next.
Beta: I don’t have any deep wisdom here, only that Beta reminds me of a fish. My children have pet Betas and when we talk about doing Beta, or in the case of my six year old, WANTING to do Beta, I talk about how much care that little fish needs. You have to pour into him if you expect him to thrive and that is what we do with our math-minds. We feed them and care for them and meet their needs. I told my six year old that I can’t feed his fish for next year today. I have to feed him today’s food today. With this example, we are working hard to do Alpha so that he can get to Beta.
Gamma: Great! Avid Multipliers Make A’s!
We use acrostics a lot to try to remember things, so I’ve found my daughter trying to find them out in words that she doesn’t recognize. When our Gamma set came in the mail, she studied the title and finally told me that is what it means:
Great! Avid Multipliers Make A’s!
Delta: A river Delta is a piece of water which meets in between two others. It is actually a mix of the two waters running together for a time. Gamma is in the middle of the elementary maths and I can easily see how it is exactly that: a mix of what is before and what comes after, taking you where you need to go.
Epsilon: Less than One. A (small) part of a whole. In our homeschool, we try to practice great etymology and in studying the word epsilon, long before we started the Math-u-See Epsilon, we realized that one definition of epsilon is a small portion, less than one. Later, in doing the study of Epsilon, we reminded ourselves over and over that a fraction is less than one. When we would come up with an unlikely and incorrect answer, we reminded ourselves that epsilon meant “less than one”.
Zeta: The end. The beginning. Zeta for our family is a HUGE milestone. When we are nearing the end of Zeta, we are also nearing the end of childish things. I love the verse in the Bible where Paul says, When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I acted like a child, I reasoned like a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things. Every child I’ve taught so far put away childish things and speech and reasoning the year they did Zeta. It signified the end of a season of their life, while completely preparing them for the next season.
When I think about Algebra 1, I think X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=
How many times can you do a problem with X=?
HA!
Alpha - Wolf leader
Beta - Two friends (for all that double digit addition and subtraction)
Gamma - Egg carton (a real, 3D multiplication “squarea”)
Delta - a bunch of cookies or a pizza (for sharing equally between friends)
Epsilon - A measuring cup
Zeta - A kid wearing a cape with a “z” on it (”Super Zeta!”)or a dollar bill and change (the ultimate decimal situation)
Pre-Algebra - A magnifying glass because it’s a fun mystery to figure out what “x” equals!
Geometry - A transparent cube (lovely in its simplicity)
Algebra 1 - Sherlock Holmes’s cap (more mysteries to solve)
Algebra 2 - a cartoon of a detective holding a magnifying glass and following a trail of footprints (still more mysteries!)
Pre-Calculus - a wave cresting (a sine wave)
In all, our family has been through Beta to Pre-Algebra, and we look forward to many more years of Math-U-See fun! Thanks so much!
-Pamela V. and family
When I think about Geometry, I think of Pies -
Mom’s Apple, Old Fashioned Cherry, Fresh Peach, Chocolate Cream…
Yummmmmm….
Primer- a rainbow. It has a little bit of everything and it opens their eyes wide!
Alpha- one of those strong men in a circus that holds up all the other men on his shoulders. Addition is the foundation of everything else- what holds it up!
Beta- a dollar bill. It’s where money comes to life!
Gamma- Popcorn! Multiplication just explodes!
Epsilon- Pizza! Everyone’s favorite fraction!
Pre-Algebra- a thermometer… where you dip below zero!
Geometry- an egyptian pyramid- the world’s most famous 3-D shape! _-or- an apple pie for pi.
When I think of Alpha and Beta together, I think of the Alpha Beta Store where you do a lot of math calculating while shopping.
When I think of Epsilon, I think of cooking with lots of fractions, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. We use cooking a lot to help with understanding and applying fractions.
Primer - Colorful block stairway to begin ones knowledge of numbers.
Alpha - “Decimal Street” The 3 houses each with it’s own size and color, showing order and placement.
Beta - A piggy bank. My son has loved learning to add money.
When I think of Alpha, I think of building blocks, perhpaps the old fashioned kind with the alphabet on them or even just the plain wooden blocks. Not only are we using the manipulative blocks in Alpha, we are also laying the foundation, or building blocks, of all future math lessons.
For Beta, I think of a beta fish gobbling up an addition and subtraction sign.
When I think of Epsilon I think about pizzas and pizza slices. I still chuckle when I recall your joke:
The clerk asks “Do you want that sliced into six or eight pieces?” and the customer responds, “Better make it eight slices because I’m hungry!”
Thank you for making math fun and memorable!
When I think of Alpha, I think of soldiers- like Alpha Company.
When I think of Geometry, I think of an engineer, planning a new building with all sorts of graphic shapes.
Math-U-See = Math-U-Surmount
When I think of Primer - I think of a little hand with a big pencil just starting to learn.
Alpha - I think of Jesus Christ, Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Thanks for having the contest!
When I think of Zeta I think of ziti. Guess I must be hungry! Wouldn’t it be cool to have pasta that is sized in the decimal system? We could have the following sizes:
milliziti (each milliziti is so small that it doesn’t need to be chewed–great for babies and those who already took out their dentures for the night and need a very light snack)
centiziti (each centiziti is snack-sized)
deciziti (each deciziti is a child’s portion)
ziti (individual portion size)
dekaziti (each dekaziti is large enough to serve two)
hectoziti (sized for a family–cut into individual portions)
KILOZITI (sized for a large party–cut into indiv.portions)
Primer-I think of elements of the subject/basic numbers, lines, symbols and to paint. (primer)
Alpha- The Greek Letter of the Alphabet or First, airplane.
Beta-rates and second letter of the greek alphabet, Beta Fish.
Gamma-A Unit of Mass, third letter of greek alphabet and grandma.
Delta-object shaped like a triangle, Sun and Burmuda Triangle.
Epsilon-Fantasy, Mythical Creatures.
Zeta-The End, Warrior or Hero From History.
Pre-Algebra: Half Numbers, Algae, pond, Stream, lake.
Algebra 1 :The Alphabet, Formulas, Clothes, Time.
Geometry : Shapes, House, train things in shapes.
Algebra 2 : Animals, Formulas.
Pre-Calculus: Long equations I don’t comprehend, Cactus, Sand, Dessert.
We are in Alpha, we started in the primer, so even though you didn’t ask…primer makes me think of a birthday cake. That’s what my son built with the blocks each time he finished his lessons. Now we’re on Alpha…so I think of a robot. That’s what he’s building now: a robot that eats the cake. I’m pretty sure the next level will be an airplane, one that can shoot down the cake eating robot, of course. Hmmm… I’m gonna need more block sets!!!
Alpha makes me think of a single shiny apple
Beta makes me think of betta fish (fighter fish)
Gamma deck of cards
Delta an airplane
Epsilon a world
Zeta cartoon charactor named Zeta
Pre-algabra dolphins
Algabra Sharks
Pre-Cal numbers
When I think of Gamma I think of hash-marks on a football field (3 feet to a yard), and the football scrimmage I played with my grandkids the day I introduced that lesson, after my grandson measured out 10 yards (30 feet) with a yardstick and chalk.
Pre-Algebra - When I think of Pre-Algebra I picture a student in a foreign Language course, learning the vocabulary and grammar of a new tongue. (picture a student in a college class with “Hello, Welcome to Class” written in a foreign language on the chalkboard)
Algebra I - The student has learned the basics and now I picture someone with limited language skills as a tourist in a foreign land. They can find a restroom, get a good meal, and converse with the natives a bit. (Picture a young person wearing a sombero with a camera hanging from around her neck talking with natives in Mexico or Spain)
Algebra II - Our tourist decides to move to the new land since they can now fully communicate in the new foreign language! They may even decide to work as a translator for the board of tourism! (Picture a young person with a map in hand leading a tour and pointing to a historical landmark in Germany or Greece… Maybe the birthplace of Pythagoras)
primer & alpha - we picture a giant clock; a neighborhood street with a tiny house & large house & a castle on the cul-de-sac; a color-coded staircase.
When I think of alpha I think of home (every lesson ends in a block building to house all my son’s little toy friends and bugs).
I also think of moving forward/ahead (the stairs image).
When I think of gamma I think of growth/expansion/spring and all it brings
precalc - a sailing boat on waves (for sines and cosines)
When I think of
Alpha - Wolf
Beta - Fish
Gamma - Little Ol Lady
Delta - A Plane Wing
Epsilon - Salt
Zeta - A seat
Pre-Algebra - A pretzel {one must contort their brain to understand algebra
}
Algebra 1 - A bigger pretzel
Geometry - A stop sign
Algebra 2 - A gigantic pretzel
Pre-Calculus - Milk
Hi Steve,
We haven’t done all of the levels yet but here is my list of what I think of with these words.
Alpha - I think of a leader, like a leader of a pack of wolves, etc..
Beta - I think of a fish. The beta fighting fish.
Gamma - This is my favorite. I think of the Gamma 13 Radiation from the movie “Zoom”. Way cool.
Delta - I think of a space center.
Epsilon - sounds like a Pokemon’ character.
Zeta - Sounds like a noodle.
Pre-Algebra - a weird breed of baby zebra.
Algebra 1 - the first weird breed of zebra.
Geometry - Geods, Rocks and Geologists.
Algebra 2 - the second weird breed of zebra.
Pre-Calculus - sounds like a type of temperature or measuring or a gaseous substance.
Well that’s it.
Bye and thanks for making math fun for me again.
Brynn K.
When my 13yo son thinks of Pre-Algebra, he thinks of a monkey because the color of Pre-Algebra is brown. (My husband says he monkeys around when he should be doing his math. lol)
When my 11yo daughter thinks of Gamma, she thinks about robins.
When my 8yo son thinks of Gamma, he thinks about flamingos!
When my 6yo daughter thinks of Alpha, she thinks of alligators.
My child is in Primer. I think of it as the 1st page of many books, a virtual “reader’s digest” of math knowledge, a Sampler if you will.
When I think of Geometry, I think of the geometry of the honeycomb. This is an amazing creation that only God could orchestrate. I can not think of a more perfect example of God’s design for Math.
Primer - red-speckled tadpole, for new beginnings
Alpha - green frog, comes after tadpole and jumps to count
Beta - orange monarch butterfly, begins to fly with basic - mastered
Gamma - glass of pink lemonade, multiplying money at a lemonade stand
Delta - yellow cheese pizza, dividing into slices or amongst crowds
Epsilon - blueberry pie, pieces for fractions
Zeta - bunch of purple grapes, 2 grapes with a stem in between for the percent sign, and dealing with lots of 0’s
Algebra I - Rubix cube, for X times X, and moving components around
Gamma - I think of a robot
Calculus - I think of a calculator (the graphing kind)
Alpha - Makes me think of Alpine (trees)
Beta - is another robot (a smaller one)
Delta - Wings to fly (Delta Airlines)
Thank you!
Amelia and Stefan Schwaab
Algebra- I think of a Chemistry lab with beakers, flasks and burners
Geometry- I think of construction or a construction site
When I think of Beta I think of “rounding” to estimate the answer when adding or subtracting large numbers - a very useful skill in the everyday adult world!
ALPHA makes me see the beginning.
BETA makes me see doubles.
GAMMA makes me see triples.
DELTA makes me see equals.
EPSILON makes me see fractions.
ZETA makes me see the end.
PRE-ALGEBRA makes me see puberty.
ALGEBRA 1 makes me see abstracts.
GEOMETRY makes me see many angles & many sides.
ALGEBRA 2 makes me see unity in diversity.
PRE-CALCULUS makes me see maturity.
Thanks for the fun,
Pray I win something,
from Nigeria.
Alpha- When I think of Alpha I think of God. God is the
Alpha and the omega “the beginning” and the end. Like
math it’s all connected you have to know the beginning to
understand the end.
stacy
Alpha - A Base Camp at the Swiss Alps
Beta - A blue “goldfish” swimming in a bowl of numbers, and a child teaching it math skills
Gamma - my mom’s mother or my mom’s mother holding a gamma ray gun - or my mom’s mother baking chocolate chip cookies with numbers as chips
Delta - a large river delta with numbers flowing out/on it like crocodiles
Epsilon - Charlie Epps (from Numbers) at a chalkboard doing complicated math for the FBI
Zeta - A robot (for some reason, this robot I picture is eating a carrot!)
Pre-Algebra - a child building a bridge of mathematical concepts and symbols reaching toward the other side of the canyon where Algebra awaits
Algebra 1 - the other side of the canyon! with various (variable) adventures awaiting
Geometry - a measuring stick with progressively more complicated shapes instead of numbers, and a person measuring an object, “The table is 3 circles long and a decagon wide.”
Algebra 2 - a teen exploring their world with zest and excitement, discovering numbers and functions everywhere they look - working on cars, doing crafts, baking, cooking, gardening, building robots, taking out the trash, chopping wood!
Pre-Calculus - I see many, many triangles, some with missing sides waiting to be discovered - like wanna-be actors auditioning for a part in a movie or commercial; maybe waiting to join their friends in Calculus Country
When I think about Alpha I think about FOUNDATIONS. Getting aquainted and comfortable with not only knowing numbers, but USING them is the foundation to using numbers in every day life and will be built upon gradually in the coming years.
When I think about Beta I think about MONEY and CLOCKS. Beta has its practical application in counting pennies, nickels, dimes, and dollars. Telling time also solidifies skip counting by fives.
When I think of Alpha I think of the “beginning” of the journey through learning math. I see little numbers with backpacks walking a path marked with mathematical symbols, climbing a triangle mountain, or rowing across a circle sea.
Alpha- My Lord and Savior the Beginning of all things! An Explorer (Child) getting ready to explore a whole new world with numbers. Preparing for the next adventure. Getting ready to climb a large mountain.
Beta- The next adventure to explore while climbing the mountain. Numbers start making more sense, like the explorer looking for the right footing while climbing up higher to the peak.
Gamma- The path is getting harder going up to the summit. Wow, what an adventure when the right footing connects. ( like with those numbers) You can look down and see how far you have ascended.
Delta-You reach a new platform on the mountain ridge. The terrain changes. Time to learn how to use new tools, harness and ropes. (we start to use division, its new and different strategy.)
Epsilon- Still going upward, no going back now, it just keeps getting more interesting, now you can almost see the summit.(fractions , learning keeps getting to be more of a challenge, but it feels good to take that next step)
Zeta- Made it to the top of the summit and can explore it finally. But wait the adventure is not finished yet.
Pre-Algebra- New expedition now we have to descend down the mountain, it’s a completely different strategy. It will take all the knowledge you have learned to navigate. (negative numbers, new topics)
Geometry- Finding the right footing on all those rocks. Which angle is correct and what works to put the pieces together to get to the bottom of every problem. Every angle and step will have to be different to descend.
Algebra 2- You can see the bottom much clearer. Every step has made me feel more confident the closer I get. Every thing I have learned is more clearer now.
Pre-calculus- Now that I have reached the bottom of the mountain. The adventure of life is just around the corner. I can see how every angle and turn relates together and why.. (now is time to decide what to do with my life. Go to college, or work in this new adventure)
Math is learning new things and seeing the world in a different way. How things work and why. You are always going up just the the explorer climbing up the mountain.
nicely suzanne. I like it.
Can you help me…I’m trying to also post an entry, but can’t figure out how to do it.
Do you have some helpful hints for me? Thanks
Alpha/Beta The ARK Adding all the animals as the get on the ark and subtracting all the animals as they leave the ark
Gamma The ants go marching 1×1 Hurrah, Hurrah
2×2, 3×3
When we think of the levels we think of:
Alpha- DNA and RNA. They are the buliding blocks of the cells , just as Alpha is the 1st building block for math.
Beta- We think of the Math Monsters-Addison, Mina, Multiplex, and Split!
Gamma- Someone running around a race track. You need the stamina to run a race.
Delta- We think of a flight attendant serving good food!
Epsilon- We think of the kitchen table and how to divide the space up between the 3 grades.
Zeta- We think of Space with all the planets.
Pre Algebra- The future, The unknown!
Algebra 1- We think of lots and lots of homework.
Geometry- We think of Sesame Street with Tele Monster, who loves Triangles!
Algebra 2- We think the end of math is near! Easy stuff ahead?
Pre Calculus- We were wrong! … TORTURE!!!!
For Primer or Alpha, I think of a leapfrog skip counting. For Beta, I think of colorful Beta fish (maybe made out of Mat U See blocks).
When I think of Alpha I think of ice cream.
2- orange sherbet
3- strawberry
4- lemon sherbet
5- bubble gum
7- vanilla
8- chocolate
9- mint
I guess I don’t really think of ice cream for all the colors, just for a lot of them.
This has been fun! I can’t wait to see what your secret project is!
Have a blessed day!
A video game theme; each one is a higher level. (courtesy of my husband)
Alpha= the beginning of space
Beta= name of my spaceship earned
Gamma= location I’m headed to in space to fight wars
Delta= the warp speed at which I’m traveling
Epsilon= name of evil planet
Zeta= name of hired robot co-pilot
Pre-Algebra= training in weaponry for battle
Algebra 1= first space war
Geometry= restock supplies/more training
Algebra 2= second space war
Pre-Calculus= crowned king of the galaxy
I haven’t read all the previous posts, so hope I don’t repeat.
Gamma - soldiers/band members marching in arrays
Gamma - reminds me of “GAME”
Delta - children sharing candy (Whenever I tutor division I always use the example of sharing candy. Ex. If you have 10 pieces of cancy and 5 kids, how many pieces would each kid get?)
Delta - the greek symbol (triangle)
Delta - Delta Force (fighter jets)
Epsilon - fractions always make me think of pizza (classic)
Zeta - percent/decimals = interest = money in the bank
I’m Timothy and I love MUS, Ms. Kitty, and Mr. Steve.
Alpha- The alphabet
Beta- Fish bait
Gamma- Gamma Rays
Delta- An airplane
Epsilon - Not long now before Zeta
Zeta- A zebra
Pre-Algebra- Algae
This is Micah, and Mr. Steve you are so funny..I like you. I tell Mommy all the time thank you for buying MUS!
Alpha - God is Alpha (and Omega!)
Beta- Bait a (Beta) fishing pole
Gamma - My sweet Gramma (grandma)
Delta - Delta airlines (they are fast and I am learning this book fast)
Beta - I see a clock. My daughter was having a really tough time learning to tell time. We were starting multiplication and she couldn’t tell time. We heard about MUS from a friend and borrowed her Beta text to see if we would like it before we bought. One of the lessons we did was the clock/time lesson. She got it immediately! Needless to say I immediately ordered Gamma for her!
In our home
Elementary MUS - girl with happy face
Intermediate MUS - girl with determined face
Epsilon - girl with puzzled face
Zeta - girl with scared face
Pre-Algebra - girl with pleading face
Algebra I - girl with hysterical face
Gamma makes me think of game (kids might think of gameboy). Beta makes me think of bait (as in fishing). Alpha makes me think of a big boat with the bow shaped in a letter A. Delta makes me think of the Mississippi River delta. Epsilon (my favorite Greek letter to pronounce) reminds us of “epic” — maybe an epic voyage. Zeta brings the image of an unusual woman commanding a ship. Pre-algebra — some sort of prehistoric algae. Algebra 1 — the algae leader found in current times. Geometry makes me think of the earth in its roundness. Algebra 2 — the assistant algae to Algebra 1. Pre-Calculus — a mind that is amount to calculate.
All of this could be put together in a story about a ship with a bow shaped in a A (alpha). Loaded on the boat is a great amount of bait (beta) used to catch game (gamma) fish. The boat sets out for the Gulf near the delta of the Mississippi River. Little does the crew realize that they are at the beginning of an epic (epsilon) voyage under the leadership of their unusual female captain named Zeta. A scientist turned fisherman notices a strange substance on the side of the ship. He realizes with great excitement that it is “pre-algebra” — prehistoric algae. He writes some notes about it. Then returns to the site only to find that it has been replaced or consumed by “algebra 1″ (algae leader) and “algebra 2″ (assistant algae). “That’s the way the earth (geometry) turns”, he sighs. He goes back to his room where he is about to think(he is in a pre-calculus mood) when Zeta comes in and orders him back to work! They fish and fish and return home, each fisherman with his own version of their epic sea journey.
Alpha and skip counting by twos reminds me of a football player decked out in uniform running the tires at practice (since they are lined up in rows of two).
Skip counting in Alpha also reminds me of different animals jumping different lengths. You have a starting point and jump over several numbers (the quiet ones you don’t say) and land on a specific multiple (the ones you do say out loud). A grasshopper would be jumping by twos, a frog (the Calaveras County jumping frog variety) would be jumping by fives, and a kangaroo jumping represents skip counting by tens.
Here’s our angle~thanks for asking; great idea to poll your customers.
Alpha~Jesus (& Omega) or the dominant wolf in a pack
(beauty shot of a wolf on the edge of a snowy forest)
Beta~Fish
(here my son suggested his best humor “Can you beta(bait a) hook?)
Gamma~Radiation Waves or Sting Ray
Delta~uh the gentle region of farmland
Epsilon~Roman Soldiers
Zeta~Either Zelda the video game my brother played or Zebras
Geometry~a tessellation definitely, by M.C. Esher maybe or how about one by Ethan or Steve
Best Wishes with your project! ~from Athens GA
A while back our family got a Japanese Fighting fish- also know as a Beta Fish. Since then my son called his math program “Beta Bate Fish”. Now we all do!
When I think of levels and achievements, I think of mountains.
If you took the number of levels that you have and took popularly named mountains from around the world and ordered them from tallest down, you would end up with a accurate and visual representation of each level. The highest level would be Everest followed by K2. Other mountains would include McKinley, Fuji, Kilimanjaro, Shasta, Hood, etc.
You could also align a program with volcanoes such as Kilauea, Mona Loa, Pinatubo, St. Helens, Vesuvius, etc. These could be ordered by when their last eruption occurred or some other aspect of their activity to give them an order that the student could research.
One more idea, you could have levels based on the moons of our solar system ordered by size. I’m sure that this would give you plenty of levels (Saturn alone has 42 moons) with names that most people have never heard of. I would eliminate the obvious #1 of our moon as it doesn’t have a proper name other than ‘Moon’.
Alpha- God is the “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.” The apple is the beginning of mankind’s learning, so Alpha makes me think of apples.
Beta- Like many others, I think of the fighting fish.
Gamma- Gamma “X” rays- because the focus is multiplication(x) and gamma rays turn ordinary people into super humans in most sci-fi movies.
Delta- The great divide at the Nile Delta. We were also studying Ancient Egypt at this time.
Epsilon- This word makes me think of Epson salt. No other word in the English language reminds me of epsilon so I also imagine a Greek philosopher in a toga holding a tablet of fractions.
Zeta- I always think of a zebra.
Pre-Algebra- The beginning of symbols in equations!
Algebra 1- More symbols!
Geometry- The shape year! I imagine geoms!
Algebra 2- I remember alebra as memorizing formulas. Maybe MUS will shed light on WHY we do these formulas- it is WHY I love this program for my children! No picture really comes to mind.
Pre-Calculas- My husband was president of the calculas club in high school, so calculas reminds me of him- I love nerds!
The image that comes to mind with Alpha are colored caterpillars: with the right number of body sections corresponding to the correct color. I imagine them scurrying about and my daughters trying to catch them and classify them into the correct houses.
Alpha- an alligator munching (adding) apple numbers and sharing (subtracting) apple numbers with his friend
Beta- suitcase with items around it (signifies carrying or moving places (place value) and borrowing stuff like from the tens place, etc.)
Gamma- race car with numbers on it signifying a fast way to add called multiplication
Delta- children sharing a bag of candy (dividing the candy to each child equally)
Epsilon- a warm homemade apple pie cut in equal slices
Zeta- sale rack with % off sign and price tag of dollar amount
Pre-Algebra- thermometer (negative numbers)
Algebra 1- a piece of graph paper
Geometry- a child’s shape sorter ball
Algebra 2- numbers and letters floating all around
Pre-Calculus- a baby cow (cow-culus)
When I think of Delta I think of a military arrow-shaped wide wing.
When I think of the names you have given the units it’s interesting and probably purposeful that you chose Greek letters. So, when I think about Greek letters I’m automatically drawn to the Greek Mathematicians. Alpha would be Thales, Beta Pythagoras-even though he would probably be best suited for Algebra I generally think of him as second in line of the greek mathematicians, Gamma Euclid -again probably more suited to Geometry but comes next in line if working chronologically, Delta Archimedes(or Calculus), Epsilon Nicomachus, Zeta Hypatia, Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Algebra 2 and Calculus don’t sound Greek, but of course their foundation surely was, so you could either use the father’s of their respective fields or simply more Greek mathematicians which are plenitful, such as, Perseus, Aristaeus, Aristotle, and Democitus(not given chronologically)
Zeta - The name of a far away Galaxie - or Katherine Zeta Jones
Pre-Algebra - puberty
Algebra 1 - a 1st date
Geometry - things beginning to take shape
Algebra 2 - a 2nd date
Pre-Calculus - A long engagement
Gamma-beginnings like a toddler beginning to talk- Grandma=Gamma
Delta-song “Delta Dawn”
Epsilon makes me think of a space ship or another galaxy
Algebra makes me think of recipes
Geometry makes me think of a Rubiks cube
Pre-Calculus makes me think of Einstein’s brain with many equations flying around it, or just his face, also an abacus