Jump! Mag

School & Career, Science, Nature and Tech

What is The Point in Learning Maths?

Have you ever sat in a Maths class wondering when you will ever need to do long division without a calculator? Or silently cursed your Geography teacher while learning about the formation of oxbow lakes? And History? That’s all in the past and irrelevant, isn’t it?

In this series of articles, we will look at some of the subjects we learn at school, and try and answer the question: What’s the point in learning maths?

Let’s start with Maths. It is a fact of life that while some people are good at Maths, for others it is a daily trial. It is, however, along with English and the sciences the subject considered to be the most important. Why? Of course, we all know that it is important to be able to count, and do simple sums, but when, in real life, do we actually use it?

Language & Literature

12 Awesome Book Resources for Kids

Looking for great Book Resources for kids? These are our favourite sites for avid readers, and to inspire and encourage reluctant bookworms.

If you know of any book resources that we have missed, do let us know and we will add them to the list!

You can also browse our articles on Books on Jump! Mag.

Events, Written By You

Homemade Mother Day Gifts – Written by You

Mother’s Day origins can be traced to the UK, when Mothering Sunday was celebrated long before it saw the light of day in the USA. Each year in the run up to Mother’s Day, lots of us are wondering ‘What can I get my mom’.

OK, so a bouquet of flowers is very original, but maybe a bit too obvious? A box of chocolates is a bit too common! But how about something that would last forever! Here are my favourite ideas for homemade Mother Day gifts:

Science, Nature and Tech

Winter Wonderings – Are Snowflakes Really All Different?

It’s a common belief that no two snowflakes are the same, and in a way this is true. No snowflake can ever be completely identical to another, because when you get down to the molecular level they will have slightly different kinds of water molecules, different electrons and different traces of other materials such as specks of dust.

However, if we’re talking only about the appearance and shape of a snowflake, then yes it is possible that some will have duplicates. Snow crystals can vary from fairly simple, hexagonal structures to the more complex and delicate shapes that we commonly think of as snowflakes.

The simple flakes have far fewer molecules than their larger cousins and so it’s entirely possible that you could find two that appeared identical when viewed through a microscope. The more complex structures, however, can have more than a hundred different features and each feature can form in a number of different ways. This makes it highly unlikely that you would ever find two large snowflakes that looked the same – but you could have fun trying!

For a more detailed explanation of the science behind the forming of snowflakes, check out this video

Travel

JUMP! Around the World – Ayşe in Turkey

Have you ever wanted to know what it is like to grow up in another country?

We continue our Jump! Mag tour of the world in Turkey, where seven-year-old Ayşe lives.

Hello Ayşe, How do I say hello in Turkish?

Merhaba Annie!

What are your favourite subjects at school?

That’s hard… I think most of all I like learning Turkish language and…….music.

What kind of music do you like listening to?

I like to dance to pop music like Rhianna and Adele but I like Turkish music too, I like a rock band called Duman.

What games do you like to play with your friends?

Mostly street games like Tag and hide & seek, it’s fun to chase each other around.

What do you like most about being a girl?

…….I think maybe because…you can have a baby… Also at school at playtime, the boys are always chasing each other and fighting and being a bit rough, and they can be like that with each other but not with us, they can’t be so rough with us. I like wearing dresses also and dressing up!

What are your favourite words in your language?

I love you…….mum.

If you could choose any country in the world to visit, which would it be and why?

I want to go to America, to visit my Aunt in San Fransisco, I want to swim in the sea in Mexico because my Mum has told me all about it. I’d also like to go to Africa, to visit the different native tribes that live there.

How would you describe your village to someone who wanted to visit here?

I live in a fishing village, it is very sunny, there’s no snow here! We have the sea, which I like to go swimming in and I like to go walking up around the mountain near the sea which is beautiful.

Annie-May Gibb is a freelance writer, who is passionate about creating a better world.

She mainly works on projects that work to instil equality and confidence in young people. She is also passionate about using tabasco liberally on most foods.

Here is some more information about Turkey

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Turkey is a large peninsula that bridges the continents of Europe and Asia. Turkey is surrounded on three sides by the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Aegean Sea. Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey, is built on land in the Bosporus seaway. The city is partly in Europe and partly in Asia. Turkey is larger than the state of Texas.