MONTHLY MIND TICKLER
NOVEMBER 2005 EDITION
A free publication for the enjoyment
of our students, parents, and staff.
WORD PUZZLE COLUMN
Copyrighted © and
adapted from Middle
School Word Puzzles by Alan Stillson – 2002,
Stillsonworks (available online at stillsonworks.com). Please
see the back page for the answers.
1. NAME GAMES
Fill in the blanks
with a name and a word with the same pronunciation. They
might be spelled the same way (like May and may)
or differently (like Jim and gym).
_____ lives near a _____ beach.
2. HOMOPHONES
Fill in the blanks
with two words with the same pronunciation, but
different spellings and different meanings (like here and hear).
After a half-hour _____, the nurse
measured my height and _____.
3. INCOMPLETE
WORDS FOR THANKSGIVING
Fill in the missing letters.
__ H __ R __ D A __
MATH
COLUMN
Copyrighted © and
adapted from Arithmetricks and
other works by Ed Julius (available at many brick-and-mortar
and online bookstores). Please see the
back page for the answers.
Here’s a simple and fun way to estimate
division by 11. Multiply the other number by 9,
then divide the result by 100. Let’s try
this trick to estimate 50 ÷ 11:
Step 1. Multiply 50 by 9 50
x 9 = 450
Step 2. Divide
450 by 100 450 ÷ 100
= 4.5 (answer*)
Recap: Estimate
50 ÷ 11
= (50 x 9) ÷ 100 = 450 ÷ 100 = 4.5
Now try these, using the trick (please see back
page for answers):
1. Estimate 90 ÷ 11: 2. Estimate
60 ÷ 11: 3. Estimate
200 ÷ 11:
ENGLISH CHALLENGE
Copyrighted
© and written by Alan Stillson and Ed Julius
for Monthly Mind Tickler.
Please see the back page for the answers.
Correct the Massachusetts place name that is misspelled
in each group:
- Boston,
Foxboro, Plymith, Salem
- Worcester, Holyoak,
Springfield, Framingham
- Glouster,
Ipswich, Concord, Provincetown
WORD FUN COLUMN – Native
American Animal Names
Copyrighted © and
adapted from the works of Richard Lederer, America’s
preeminent linguist (available online at verbivore.com). Please
see the bottom of the page for answers.
Thanksgiving is a time that we especially remember
the contributions of Native Americans to the
English language. Examples include caribou (Micmac), chipmunk (Ojibwa), moose (Algonquian), muskrat (Abenaki),
and porgy (Algonquian).
Pronouncing many of the Native American words
was difficult for the early explorers and settlers.
In many instances, they had to shorten and simplify
the names. Here are four Native American names
for animals. Identify the word that we use for
those animals.
apossoun (Don't play dead now.)
otchock (How much wood?)
rahaugcum (Ring around the tail.)
segankw (What's black and white and stinks
all over?)
Speaking of animal names, there are three “key” animals
(their names all end in key). Can
you name them?
ANSWERS
Word Puzzle Column:
1. Sandy and sandy 2. wait
and weight 3. Thursday
Math Column:
1. 8.1 2 . 5.4 3. 18
English Challenge:
1. Plymouth 2. Holyoke 3. Gloucester
Word Fun Column:
1. opossum
2. woodchuck 3. raccoon
4. skunk 5. monkey,
donkey, and turkey
MY FAVORITE QUOTE “Education is simply the soul of a society
as it passes from one generation to another.” – G.
K. Chesterton. Anonymous contribution.
Monthly Mind Tickler is produced
by Stillsonworks.com and provided free to middle
schools throughout America, featuring columns
by best-selling authors Alan Stillson, Ed Julius,
and Richard Lederer. It is for your enjoyment
and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial
purpose. As educators, we know that learning
is fun and we encourage the use of mental exercises.
Monthly Mind Tickler is published September through
May.
Attention, students:
If you have
a favorite quote related to education, please
e-mail it to Monthly
Mind Tickler for possible use in a future
issue. Please include your name, the author’s
name, and the name of your school.
The e-mail address is astillson@sbcglobal.net and
is accessible on the Stillsonworks.com web site. |
