Utter | Mathematics achievement yields opportunity.

Welcome to Mrs. Beth Utter’s Math Page!

By Utter | Published: September 8, 2009

Welcome! I am one of the math teachers at Dutchess Day School and I have the pleasure to teach 5th through 8th grade mathematics. I am also a 7th grade homeroom teacher and a 7th grade adviser in addition to being a co-leader of Student Leadership Council with Mrs. Ackers. There are four major concepts that the students learn at varying levels from 5th grade on, which are geometry, number and operation, data and probability and algebra.

Student quote from 10/14/09:

“Math is good

Math is fun

Math is great for everyone!”

“Mathematics is a way of thinking that can help make muddy relationships clear. It is a language that allows us to translate the complexity of the world into manageable patterns.”

K.C. Cole, The Universe and the Teacup

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International Space Station Word Problem

By Utter | Published: December 10, 2009

My family and I had the unbelievable pleasure to watch the Endeavor space shuttle launch in July of this past summer in Florida. There were two aborted launches and then the third try was successful. It was so exciting to watch and was a highlight of our summer! We then tracked the international space station (ISS) throughout the Summer and Fall. By using a compass, we figured out approximately where the ISS would appear in the sky. It looks like a planet, so it is bigger than a star and moves quickly across the sky. Here is the word problem:

When the shuttle is in orbit, it is traveling at 17,500 miles per hour. Therefore, on Tuesday, September 1, the space shuttle and the international space station were attached and were visible for 5 minutes to the naked eye in the sky. How far will the space shuttle travel in the 5 minutes you could see it? (Hint: distance = rate * time) Bring your answer to class or to me if I do not teach you.

Here’s the link to the Endeavor Space Shuttle Launch on July 15, 2009:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/on_demand_video.html?param=http://anon.nasa-global.edgesuite.net/anon.nasa-global/ksc/ksc_071509_sts127_launch3.asx&_id=197905&_title=3-2-1%2C%20Liftoff!&_tnimage=368576main_ksc_071509_sts127_launch-t.gif