MEDIEVAL MATH Written by Rachel Kurak Illustrated using

MEDIEVAL MATH? ! Written by Rachel Kurak Illustrated using Google Images

MEDIEVAL MATH? ! Written by Rachel Kurak Illustrated using Google IMages Grade: 7 PA Core Math Standard: M 07. B-E. 2. 2. 1 Solve word problems leading to equations of the form px + q = r and p(x + q) = r, where p, q, and r are specific rational numbers.

“Yes, Mom, I’m starting it now, ” I groan. It’s Sunday, and I have better things to do than yet another math worksheet. There’s a new one every day! The letters in those equations look boring at best, and horridly confusing at worst. As soon I sit down, I realize that I don’t actually have my math book at my desk, so I head for the pile of papers on my floor where I’m pretty sure I last saw it. As I’m digging through the pile, I pick up a rather oddlooking book that I’ve never seen. Just as I do, I hear a rattling in my closet. I stand up for a closer look just in time to see a stone-framed arch suddenly appear in the back wall, right between my dress pants and my least favorite sweater. 1

Curious, and way more interested in the new doorway than in my math worksheet, I walk under the stone arch, and find myself in a very strange looking place. The room has stone walls and floors and is full of work tables, mysterious jars, fancy books, and a fireplace with a cauldron issuing forth green smoke. Wait, a cauldron? ! I suddenly look down, and realize that my jeans and t-shirt are gone, replaced by velvety robes. Which have a stick…a wand in the pocket. “I’ve got to be dreaming, or something, ” I think. “But is it a dream, or a nightmare? ” I realize that where just moments ago was a hole leading to my bedroom, there is now only solid stone wall covered by a red curtain, and thus I’m inclined to believe the situation more nightmarish. 2

Just then, I hear a commotion. Following the sound, and passing through what appears to be the front room to this…wizard’s shop? (my best guess given the front room’s features), I open the door to the street just in time to hear a proclamation. “Hear ye, hear ye! An announcement from his majesty King Liam! Beginning tomorrow at sundown is a contest to slay the evil Green Dragon of Hopeful Valley and discover his wellkept secret! Anyone with the guts and gusto is encouraged to try his luck! Great rewards are at stake!” The villager standing next to me gives me a nudge. “You’re the town wizard. You’ve got a better chance than anyone!” He proclaims to the town crier, “I’ve got your first volunteer!” before I can argue. I figure that it’s a dream anyway; why not make it an adventure? I assent, despite my worry that I won’t be able to pass myself off as the town wizard very well for long. After a short set of instructions is given to all the contestants (who, besides me, are all bold, bragging knights loudly proclaiming that they’re going to win the princess’ hand in addition to the Green Dragon’s amazing secret treasure), I head back into my shop to get to work. 3

I realize with bewilderment, upon reentering what I now know to be my wizard’s shop, that I suddenly recall not only all kinds of potions and spells, but also what ingredients and magic words they require and how to prepare or conjure them. I decide that while I don’t think I could effectively kill a dragon (I have, after all, a wizard’s knowledge, not that of a knight), I know just the potion to knock him out long enough for me to discover whatever secrets he has hidden in his lair. I also realize that I have acquired useful non-magical knowledge too, like the fact that I’m out of the proper potion ingredients, and the fact that I know how to get to the town’s market. I’m about to head out when I wonder: how much time do I have to shop? It will take 30 minutes to walk there and back, and since the potion needs 12 hours to brew before I can take it to the dragon’s lair at exactly sundown tomorrow, before the other contestants will be ready, I know I need to be back in 2 hours. How long do I have to haggle over the price of each of my 15 necessary ingredients? 4

With four minutes allotted to shop for each ingredient, I realize I’ll have just enough time if I hurry, so I head to the market. It only takes me 3 minutes to buy each ingredient, so I even have time to stop for some groceries while I’m there. Brewing my potion goes off without a hitch, and with more than a little bit of trepidation, I head for the cave that I know to be the lair of the Green Dragon the next day, a little while before sundown. I’m grateful for the sword I found in the back of my shop, which I brought for a little extra protection. I’m also glad that I gained a knowledge of how to get to Hopeful Valley, where the Green Dragon’s lair is, along with my knowledge of how to get to the market. However, as I walk I’m starting to wish I were at home safely doing my math sheet, rather than in the middle of this nightmare. I pinch myself, but I’m still a wizard on the way to fight a dragon. I soon come upon Hopeful Valley and the Green Dragon’s lair, and I reach two conclusions: first, that I have successfully arrived before all of my competitors, and second, that Hopeful Valley is anything but hopeful. 5

Approaching the cave, I see the Green Dragon (who is smaller than I expected) sleeping with a smile on his face, and I’m rather surprised to see him looking so harmless, since I’ve heard about all the brave, confident knights whom this dragon has sentenced to the town’s healer with some serious wounds. Despite this, I decide rashly on a direct approach, figuring I’ll just throw my open bottle of potion into the snoring dragon’s mouth and back away until it works its magic, then go in and do my duty, no problem. However, the dragon, seeing my sword and my intent, has other ideas, and scratches my arm. I run and cower behind a rock, expecting a stream of flame to fry me to a crisp any second. Peeking over the rock, I’m surprised to see that the dragon has retreated back into his cave. 6

He again, looks harmless. I pretend to walk off in the direction from which I came, and he goes back to his nap. As soon as I turn around though, he begins eyeing my sword and starts to look menacing again. Then I realize that he could have already killed me if he’d wanted to. I start to wonder what exactly the Green Dragon is hiding, and why the king wants him dead, since he doesn’t seem that scary, if you’re not poised to attack him. I figure that I’d be pretty jumpy with a sword headed my direction, too, so I start to plan a totally different approach. I throw the sword aside and walk slowly back towards the dragon, pulling a leftover turkey leg out of my knapsack. He looks wary, but excited at the sight of the meat. I say “It’s not poisoned or anything. Let’s share it. I just want to talk. ” 7

To my surprise, this strange plan actually works! The “evil” dragon confesses, “No one has ever stopped to talk to me before. It gets kinda lonely out here. ” “Well then, why are you here, all by yourself? ” I ask as I take a bite of our shared dinner. “Many years ago, my friend, a good but clumsy wizard, attempted to cast a large spell which would bless the valley with good crops, but he wound up accidentally casting an awful curse. It nearly destroyed the whole valley. He trapped it in a large, beautiful, magical box just in time. So, in an effort to prevent someone stumbling upon it and unleashing its destruction, my friend and I guarded the box together for years, until he died of old age. But now I guard it alone, and the nearby kingdoms and towns have forgotten why. The mysterious box with the dragon for a guard lures curious adventurers with thoughts of treasure and glory. They don’t realize it contains a curse, which would slowly spread out and cause damage and destruction in every kingdom within a three day ride! Thinking I have treasure or will cause harm just because I’m a dragon, adventurers try to kill me, and unknowingly, everyone else, before I can explain the truth. I don’t want to kill them, just stop them! The only thing that gets through to them is my claws and my fire breath. ” I suddenly understand why all the knights who have come before all came back, and only with wounds. “But the knights ride back, their hopes dashed, and tell tales about the evil, dangerous dragon they fought, so everyone wants me dead and my secret revealed, ” he finishes. 8

Before I can respond and come up with a solution, I hear hooves, and I groan inwardly, because I see that a familiar scene is about to replay itself. A knight in shining armor, riding a black stallion, already has his arrow poised at the Green Dragon’s heart. The dragon easily swats the sharp projectile away. In an effort to prevent anyone getting hurt, I decide my tranquilizing potion should have a new target. Using my wand, I easily maneuver just enough potion through the knight’s helmet to allow him a short nap and to give me time to sort out the situation. Unfortunately, he fires his second arrow just as the potion is taking effect, and it affects his aim. The arrow pierces the curse’s magical box! Ominous smog begins to seep out. Before I can think, the Green Dragon scoops up his now sleeping attacker (the knight’s horse already having run for cover at a speed faster than I thought possible) and me and flies us back to the town where my shop is. 9

As I’m flying away, I look back to check the damage. In the minute it took us to get out of there, the curse moved 20 feet! I ask the Green Dragon how long it will take to get back to my workshop, and he says he can get me there in 12 minutes. I know the nearest village is half of a mile away from the curse’s current location. (Remember, 1 mile is 5280 feet. ) How long do I have to figure out a countercurse before the curse reaches the village? 10

Knowing I have 2 hours to find a counter-curse, I take some time to think and plan carefully. I certainly don’t want to curse the curse and make it worse! I expect the perfect spell or potion to come to me, but I seem to have reached the end of my knowledge. Then, I realize: I don’t need a counter-curse; no magician has yet found that. I just need to put the spell back in a box! Using my wits, my magic, and what’s on hand in my shop, including an old empty trunk I found in the back room, I create a new box for the spell which no arrow can pierce; now I just have to put the curse in it. 11

I cast a simple wind spell to bring the curse into its new box, and I label the box as dangerous. Then the Green Dragon and I bury it so that he need no longer be an “evil” guard dragon. That accomplished, I go to the castle to report my story and success to King Liam. He is so pleased that he gives me a bag of gold as a reward. I suggest that the king consider hiring the Green Dragon as a guard for his castle, and he agrees. 12

Exhausted, I start heading back to my shop and start thinking about having chicken nuggets for dinner. Then I realize that those haven’t been invented yet, but I decide I might as well give it a try; who knows what my magic can do? Searching through the spell books in the back room, I pull an oddly modern-looking one off the shelf, and am pleasantly surprised when the red curtain slides aside and again reveals the passage to my bedroom. Hoping to come back soon, but more interested for the moment in heading home, I walk back into my modern house, relieved. Tired, and hoping I can end this long, exhausting dream, I lie down for a nap. 13

Upon waking up, I check my cell phone by my bed and see that it’s still Sunday, and it’s only been about 20 minutes since I started looking for my math book, though it feels like ages. I grudgingly go back to it, only to realize that the problems on the sheet remind me of the math I had to do in my dream. I happily observe that they’re not so boring or difficult when I think about them that way. I pick up my pencil to get busy only to notice a long and still slightly sore scratch on my arm, right where the Green Dragon’s claw grazed me… 14

CLASSROOM USE Tools: Pencil & paper or dry erase boards & markers, Formula (Rate * Time = Distance) Classroom Use ideas: give each student a copy of the story. Have them read it together in pairs or small groups and stop to solve the problems as they come up. They can check their answers by turning the page.