Month:

Why is a soccer ball shaped like that?

  • May 1

Why are both pentagons and hexagons used in a soccer ball as opposed to just hexagons? What is the actual geometry of a soccer ball and why? Read about the production of this video which was developed in partnership with a high school math teacher and soccer coach in this article.... CONTINUE READING

How are players supposed to know where a high cross is going?

  • May 1

How do parabolas and axes of symmetry relate to a high cross during soccer practice? How are good players using the mathematics of parabolas to anticipate where to position themselves? Read about the production of this video which was developed in partnership with a high school math teacher and soccer coach in this article.... CONTINUE READING

Could 1% of a World Cup crowd actually fit on this field?

  • May 1

Students consider the question of just how many people would fit on the soccer field on which their team is playing a match. It's an estimation question and highlights on just how easy it is to come up with a good estimate on the fly if you need to. Read about the evolution of this video, which was developed in partnership with a middle school math teacher and his students, in this... CONTINUE READING

What patterns can you find?

  • September 9

Patterns can be found everywhere, including the hallway! talkSTEM joins faculty at St. Philips Academy in exploring the patterns in these colorful tiles. This video was supported by City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs. Thanks to our partnership with Mathigon, you can enjoy this walkSTEM stop using learning extensions in the Polypad interactive virtual whiteboard. You can visit this stop's Polypad here: Polypad #1... CONTINUE READING

How do gears create movement?

  • September 9

Why are gears used? What do they do? Join Dr. Glen Whitney, Founder of the National Museum of Mathematics, as you discover the power of using gears, and how they help the sculpture, Hammering Men, in NorthPark Center. This video was supported by NorthPark Center. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here: https://talkstem.org/talks... CONTINUE READING

What’s the Mathematical Mystery Here? Fountain

  • September 9

Join Dr. Glen Whitney, Founder of the National Museum of Mathematics, as you discover the mystery hidden in a seemingly regular fountain at NorthPark Center. This video was supported by NorthPark Center. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here: https://talkstem.org/talkstem-activity-guides/... CONTINUE READING

How symmetrical is a Buckyball?

  • September 9

Join Dr. Glen Whitney, Founder of the National Museum of Mathematics, as you discover the most symmetrical object at NorthPark Center- the Buckyball! Learn how to determine how symmetrical a shape is, and what makes the Buckyball so special. This video was supported by NorthPark Center. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here: htt... CONTINUE READING

How many people can fit in the gym?

  • September 9

St. Philip's Academy teachers use math to verify or refute the claim that 300 billion people attended a recent basketball game. This video was supported by City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs. Thanks to our partnership with Mathigon, you can enjoy this walkSTEM stop using learning extensions in the Polypad interactive virtual whiteboard. You can visit this stop's Polypad here: Polypad #1: How many r... CONTINUE READING

How many “tri-circles” are there in the playground?

  • September 9

High school members of the Women in STEM club in Greenhill School stop at the playground on their math walk to share some math with the second graders. On the playground, we can see many different "tri-circles"! What is the easiest way to count how many of them there are? We try counting using different methods, such as counting in 2s, 3s, and 5s. This video content was contributed by community members from the Greenhill School - we invite all interested groups to reach out and find more informa... CONTINUE READING