Month:

Where are the circles?

• September 9

Dr. Glen Whitney, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York and walkSTEM advisor, notices the repeating motif of circles in the design of the Cathedral Guadeloupe. He highlights the intersection between geometry and architecture by making observations about the use of circles within circles and symmetrical arrangements in the traditional architecture of the church. Dr. Whitney illustrates for us that the math and STEM-related observations we can make about everyday places around... CONTINUE READING

How Do Cylinders Make Beautiful Shapes?

• September 9

Dr. Glen Whitney, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York and walkSTEM advisor, is struck by the cylinders obvious in the design of this modern building. The building is formed from two cylinders that intersect to form a beautiful parabola. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here: https://talkstem.org/talkstem-ac... CONTINUE READING

What are Fractals?

• September 9

Dr. Glen Whitney, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York and walkSTEM advisor, notices the beautiful, glossy leaves of the magnolia leaves that he walks by on this tour and call out the math pattern of the veins in the leaves. This fractal pattern, where the shape repeats itself but at a progressively smaller scale is common in nature and is a fascinating, relatively new field in mathematics. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grad... CONTINUE READING

What Can You Measure in Bamboo Plants?

• September 9

Dr. Glen Whitney, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York and walkSTEM advisor, wonders what we can measure in the bamboo plants located at the entry to the Nasher Sculpture Center. Suggestions include length of nodes, distance between leaves, circumference of stalks, and more. Dr. Whitney then explores the possibility of a mathematical relationship between some of these measurements and age of the bamboo. How would we figure out if there was a relationship and also what type o... CONTINUE READING

What is the Really Big Number Here?

• September 9

Dr. Glen Whitney, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York and walkSTEM advisor, has fun with a really big number by estimating the number of stones that were used to build the sidewalk on Flora street. Using number arrays, estimation, and collaborative groupwork, Dr Whitney and friends come up with their estimate and then visualize how tall of a tower these stones would be if they were to be stacked up vertically. Can you guess? Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to e... CONTINUE READING

How Can Shapes Create Feelings?

• September 9

Architect I. M. Pei designed this visually striking building. Dr. Glen Whitney, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York and walkSTEM advisor, points out that the effect of the design is dependent in part on the use of two geometric shapes that are unexpectedly used together. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here:... CONTINUE READING

What is a Mathematical Fossil Hunt?

• September 9

Dr. Glen Whitney, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York and walkSTEM advisor, takes us on a mathematical fossil hunt as we observe a modern water feature at the Texas Sculpture Walk. 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/ Support for these guides was provided... CONTINUE READING

How Do You Measure Pitch and How is it Helpful?

• September 9

Dr. Glen Whitney, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York and walkSTEM advisor, notices the two systems of ramps that lead into the Wyly Theater Center at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. He takes some quick measurements to figure out the slope, gradient or pitch of each of the two ramps, and then discusses how mathematics keeps us safe. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here:... CONTINUE READING

How Can Basic Shapes Create Complex Art?

• September 9

Dr. Glen Whitney, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York and walkSTEM advisor, enjoys connecting the arts and mathematics. He takes a look at the Pegasus sculpture outside of the the Booker T Washington high school and notices the collection of varied shapes used by the artist to create this complex form. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here:... CONTINUE READING

What is the shape of the traffic bollard?

• September 9

Dr. Glen Whitney, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York and walkSTEM advisor, rapidly brainstorms a series of questions about the traffic bollards on an urban street. He illustrates for us that the math and STEM-related questions we can ask about everyday objects are almost endless and that it's a lot of fun to ask these questions in our everyday lives!... CONTINUE READING